Pettigrew and Somerset

when last I wrote I was parked at Pettigrew State Park, in site 10 and yes it really was available and I liked it fine...I did not bring my full camping "kit" only the necessary stuff to make coffee, I stopped at a Food Lion and got a pre-made salad to eat for dinner, along with some precut fruit.  It was the perfect meal since I was still not 100% after the bout of dizzy accompanied with vomiting in the morning!  If you have never had a serious case of Vertigo let me tell you..omg well I've had it all my adult life and so do my 2 sisters!! We all can sympathize with each other on that one.  And a side note Dogs can suffer a similar aliment and I witnessed my dog Casey have it one night! Its called Vestibular Disorder.  If you ever see your dog staggering and unable to walk straight holding head to one side with some other symptoms, suspect this. 

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This park is like "circle the wagons", nothing fancy just a spot to park, 

 I was thrilled to find out Pettigrew State Park had a boardwalk! 

As you see it passes over a swamp/marsh area and then it brings you to the Phelps Lake...

And it is a lovely lake!  At the end of this dock is a swimming area, I was told the water was warm, I didn't even bring a swim suit..

So after I ate and settled up with the ranger I took a stroll and it was so nice to be in the woods, listen to this most beautiful song of the wood thrush.  Turn your volume up so you can enjoy this woodsy lyric.

Lots of laughing gulls hung around the swimming area, 

and that's why they have Al on guard...

...and what did the gulls think of him??  They don't call them laughing gulls for nothing!

the moon was out above the lake....it was so peaceful I had the dock all to myself while the smell of campfire food wafted from the nearby campground..as the families prepared their evening meals.

Right next door to the State Park is a State Historic Site, Somerset Place.  A working plantation from 1785 - 1865  and at one time had as many as 850 enslaved people living there!   This is the main dwelling...the Collins House.  

I was there after hours so I was not able to go inside any of the buildings...but I did some window peeking...

and stair climbing..

I liked the formal garden...and the carriage lane... 

It follows this white picket fence bringing visitors to the Antebellum Mansion's side entrance, you can almost imagine the impressive scene with the huge Phelps Lake visible across the front lawn...

It was getting late and the mosquitoes came out so I headed back to my campsite, but I turned to see the moon hanging over Somerset...

Fireflies lit my way via the carriage trail that leads back to the campground...and I snapped a zoom in of the Full  Summer Solstice Moon

The small campground was quiet and I slept very well...awoke early and took a stroll once again to the lake with my morning coffee in hand to the boat launch area...

  

The boardwalk actually ends here but I had turned around last night and didn't come all the way to the end..so I did this short piece just after dawn...morning in the swamp is really pretty.

watched a red admiral and then enjoyed some plants in the morning light...

I think this is called Lizard's Tail.

This Button Brush reminds me of a fully loaded pin cushion...or that odd horror film villain pin head-

enjoyed this Northern Cardinal against all the green..

I left early on Sunday as I had planned to drive slowly over the Pocosin Lakes Area, and then make a visit to Swanquarter NWR before making my 5 hr drive home! 

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.