Camping in the Croatan

We camped last week three nights at Cedar Point campground in the Croatan National Forest.  Nice location, sites spaced well, warm showers, and within about five miles of an access to the beach and the ocean.

Look how large the claws grow on these crabs!

 

There was a pleasant two mile trail, Tidelands trail, nearby the campground affording us a delightful stroll and interesting sights along the way.

 

We even saw a giraffe, or what appeared to be a marshland version of one.

 

 

Here you go, Gemma!  See how busy this beetle is - very industrious and determined to get a whatever-it-is to its nest, we supposed.

 

All in all the weather cooperated nicely; we slept pretty well; we read to our hearts' content (I read all of Charles Williams' War in Heaven); and the beach was lovely on the second day especially (very windy on day one; getting too hot on the final morning).  Clearly, removing one's self geographically from daily routines and obligations (and electronic access) as well as immersing in a good book were two effective ways to relax.

What we had not realized, however, was the campground's proximity to the Marine Corps airfield in Jacksonville.  While the airfield was 15-20 miles away, we felt that many of the night practice runs occurred right over our heads - so loud!  And what we initially mistook as distant thunder was, in fact, the rumbling of howitzer practice!

As we said, nice place to camp except...  One regular visitor remarked that the planes and firing backdrop were a good reminder of our freedom.  No comment.