We stop locally first, because there are some shops we haven't been to. But first order of business is a vist to the just-opened Nikki's Sushi for brunch. Though it hasn't been at all crowded with tourists, other than our first night stop at Shuckin' Shack we haven't considered or sampled any of the main street eateries. TFS is wondering whether it'll be a worthy local eatery. It was. Sushi and a beer for brunch - worked quite fine for me. Next a quick stop for me at the ATM next door, to fortify my wallet for anticipated consumerism. I've had to rely on cash or my credit card since about an hour after I landed at the Charlotte Airport and then stopped at a Wal-Mart to get the things that weren't worth the hassle of bringing through airport security. My debit card didn't work in their terminals, pretty much identical to the ones I've used at home. Tried a few times there, a couple times at the gas station behind my lodgings and the Wal-Mart in Bristol, and gave up on it from there. But, next to that gas station was one of many free-standing branches of BB&T I saw on my travels, looking all brick and manorly. It had a drive-through ATM that I walked to and it happily dispensed a decent sum of US cash as easily as any other ATM. More easily actually: their ATMs that I used read and returned my card right away before proceeding with the transaction, not keeping it locked away until the end like ATMs do here.

Wallet reloaded, we crossed the street to check out one of the tourist places - no luck - and then went into the shop/gallery of the Artful Living Group since it had been closed the other night when we wandered the boardwalk a little. Unfortunately closed - we had missed an exhibit TFS really wanted me to see by one day: Racing to the Beach by Wilmington photographer and racing enthusiast Mike Bryand. Like me, he had gone to Bristol and then to the beach, But he had artistic photographs of his journey.

Got Mom some Carolina Beach earrings - she'll appreciate anything I bring, but no Christmas ornmanents here, or any of the other places we stopped in downtown Wilmington, where we wandered a few streets and some antique/artist shops. Not a bustling place nearing the end of business on a Labour Day Monday. Lots more open bars than open shops, and For Lease signs on many windows, perhaps a residual reflection of the 2008 economic downturn. Nice old buildings, narrow streets, lots of character that we didn't really investigate. A copy of free newspaper Encore shows there's an alternative scene going on there.