{"id":74674,"date":"2026-04-11T19:56:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T19:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/a-film-inspired-guide-to-north-carolina\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T19:56:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T19:56:37","slug":"a-film-inspired-guide-to-north-carolina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/a-film-inspired-guide-to-north-carolina\/","title":{"rendered":"A Film-Inspired Guide to North Carolina"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The list goes on.<\/p>\n<p>From Belly\u2019s Finch College in Chapel Hill to the waterfront streets of Wilmington and Southport, the state makes set-jetting from film location to film location on a screen-inspired road trip across on the East Coast easy.<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@atoosathewanderer\/video\/7617526107587349791\" data-video-id=\"7617526107587349791\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;\">\n<section> @atoosathewanderer North Carolina has so much to offer! I recently explored its eastern coastline (Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, New Bern, and Southport), all of which were full of beautiful surprises. This coastline is a longtime filming hotspot for shows from Dawson\u2019s Creek and One Tree Hill to The Summer I Turned Pretty, multiple Nicholas Sparks films, and many more.  #VisitNC #VisitNewBern #WilmingtonNC #SouthportNC #MatadorNetwork \u266c original sound \u2013 nicole <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Chapel Hill<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_889176\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889176\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889176 wow-me lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/Chapell-Hill-NC-1.jpg\"\/><noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889176\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/Chapell-Hill-NC-1.jpg\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889176\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-889176\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty\u201d walking tour at Chapell Hill. Right: View from TOPO restaurant. Photos: Atoosa Ryanne Arfa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Season 3 of \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty\u201d filmed several scenes at UNC Chapel Hill, transforming the campus into the fictional Finch College. I took a walking tour through the UNC Visitors Center to hear behind-the-scenes stories from Izzie, our student guide. For example, the show\u2019s creator Jenny Han lived in Old East, the oldest campus building, so the crew used it as the character Belly\u2019s dorm. Izzie also pointed out where the art department covered the university\u2019s historic seal with a Finch College crest, and revealed the exact spot outside Old West where the emotional Olivia Rodrigo \u201cLacy\u201d scene occurred.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A film-inspired food stop in Chapel Hill:<\/strong> Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery (TOPO) is the state\u2019s fifth-oldest brewpub and where Han took her crew during filming. The food menu of thoughtful pub classics compliments the award-winning beers. For a drink stop, I grabbed an iced hot chocolate at Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews. Run by Miranda and Jaime Sanchez, this independent bookstore serves Mexican-inspired treats and specialty chocolate beverages alongside colorful books.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where to stay in Chapel Hill:<\/strong> The Carolina Inn, known as \u201cthe University\u2019s Living Room,\u201d is a historic AAA Four Diamond hotel on campus and was the set for the conference scenes for Belly\u2019s parents during the first season of \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">New Bern<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_889175\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889175\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889175 wow-me lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/New-Bern-NC-1.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889175\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/New-Bern-NC-1.jpg\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889175\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-889175\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Pepsi-Cola Soda Fountain. Right: Tryon Palace. Photos: Atoosa Ryanne Arfa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>New Bern, the original capital of North Carolina and birthplace of Pepsi, is the setting for three Nicholas Sparks novels: \u201cA Bend in the Road,\u201d \u201cThe Wedding,\u201d and \u201cThe Notebook.\u201d It also serves as a major historical focal point in \u201cOutlander.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Tryon Palace, a reconstructed 18th-century site, feels like a time portal to colonial America. While the \u201cOutlander\u201d series was filmed in Scotland, author Diana Gabaldon incorporated North Carolina history into the books the series is based on. I imagined Jamie and Claire Fraser\u2019s interactions with Governor Tryon leading up to the American Revolution as I explored the palace\u2019s grand rooms and formal gardens.<\/p>\n<p>New Bern sits at the confluence of the Neuse and Trent Rivers. To see the town from the water, I booked a boat tour with 2 River Cruises. Navigating the estuaries and swamps through the Croatan National Forest felt like drifting through the setting of \u201cWhere the Crawdads Sing.\u201d I even spotted Nicholas Sparks\u2019s massive waterfront home and his ex-wife\u2019s house nearby (which looked much larger than his).