Archive for the ‘Our World’ Category

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Our World: Nashville’s Parthenon

July 23, 2012

The Parthenon in Centennial Park, Nashville, as seen from Lake Watauga. (Photo by Betsy)

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)

This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

The centerpiece of Nashville’s Centennial Park is an exact replica of the Parthenon of ancient Greece.

The northeast corner of the Parthenon in Centennial Park.

In 1895 Tennessee wanted to find a way to celebrate the centennial of its statehood (which would occur in 1896), and they decided on a centennial exposition to be held in Nashville.  At that time Nashville was known as the Athens of the South, so an exact replica of the Parthenon in Athens would be the pinnacle of the Grand Exposition.  The Parthenon was the first building put up for the exposition and it set the theme for the 36 other buildings that were constructed.

Since only a year was allowed for putting the Exposition together, all of the buildings were constructed using materials that would survive only through the Exposition.

Moving toward the eastern side of the Parthenon.

Because of bureaucratic red tape, the Grand Centennial Exposition didn’t open until 1897, one year after the statehood celebration.  Even with the delayed opening the Centennial Celebration was a huge success, with over 1.8 million visitors over a 6-month period.  Within two years of the close of the Centennial Exposition only three buildings remained, including the Parthenon.

The east side of the Parthenon. Notice the intricate reliefs of the pediment above the columns.

The ‘temporary’ Parthenon lasted for 23 years.  In 1920, because of the popularity of the Parthenon, the city of Nashville began an eleven-year project of replacing the temporary materials with permanent materials.  This reconstructed building is the one that stands today.

The Parthenon as seen from the southeast corner.

Nashville’s Parthenon in the only full-sized replica in the world.  The 7-ton bronze doors are the largest in the world, and the statue of Athena is the largest indoor statue  in the western hemisphere.  The pediment reliefs on the east and west sides of the Parthenon were created by direct casts of the originals, which are now in the British Museum of Art.

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Our World: Centennial Park

July 16, 2012

The West End of Nashville showing Centennial Park and the place where I worked for ClientLogic.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)

This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

On June 23 Betsy and I went to Nashville to celebrate our eleventh anniversary.  The first place we visited was Centennial Park.  When I met Betsy I was working a couple of blocks from the park and would walk there on my lunch hour (see the image above).  When Betsy and I were dating, and even after we got married, we would often have lunch together in the park.

Picture of Betsy taken in Centennial Park, Nashville, Tennessee. April 7, 2001.

Our second date was on April 7, 2001, and we went Centennial Park.  At that time the gardens were full of Spring blossoms.  I took the picture above (it was the second picture I ever took of Betsy) amid the tulips.

Betsy at Centennial Park, Nashville, Tennessee. June 23, 2012.

There were no tulips this time, but lots of marigolds and other summer blossoms.  I got this picture fairly near where the previous picture was taken.

Centennial Park, Nashville, Tennessee. June 23, 2012.

Although it was very warm on June 23, the gardens were still beautiful.  I will admit, though, that the more we walked, the more we tried to stay in the shade.

Betsy and George at Centennial Park, Nashville, Tennessee. June 23, 2012.

But we did stay out in the sun long enough for me to set up the tripod and get this picture of us on our special day.

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Our World: Morning on the Blue Ridge Parkway

July 2, 2012

Morning at the Grassy Ridge Mine overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina. April 4, 2012.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)

This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

In early April Betsy and I spent a couple of nights in the mountains of Western North Carolina.  Early one morning we went up to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It was a beautiful day with a gorgeous blue sky, but we could see clouds blanketing the valleys below us.  The picture above was taken at the Grassy Ridge Mine Overlook on the parkway.

The view from Grassy Ridge Mine overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina. April 4, 2012.

This picture was taken at the same overlook.  The leaves weren’t out yet on the trees, but the clouds in the sky above and the clouds in the valley below made this overlook an enchanting part of our world.

