Wilson, North Carolina, was unexpected.
Backstory: For months (maybe even a year) “Visit Wilson” was written on my calendar. Why did it take so long? The Wilson Rose Garden and Eyes on Main Street have timelines. Both are available this year (2026) as of May 15th. According to online reviews, May is the best month for visiting the rose garden. While there, I wanted to visit Whirligig Park and Hackney Library at Barton College. I am happy to say I visited every place except the library.
While looking for photographs from the Eyes on Main Street exhibit in historic downtown Wilson, I spent a lot of time walking downtown. Wilson is way larger than I fathomed. It is fairly spread out too. Every turn seemed to open another block of old buildings. Did I tour all of downtown Wilson? I do not think so, but I did tour all of the rose garden and the park. The roses were beautiful and the park was fun. Visit both sometime if you ever have the opportunity.
*Please note: These images are not indicative of the entire city of Wilson. They were taken at Wilson Rose Garden and the historic downtown area. I personally think they are beautiful displays of color and/or craftsmanship, which is why I chose these images to display.