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where to eat in New Bern:<\/strong> Grab lunch at Lawson\u2019s On The Creek, located inside the North Carolina History Center. Dishes like delicious smashed tots that resemble a potato quilt are served up alongside river views. For dinner, chef Ashley Moser highlights local ingredients through creative small plates at Cypress Hall.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where to stay in New Bern:<\/strong> The Aerie Bed &amp; Breakfast is an adults-only Victorian inn. The property maintains its preserved historic elegance in its cozy suites.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_889179\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889179\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889179 wow-me lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/Wilmington-Papercut-Books-Interior-TSITP.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889179\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/Wilmington-Papercut-Books-Interior-TSITP.jpg\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889179\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-889179\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Papercut Books. Photo: Atoosa Ryanne Arfa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Nicknamed \u201cWilmywood,\u201d \u201cFilmington,\u201d and \u201cHollywood East,\u201d Wilmington has been a backdrop for blockbusters since the 1980s. I booked a carriage ride with Springbrook Farms, boarding near the storefront that doubled as Red Bedroom Records in \u201cOne Tree Hill.\u201d As a rescued Percheron draft horse pulled me along the streets, my guide shared a blend of movie lore (the iconic steps of City Hall are recognizable from the intro of \u201cMatlock\u201d) and local history (the city is working to peel back modern asphalt to restore its original 19th-century brick streets).<\/p>\n<p>To cover more ground, historian and writer Hunter Ingram led me on an \u201cOutlander in the Cape Fear\u201d tour, starting at the Burgwin-Wright House. Built in 1769 over the city\u2019s original jail, the home\u2019s dungeon and former gallows provide a glimpse into the gritty colonial era navigated by Jamie Fraser in the show.<\/p>\n<p>Literary culture runs deep here. New York Times bestselling author Wiley Cash recently opened a two-story bookstore called Floodplain Books, and Old Books on Front Street is a floor-to-ceiling haven for book lovers. Gwenyfar Rohler, owner of the later, told me how she reads one book a day, and that the shop doubled as a location in \u201cSleepy Hollow.\u201d Meanwhile, Papercut Books was the Whale of a Tale bookstore from The \u201cSummer I Turned Pretty,\u201d though the interior has expanded since filming.<\/p>\n<p>For vintage shopping, Jess James + Co is a stylish boutique where pastel-hued racks have attracted celebrity shoppers such as  Zooey Deschanel and the stars of \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty.\u201d Owner Jess James even made a cameo in the show as part of her DJ duo, The Beehive Blondes.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_889180\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889180\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889180 wow-me lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/Wilmington-Naley-Bench-OTH.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889180\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/Wilmington-Naley-Bench-OTH.jpg\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889180\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-889180\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Naley Bench. Photo: Atoosa Ryanne Arfa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Along the Wilmington Riverwalk, the \u201cOne Tree Hill\u201d Naley bench overlooks the Cape Fear River. Take a tour of Airlie Gardens to see the location for scenes from Nicholas Sparks\u2019 \u201cThe Choice\u201d and the show \u201cThe Runarounds.\u201d Fifteen minutes away, Wrightsville Beach is where you\u2019ll find the familiar white sands and marinas seen on \u201cDawson\u2019s Creek\u201d and \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where to eat in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach:<\/strong> Elijah\u2019s is a casual American grill that doubled as Pacey\u2019s restaurant in \u201cDawson\u2019s Creek.\u201d For dinner, manna has elevated dishes by chef Carson Jewell that arrive like works of art. In Wrightsville Beach, The Workshop caf\u00e9 has both espresso and fossilized shark teeth. The shop is owned by local scuba divers who spend their time recovering treasures from the Atlantic. The Crystal Pier restaurant Oceanic is where Belly and Jeremiah\u2019s dramatic engagement announcement happened in \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where to stay in Wilmington:<\/strong> ARRIVE Wilmington is a boutique hotel with a courtyard gazebo bar where \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty\u201d filmed several scenes. While there, try the attached restaurant, Dram Yard. Its elephant logo honors Popsey, a circus elephant who crashed into the building in 1926 and spilled enough indigo dye that painted the city purple.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Southport<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_889182\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889182\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889182 wow-me lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/Southport-Fishy-Fishy-exterior.