A VFR PA28 PLT IN THE VICINITY OF ZZZ WAS CAUGHT IMC. DECLARED AN EMER AND GIVEN VECTOR TO A VFR ARPT.

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I CALLED THE WX-BRIEF NUMBER THIS MORNING (XA15) AND OBTAINED THE RECORDED BRIEFING FOR 50 MILE RADIUS OF ZZZ BECAUSE I WAS FLYING AT ZZZ1. I HAD A PLANE RESERVED FROM XB00 THROUGH XD00. THE BRIEFING INDICATED THE WX WAS 5 SM; 5000 FT; MIST CHANGING TO 4 SM; 500 FT; MIST BETWEEN XE00 AND XH00. SINCE THE BRIEFING INDICATED THAT THE WX WOULD GO SOUR HALF WAY THROUGH THE PERIOD I WENT TO THE ARPT TO DO TOUCH AND GO'S. BY THE TIME I REACHED TREETOP LEVEL (XB35) VISIBILITY AHEAD WAS EXTREMELY GRAY; BUT THERE WASN'T SUFFICIENT RWY TO LAND; AND BY THE TIME I REACHED THE END OF THE RWY; I WAS IN SOUP. (AT THIS POINT; I KNEW I WOULD NEED HELP.) I TRIED TO REMAIN IN THE TFC PATTERN; MAINTAINING WINGS LEVEL AND ALT AT OR ABOVE 1100 FT MSL LOOKING FOR AN OPENING (USING MY INSTRUMENT TRAINING AND TRYING TO PREVENT SPATIAL DISORIENTATION). I DIALED 121.5 MHZ INTO THE RADIO AND PLACED A MAYDAY CALL: 'MAYDAY; MAYDAY; MAYDAY. ACFT ABC123 STUCK IN CLOUDS. I NEED HELP. MAYDAY; MAYDAY; MAYDAY.' I HEARD NO REPLY BUT CONCENTRATED ON AVIATING AND NAVIGATING. WHEN NO OPENING APPEARED; I CLBED TO WHERE I WAS ABOVE THE CLOUDS AND CIRCLED LOOKING FOR AN OPENING. NOT FINDING ON I HEADED N TO THE LAKE AND FLEW 1/2 MILE OUT; E AND W; LOOKING FOR SOME SIGN OF CLRING. AT TIMES I COULD SEE INLAND FOR 1/2 MILE BUT COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT. AFTER 15 MINS; I PLACED ANOTHER MAYDAY CALL ON 121.5 MHZ. 'MAYDAY; MAYDAY; MAYDAY. ACFT ABC123 STUCK ABOVE CLOUDS. I NEED HELP. MAYDAY; MAYDAY; MAYDAY.' ZZZ TWR PICKED ME UP AND ASKED WHAT THEY COULD DO TO HELP. I REQUESTED VECTORING TO ZZZ1. THEY HAD ME SQUAWK 7700 AND COMPLIED AND WHEN I WAS A MILE FROM THE AIRPORT; THEY INQUIRED IF I COULD SEE THE AIRPORT. I ADMITTED THAT I COULDN'T SEE THROUGH THE CLOUD COVER. TOWER THEN INQUIRED IF I WOULD LIKE ZZZ2 OR ZZZ3. I INDICATED EITHER. THEY CALLED ZZZ2 AND FOUND THE WEATHER THERE TO BE AS BAD AS ZZZ1. THE CEILING AT ZZZ3 WAS 600 FT BUT IMPROVING SO; I WAS VECTORED TO ZZZ3. I LANDED AND RPTED TO THE TOWER. I WAS INTRODUCED TO EVERYONE THERE; QUESTIONED ON THE COMS SINCE A PLANE OVER THE OCEAN ALSO HEARD MY CALL. I INDICATED I HEARD BOTH RESPONSES BUT CONCENTRATED ON ZZZ3. TOWER SAID THEY DON'T GET MANY LOW LEVEL EMER CALLS FROM THE AREA AND WERE CONCERNED THAT I COULD HEAR THEM. AT XE25 I LEFT ZZZ3 ENRTE TO ZZZ1 AND ARRIVED THERE WITH NO FURTHER DIFFICULTIES. HOW THE PROB AROSE: I FAILED TO SPEAK WITH A WX BRIEFER WHO COULD HAVE ADVISED VFR FLT NOT RECOMMENDED. I DIDN'T HAVE A LIST OF NAVIGATION/COMS FREQUENCIES ALONG THE RTE OF FLT READILY AVAILABLE BECAUSE I DIDN'T EXPECT TO NEED THEM DOING TOUCH AND GO'S IN THE TFC PATTERN. CORRECTIVE ACTION: MAINTAINED WINGS LEVEL FLT. CLBED TO 'CLR ON TOP' AND TO IMPROVE LINE OF SIGHT COMS. REALIZED I WAS IN AN EMER SIT AND SOUGHT ASSISTANCE. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: PERCEPTION: WHILE DRIVING TO THE ARPT; THE WX DIDN'T APPEAR TOO BAD FOR TOUCH AND GO'S IN THE TFC PATTERN. JUDGEMENT: FAILURE TO REALIZE THE INSIDIOUS NATURE OF WX AT AN ARPT SO CLOSE TO A LAKE. DECISIONS: NOT A GOOD IDEA TO LAUNCH.