Pender County, North Carolina

I've had the pleasure of visiting Pender County, North Carolina, twice in 2011. The first time was on February 20, specifically to drive around the county for this blog post. The second time, I visited on June 18 to participate in the North Carolina Festival 5K, which happened in conjunction with the North Carolina Blueberry Festival in Burgaw. Both visits were delightful, though in different ways.

On my first visit back in February, I went by myself, and it was both interesting and relaxing to drive around the county, based in part on what looked intriguing! I had a plan, though, to head for the far eastern border of the county, which happens to be the Atlantic Ocean, and after exploring the coast, head west toward home, with any interesting stops I could find along the way. I had a North Carolina map and a GPS in hand, so there was some method to my madness, light on the structure and heavy on the whim.

Pender County was named for William Dorsey Pender, who was born in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, and was fatally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg.  The county was formed in 1875 from New Hanover County, North Carolina, (home of Wilmington), and the county seat is Burgaw.

Pender County Courthouse

There are several things I enjoyed about my time in Pender County. First of all, the Pender County Courthouse Square is a pretty one. I like the courthouse architecture, and the grounds are well groomed.







General John Ashe



There are also a lot of North Carolina Historical Markers around Pender County. I pulled over and photographed as many as I could! It's the North Carolina history buff in me.










Topsail

I also enjoyed getting all the way to the North Carolina coast, a d getting to see the Atlantic Ocean. It's been about 30 years since I've been to Topsail Beach on Topsail Island, so it was really nice to see it again!

Moores Creek National Battlefield

I got an additional history lesson by visiting Moores Creek National Battlefield from the Revolutionary War. I'd never heard of Currie or Moores Creek until I made this trip. What a nice treat!

2011 NC Blueberry Festival

In June, I went with Marjorie and her boyfriend to Burgaw to run in the North Carolina Blueberry Festival 5K. After the race, we walked around the Courthouse Square, checking out the vendors. We all came home with blueberries, of course!

The rest of my pictures from the North Carolina Blueberry Festival are here.



The remainder of the Pender County pictures from my February 2011 trip are here.