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889182\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/Southport-Fishy-Fishy-exterior.jpg\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889182\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-889182\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Atoosa Ryanne Arfa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>I hadn\u2019t heard of Southport before visiting, but the town felt familiar thanks to its role as a quintessential coastal movie set: the backdrop for \u201cA Walk to Remember,\u201d standing in for Long Island in the World War II film \u201cSpies,\u201d and serving as a fishing port in the 1997 slasher \u201cI Know What You Did Last Summer.\u201d Most famously, it was the primary filming location for the 2013 romantic thriller \u201cSafe Haven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where to eat in Southport:<\/strong> Start with coffee at Southport Coffee Co., then grab lunch at Blue Cow Grille. Fishy Fishy Caf\u00e9 offers quirky waterfront views with colorful signs, while the laid-back Provision Company serves peel-and-eat shrimp.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where to stay in Southport:<\/strong> The Southport Carriage House Inn is a restored 1935 brick bed and breakfast steps from the town center. <\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Getting to North Carolina for a film tour<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_889183\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889183\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1068\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889183 wow-me lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/Downtown-Southport-Restaurants-and-Shops.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-889183\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.matadornetwork.com\/blogs\/1\/2026\/04\/Downtown-Southport-Restaurants-and-Shops.jpg\" alt=\"North Carolina film and literary culture\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1068\" class=\"size-full wp-image-889183\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-889183\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Visit North Carolina<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>To recreate this tour, fly into Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and rent a car. Chapel Hill is a quick 30-minute drive from the terminal. From there, you can hop between New Bern, Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and Southport, with drives ranging from 30 minutes to two hours. To skip the long trek back, book your return flight out of the smaller and stress-free Wilmington International Airport (ILM).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>window.dataLayer=window.dataLayer||[],dataLayer.push({\"gtm.start\":(new Date).getTime(),event:\"gtm.js\"}),window.GoogleAnalyticsObject=\"ga\",window.ga=window.ga||function(){(ga.q=ga.q||[]).push(arguments)},ga.l=1*new Date,window.allGa=function(){},window.fbq=window.fbq||function(){fbq.callMethod?fbq.callMethod.apply(fbq,arguments):fbq.queue.push(arguments)},window._fbq||(window._fbq=fbq),fbq.push=fbq,fbq.loaded=!0,fbq.version=\"2.0\",fbq.queue=[],window.mnTrack=()=>{},window.enableTracking=()=>{function a(){dataLayer.push(arguments)}window.isTrackingConsentNeeded=!1,window.dataLayer=window.dataLayer||[],dataLayer.push({eu_c:2}),[\"https:\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/analytics.js\",\"https:\/\/www.googletagmanager.com\/gtm.js?id=GTM-59BP9J\",\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js\",\"https:\/\/www.googletagmanager.com\/gtag\/js?id=G-QKD85ZJNHR\"].forEach(function(u){var s=document.createElement(\"script\");s.async=!0,s.src=u,document.head.appendChild(s)});if(window.ua_enabled)for(var e of window.ga_properties)ga(\"create\",e.tracking_id,e.cookie_domain,{name:e.name,allowLinker:!0});if(window.ga4_enabled){var n={};for(var i in window.ga_custom_vars)n[window.ga_dimension_definitions[i]]=i;a(\"js\",new Date),a(\"config\",\"G-QKD85ZJNHR\",{custom_map:n})}for(var i in window.ga_custom_vars)window.ua_enabled&&ga(\"set\",window.ga_dimension_definitions[i],ga_custom_vars[i]),window.ga4_enabled&&a(\"event\",i+\"_dimension\",{[i]:ga_custom_vars[i]});if(allGa=function(){if(arguments.length){var a=[].slice.call(arguments);ga(function(){for(var e=a[0],n=ga.getAll(),i=0;i<n.length;i++)a[0]=n[i].get(\"name\")+\".\"+e,ga.apply(ga,a)})}},allGa(\"set\",\"anonymizeIp\",!0),mnTrack=(e=\"\",n={})=>{if(window.ga4_enabled&&!n.no_ga4&&a(\"event\",e,n),n.no_ga4&&delete n.no_ga4,window.ua_enabled){var i=[\"send\",\"event\"];\"page_view\"===e?(i[0]=\"send\",i[1]=\"pageview\",i[2]=void 0!==n.slug?n.slug:\"\",i=i.concat(n)):(i[2]=e,i[3]=void 0!==n.action?n.action:\"\",i[4]=void 0!==n.label?n.label:\"\",i[5]=void 0!==n.value?n.value:0,i[6]=void 0!==n.nonInteraction?{nonInteraction:1}:{}),allGa.apply(!1,i)}},mnTrack(\"page_view\",{no_ga4:!0}),fbq(\"dataProcessingOptions\",[\"LDU\"],0,0),fbq(\"init\",\"890302741001574\"),fbq(\"track\",\"PageView\"),!window.disableAds){var o=document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0],t=document.createElement(\"script\");t.async=!0,t.src=\"https:\/\/securepubads.g.doubleclick.net\/tag\/js\/gpt.js\",o.parentNode.insertBefore(t,o)}},\/(^| )(CONSENT=2|EU=\\(null\\))(;|$)\/.test(document.cookie)?enableTracking():window.isTrackingConsentNeeded=!\/(^| )CONSENT=0(;|$)\/.test(document.cookie);\n<\/script><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The list goes on. From Belly\u2019s Finch College in Chapel Hill to the waterfront streets of Wilmington and Southport, the state makes set-jetting from film location to film location on a screen-inspired road trip across on the East Coast easy. @atoosathewanderer North Carolina has so much to offer! I recently explored its eastern coastline (Wilmington, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":74675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_daextam_enable_autolinks":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tryon-Palace-Gardens-and-House-social.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}