American alligator - Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge - North Carolina 

Saturday was our last day in North Carolina, and the plan was to return to Milltail Creek and follow it out to the Alligator River which, according to the map, was a distance of 4 miles each way. With an early start, we expected to be back in time to visit Somerset Place in the afternoon.

The launching area was deserted when we arrived and we had the water to ourselves. The morning was sunny and cool with hardly a breeze. As we headed downstream, we began to see alligators in the water.

Aside from the alligators, we saw a few ducks, one blue heron, and an eagle. It was a quiet morning. We followed Milltail creek at a leiusurely pace as it wound through the cypress swamp and it took nearly three hours to reach the mouth of the creek where it flows into the Alligator River.

The trip back was slow and peaceful, and we saw a couple of alligators sunning on the marshy bank. I brought the boat as close as I dared to a fairly large alligator. He watched warily but did not move a muscle as I took a few pictures.

It was nearly 4:00 by the time we got the boat out of the water and back on the truck. The visit to Somerset would have to wait for another time. This time, the day was perfect.