Trip down Highway 12 (Wilmington, Beaufort, Kitty Hawk: renting, house, restaurants)

[Jaybee]

My wife and I will be visiting some friends near Kitty Hawk in early September. When we leave the place they'll be renting, we hope to drive down Highway 12 through Cape Hatteras, Ocracoke, then on thru Wilmington, Myrtle Beach and beyond. Eventually we'll need to get to Charleston SC, where we'll catch a plane for home in Northern CA. We have built two days into our itinerary for this part of our trip. My questions are, 1. how long (time wise) is the drive down Hwy 12, including the ferries. 2. It looks like Wilmington would be about halfway to Charleston; where's a good place to stay overnight in that area? 3. any "must see, or do" places along that stretch of coast? And 4, we'd like to get to Charleston early enough for dinner the evening before our flight home. What's the one dinner house in Charleston that we should try?. Oh, I do know that Charleston is in South Carolina, but wanted the convenience of a single post. Plus, I have confidence in Tar Heels!

[Edward Teach]

The drive from Kitty Hawk to Hatteras is about an hour and half. There you can catch a ferry to Ocracoke, which takes an hour. There is a ferry from Ocracoke to the mainland (Cedar Island) that takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, with 5 departures per day:

https://www.ncdot.gov/travel-maps/fe...px?from=9&to=0

Beaufort (NC) is a charming fun town to visit, if you have time.

Lots of places to stay in Wilmington, best bet is probably downtown, its very walkable and has lots of nice stores, restaurants, a short Riverwalk (boardwalk). Or maybe stay in Southport, another small, charming coastal town.

So many great restaurants in Charleston, depends on what type of food, budget, etc. Charleston Grill is great, very pricey, reservations a must. Same for FIG. Hominy Grill is more casual. Cru Cafe is great. Check tripadvisor for more info.