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I find it hard to believe, but this is the 1,000th post I’ve done on this blog.  When I started, I would never have imagined that it would go on this long.  But I do want to say ‘Thank you’ to all of the wonderful people I’ve met who have shared this adventure with me.

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Our World: Calabash, North Carolina

June 25, 2012

Calabash, North Carolina, waterfront. May 7, 2012.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)

This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Calabash, North Carolina, is known as ‘The Seafood Capital of the World’.  It is primarily a fishing village with shrimp boats docking daily during the season, selling fresh-caught shrimp.

Sport fishing boat pulling into the dock at Calabash, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

Sports fishermen often dock at Calabash, and there are also charter boats available.

Fish ready for cleaning on the Calabash dock, Calabash, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

In the evening it is often possible to find one or more group of fishermen cleaning their catch on the dock.

Dockside restaurant, Calabash, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

One of the major attractions of Calabash as far as Betsy and I are concerned is the Dockside Restaurant.  The restaurant is right on the waterfront and, if you are lucky enough to get a window seat, you can watch all the activity on the dock while eating a delicious meal.  This picture of the restaurant was taken from the dock, which shows how appropriate the restaurant name truly is.

Seafood platter at the Dockside restaurant, Calabash, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

Calabash is famous for its ‘Calabash Seafood’, which is prepared with a special flavoring unique to the area.  I know we’re supposed to avoid fried foods, but once or twice couldn’t hurt us, could it?  It sure is good!

Betsy at the Dockside restaurant, Calabash, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

Betsy, a tree-hugger at heart, is also a fan of the huge live oak trees at the front of the restaurant.

 

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Our World: Waterfall Adventure

June 18, 2012

Double Culvert Branch, Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia. May 5, 2012.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)
This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Last week I explained how Betsy and I ended up on a road along the Chattahoochee River in the mountains of north Georgia.  If you missed this post you can find it by clicking HERE.

Before we got into the forest Betsy did some research in our Georgia waterfall book and found that there were two waterfalls along Double Culvert Branch, which we would pass on our way to the waterfall we wanted to visit.

We easily found Double Culvert Branch — the picture above shows the branch just before it crosses the road (in a single, not double, culvert).  We naturally stopped for pictures, and while getting some we noticed a rough trail leading up one side of the creek.

We followed the trail, which wasn’t very well marked, for about a half of a mile and found the lower falls.  There the trail ended.

Lower Double Culvert Branch Falls, Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia. May 5, 2012.

While getting pictures of Lower Double Culvert Branch Falls (above) I noticed a faint track going up the other side of the creek.  Since I knew there was supposed to be another waterfall, I asked Betsy if she wanted to try and find it.  My Beautiful Bride, wise woman that she is, said ‘No’, but that I could go on if I wanted to.  She would wait for me.

Upper Double Culvert Branch Falls, Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia. May 5, 2012.

I crossed the branch on a log and started up the track.  It was a hard scramble, but I eventually got to Upper Double Culvert Branch Falls.  There wasn’t a lot of water going over, but it was a pretty little waterfall.  Once I got safely back to Betsy I was glad I went on.

This satellite image (above) gives an idea of our waterfall adventure.  Since the branch is hard to see, I’ve included the terrain map below which shows that there really is a creek with the name Double Culvert Branch.

I have no idea how the creek got this name.  I didn’t see a double culvert at all.

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Our World: Chattahoochee River

June 11, 2012

Betsy at the Chattahoochee River in the north Georgia mountains. May 5, 2012.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)
This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Betsy and I wanted to visit a couple of waterfalls in northern Georgia on our way to the beach last month.  We had been to the area is February, so we had a good idea how to get to the falls we wanted to see.  Unfortunately the Forest Service road we needed to take into the mountains was closed, so we had to go to Plan B.

We found an alternate road to one of the waterfalls we wanted to see, and this route would also let us see a couple of ‘bonus’ falls along the way.  Our alternate route took us into the mountains along the Chattahoochee River, which has its headwaters near the waterfall we wanted to see.

