Battleships and Pickles: Our Unexpected North Carolina Road Trip
North Carolina was one of the harder states to plan for on our summer 2025 road trip from Florida to Pennsylvania. We wanted to make sure we did something significant in every state we visited. Simply driving through doesn’t count!
After doing some research, I settled on Wilmington and Battleship North Carolina. It seemed like a reasonable plan, although North Carolina ended up being a good reminder that sometimes the unexpected stops are the ones that make the best memories.
Wilmington: A disappointing hotel experience
We arrived at our Hampton Inn in Wilmington around the usual check-in time, only to be told that our room wasn’t ready.
I think we ended up sitting in the lobby for nearly two hours waiting for it to become available. I have no idea what was going on behind the scenes. Was there only one person cleaning all the rooms?
Whatever the reason, the person at the front desk more or less ignored us while we waited, which certainly didn’t improve the experience.
It’s frustrating to arrive after a day of driving and find yourself sitting in a hotel lobby instead of settling into your room. Unfortunately, this was not the welcome we had hoped for in North Carolina.
We eventually got into our room and did a little exploring downtown. However, everything seemed to be closed, so Wilmington itself ended up being a fairly uneventful stop for us.
Battleship North Carolina
The next day, we visited Battleship North Carolina.
After arriving, we opted to walk around the outside rather than tour the ship’s interior. That meant our visit was relatively brief, but it still gave us a chance to see the battleship up close.
Although the battleship had been our main reason for stopping in Wilmington, it wasn’t going to be the experience that defined our time in North Carolina.
That honor belonged to something much more unexpected.
Road trip magic: The Mt. Olive Pickle Parlor
I’m not even sure how I stumbled across it, but I realized we would be driving near Mount Olive, North Carolina.
The name immediately caught my attention because it’s home to the Mt. Olive Pickle Company. Even better, I discovered that the company had a Pickle Parlor in downtown Mount Olive.
A pickle parlor? Obviously, we had to stop!
This was exactly the kind of quirky, unexpected attraction I love finding on a road trip. We had already made our planned stops, but here was an opportunity to visit somewhere unusual that we might never have thought to seek out otherwise.
A little town with a lot of pickles
Mount Olive is a quaint, all-American town, with its main street serving as the heart of the community. Right there on Main Street was the Pickle Parlor, and it did not disappoint.
If you love pickles, this place is a dream.
The Pickle Parlor had all things pickle-related, from actual pickles to merchandise. There was even a tasting bar where you could sample some of their products, along with a video explaining the company’s pickle-making operations.
It was a fun place to wander around, browse the merchandise, and learn a little more about a company that has become synonymous with pickles.
I love finding places like this because they turn an ordinary drive into something memorable. You don’t always need a major attraction or an elaborate itinerary. Sometimes a quirky little shop is exactly what you need to make a stop worthwhile.
The stop I’ll remember most
While Wilmington and Battleship North Carolina technically checked the box for our North Carolina visit, the Mt. Olive Pickle Parlor is what I’ll remember most about the state.
It’s funny how road trips work out that way. You can spend hours researching attractions and planning your route, only to find that the unexpected discovery becomes the highlight.
Who knew pickles could save a road trip?
Would I recommend this stop?
Absolutely, especially if you’re already driving through the area and enjoy unusual roadside attractions. It’s a fun break from the highway and a great opportunity to explore a small North Carolina town.
If you’re planning your own visit, check the Pickle Parlor’s current opening hours before you go so you don’t arrive to find the doors closed.
As for Wilmington, our experience was mixed. The hotel check-in was frustrating, and our downtown visit didn’t turn into much of an adventure. Your experience may be completely different, but I always think it’s useful to share the good and the bad.
North Carolina wasn’t quite the stop I had envisioned when I started planning the trip, but it turned into one of the most memorable parts of our journey.
And honestly, any road trip that ends with a visit to a pickle parlor is doing something right!
Continue Following Our East Coast Road Trip
This stop was part of our summer 2025 road trip from Florida to Pennsylvania, where we explored seven states along the East Coast. Follow along with the rest of our journey for more historic sites, quirky roadside attractions, honest hotel reviews, and practical tips for traveling with family.
Read the full trip itinerary: Summer 2025: Our East Coast Road Trip from Florida to Pennsylvania
Explore more stops along the way:
- Georgia and South Carolina
- North Carolina’s Pickle Adventure
- Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
- Crystal Grottoes Caverns and Antietam, Maryland
- Shepherdstown and the Bavarian Inn, West Virginia
- Flight 93, Punxsutawney Phil, and Erie, Pennsylvania