Airlie Gardens is one of those places that reminds you why folks used to put on a good pair of…read morewalking shoes and spend an afternoon outdoors instead of staring at a screen. The grounds are beautiful, peaceful, and rich with history. Even though only some of the flowers are blooming right now, there is still plenty to enjoy--towering live oaks draped in Spanish moss, winding paths, ponds, sculptures, and the feeling that you've stepped back into old Wilmington. The famous Airlie Oak and the historic chapel make it feel more like wandering through a living postcard than just another garden. Airlie dates back to the late 1800s and was created by Sarah and Pembroke Jones before becoming a public garden preserved for future generations. The gardens are well kept, easy to stroll through, and especially lovely this time of year with the Azalea Festival season beginning. It is the kind of place where you slow down, take a deep breath, and remember that nature did landscaping long before homeowners associations started issuing warning letters. The one drawback--and for us older folks it is a real one--is that there simply are not enough restrooms spread throughout the grounds. With so much walking involved, having a few more bathrooms around the gardens would make a tremendous difference and would make the experience more comfortable for seniors and families. Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. A beautiful, historic Wilmington treasure that is absolutely worth visiting, especially in the spring--just be sure to make a restroom stop before setting out on the trails.

What a wonderful afternoon in tended, maintained, and planted nature gardens. We spent 2.5 hours…read moreenjoying every trail and side trails. It felt like we had the place to ourselves for the most part today.

"Let her dream, for she's a child Let the rain fall down…read moreupon her She's a free and gentle flower, growing wild" (Skylark) I was expecting colorful meadows of wildflowers, based on the name of this preserve. But I didn't see the rainbow fields of colors I had imagined, instead we found a peaceful walk in the woods, mor eor less across the road from the UNC Wilmington Student Union. It's a 10-acre oasis in the center of the busy campus -a place for students to relax, unwind, and commune with nature. One way the students enjoy the preserve is participation in an annual tradition (I'm not making this up) of planting Venus Flytraps in flowerbeds. The preserve is also an outdoor classroom where students take soil samples, measure trees, and identify plants and animals. We walked through the maze of trails and thought it was a nice feature hidden away inside the campus.