Roanoke Island

Wow. Such an historic, haunted place. It is much less touristy than Nags Head, etc., and beautiful as only a swampy, salt-marshy, piney coastal island can be :-)

First up, the Festival Park, home to the Queen Elizabeth II and interpretive exhibits...we thought it worth the ticket price:

 These roses set the tone.

 We loved this fuzzy flower!

The QEII!

 Replica of one of the vessels that, tragically, brought only death to the coastal Native Americans

 Still, beautiful and most historical

 Open hearth cooking on a wooden vessel in the Atlantic...what POSSIBLY could go wrong with that?

 Captain's Quarters, a haven of luxury in an otherwise very cramped, sparse below-decks

 Love this little boat!

 Decorative way to stow extra rope

She got a fresh coat of paint this spring...she'll be busy this summer, I imagine!

 The Festival Park has detailed exhibits of coastal Algonquian life, based primarily on the sketches of John White, governor of Roanoke Colony. Look him up on the Internet...you won't be disappointed.

Smoking fish

 Enclosed long house

 Dance ring

 Examples of basket-weaving

 The Algonquians were masterful fishermen in the Sounds, as well as being farmers of maize and other crops.

 They also had a display of basic life for the colonists. This blacksmith was very good!

I loved walking amongst the loblolly pines...

 After lunch, an adventure in and of itself, we moved on to the Fort Raleigh historic site

 Fort Raleigh squirrel

 The squirrels ignored the sign, for the record

 Restored earthworks...it was a very small fort!

 Rehearsals were underway for the annual production of "The Lost Colony"

We loved this magnificent grapevine arbor!

 Roanoke Island also played a very significant role in the Civil War and the freedom struggle for enslaved African Americans, so I was pleased to see at least some emphasis on this at both the Festival Park and the Fort Raleigh site!

To our surprise, the highlight of the trip turned out to be the gorgeous Elizabethan Gardens, established and maintained by NC garden clubs and adjacent to the Fort Raleigh National Park. There is an admission fee, but heavens is it worth it!

Initially there was a period of torrential rain, but we were lucky enough to have made it to a comfy porch with rocking chairs...a perfect place to wait out the storm. Afterward, as we strolled the dripping gardens, we could on occasion hear singing from "The Lost Colony" rehearsal. It was really a magical afternoon!

 HRH Elizabeth presides over the gardens

A rather daring *ahem* Virginia Dare is on display as well...

 A highlight is the splendid sunken garden!

 It is presided over by Jupiter, among other dieties

Such a lovely example of this style of garden!

We wanted to take this birdbath home with us!

 But the real beauty was in the flowering plants, representative both of exotic flowers and the best of native NC flora.

The Bug's favorite!

 My favorites!!!

My father's beloved Sweet Bubbies!!! (Carolina Allspice bush, aka "sweet booby bush")

 Highlights from their small but delicious rose garden

 I love this place...it was just the right combination of history and nature. There were birds everywhere singing in the trees, but the rain and clouds kept my eyes focused on the ground. Trust me, the eyes did not go wanting.