Spring Colors Abound in Cape Fear, NC

BRIGHT COLOR ALERT!!!

We returned to Fort Fisher on Cape Fear, NC. This place epitomizes a southern coastal community with it’s long, sandy beach, palm trees, and colorful stilted beach homes. It is my dream to rent one of these and enjoy my morning coffee on the balcony or terrace overlooking the ocean.

We stopped in Wilmington to visit Airlie Gardens and had our Spring flower hors d’ouevres! Yes, we will be following Spring and passing it by at some point and it will arrive after us!

The private gardens were created in 1886 by Mrs Jones, of the Pembroke Jones family, and the name “Airlie” came from their home in Scotland. It was designed as a natural Southern garden with azaleas, camellias, magnolias, palms and wisteria. In 1999 it was purchased by New Hanover County and made into a public garden. In 2018 more than 300 trees were felled by Hurricane Florence. There are so many beautiful live oaks throughout the park, several of them more than 400 years old.

I particularly like to look closely at all that is growing on the oaks.

Colors abound with the camellias, azaleas and tulips.

Birds and turtles

My favorites .. the dogwood!

And then several hours north (to the east of Washington, NC) is this idyllic state park – Goose Creek State Park – with beautiful private camp spaces surrounded by swaying grasses and jumping Border Collies!