Carolina Beach State Park-Sugarloaf Dune and Carolina Beach @ Freeman Park

The Carolina Beach State Park and Freeman Park are not connected, but Aaron, Gypsy and I enjoyed both locations on the same day. 

A short but interesting trail.

The carnivorous Yellow Pitcher Plant! "Insects prey are lured into the slippery waxy portion of the upper pitcher tube by nectar, they slide down a coating of ultra-fine, downward point hairs, hitting the digestive enzymes, and into a zone which readily absorbs nutrients."

We started our hike just about high noon on a near 90-degree day. Walking through a longleaf pine savanna on a white sand trail made it seem as if we were hiking through a desert. We quickly finished off the 32 ounces of water we were carrying.

As we approached the dune, we encountered some oaks covered in Spanish moss.

High upon the dune we looked down on the Cape Fear River. This spot had some historical significance because it was a landmark for ships looking for Wilmington and back during the Civil War the Confederacy used the dune to defend the port. 

The Cape Fear River

Once the Sugarloaf Trial swings back inland, we pass several sinkhole ponds.

There was defiantly a lot of interesting things to see that you normally wouldn't in your everyday activities. All this was pack into a short but hot 2.8 miles! 

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Carolina Beach at Freeman Park 

We were kicked off the beach further south because we had Gypsy in tow. We were told to go North to where the fishing pier is and Freeman Park. Not only were dogs allowed but for a parking fee, we could have taken my Jeep also on the beach.

Almost immediately after stepping foot on the beach Aaron ran headlong into the water with Gypsy following. Within seconds they both were hit by a giant ocean wave which took them off their feet (paws in Gypsy's case) and deposited them back upon the shore.

I was wondering what Gypsy was going to do because anytime she sees water she drinks it, One small lick of this water and Gypsy's instinct told her the water wasn't safe to drink.

After enjoying the warm Atlantic water, we took a long stroll down the beach where we meet a lot of interesting people. Many came up to us wanting to pet our beautiful dog.