As we drove deeper in to the mountains, we found a pullover where we could stop and go down to the river.  The picture above shows Betsy on the bank of the Chattahoochee.

George at the Chattahoochee River. May 5, 2012.

Here’s another view of the Chattahoochee that Betsy took.  I’m not sure where the old man came from, but he popped up in quite a few pictures that Betsy took on this trip.

The clear waters of the Chattahoochee River in north Georgia. May 5, 2012.

The Chattahoochee wasn’t very wide or very deep at this location, but it was running freely and the water was crystal clear.  It’s a beautiful stream.

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Our World: Ocean Isle Beach

May 14, 2012

Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 7, 2012.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)
This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Betsy and I returned home on Saturday from a week at the beach.  We went to one of our favorite places, Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.

One advantage of going in early May is that we often have the beach almost to ourselves, so we can lose ourselves in the beauty  of this wonderful spot.

The pier at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 8, 2012.

The weather was just about perfect.  We had some rain early one evening, but other than that we had blue skies and sunshine.  But even so, the ocean was never the same on any two days.  It seems to constantly change, but be constantly beautiful at the same time.

Dunes along the shore of Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 10, 2012.

Even glimpses of the water and beach through the dune grass was fascinating.

Satellite image of Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. Image taken from Google Maps.

We stayed at the Islander Inn, which is right on the beach as can be seen from this satellite image from Google Maps.  All in all it was a wonderful vacation.

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Our World: Roaring Fork

April 30, 2012

Roaring Fork, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. April 23, 2012.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)
This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Last Monday Betsy and I took a trip to the Smokies — a place we like to visit several times a year.  We decided to drive the Roaring Fork Motor Trail behind Gatlinburg since it had been several years since we had driven that road.

The road follows Roaring Fork (hence the name) for much of the way, so we stopped quite often to take in the beauty of the stream.  I was happy for the opportunity to try out my new variable density neutral filter, which allows me to use extremely slow shutter speeds.  The exposures for the photos in this post were from 15 to 24 seconds.

Roaring Fork, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. April 23, 2012.

We were mostly interested in the flowing water and cascades of Roaring Creek, but the moss-covered rocks in and bordering the stream were also interesting and beautiful in their own right.

Roaring Fork, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. April 23, 2012.

I’ve decided I rather like the way the long exposures smooth out the water while preserving the sense of motion.  I’ve got a lot to learn about using this filter effectively, but I’m pleased with the results of this first experiment.

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Our World: Marigot, St. Martin

April 16, 2012

Looking out to sea from Fort Louis, Marigot, St. Martin. September 11, 2001.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)
This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

I’ve gone to my archives to get these photos taken in the ruins of Fort Louis in Marigot, St. Martin.  Betsy and I hiked to this hilltop ruin while on our Caribbean cruise in 2001.  Our ship had docked on the Dutch side of the island, and we joined a bus trip to the French side.

Marigot Bay, St. Martin. September 11, 2001.

The best thing about the old fort was the view it offered of the Caribbean and Marigot Bay.  The sky was a pretty blue and the water was a marvelous blue-emerald color.  All in all, the view was spectacular.  But that beauty was in many ways almost surreal.  These pictures were taken on 9/11.

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Our World: Biltmore’s Walled Garden

April 9, 2012

The Walled Garden at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. April 3, 2012.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)
This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Betsy and I paid another visit to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, last week.  We went specifically to see the tulips in the Walled Garden.  George Vanderbilt wanted the Walled Garden to be a ‘garden of ornament’, so the garden consists of symmetrical flower beds arranged in patterns.  The picture above shows one side of the Walled Garden as seen from a hill overlooking the garden.

Tulips in the Walled Garden at Biltmore. April 3, 2012.

There were tulips of many different colors planted in the flower beds.

Tulips in Biltmore's Walled Garden. April 3, 2012.

Even the border flower beds along the road contained beautiful tulips.

Betsy and me in the Walled Garden at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. April 3, 2012.

But the prettiest flower in the entire garden was my beautiful bride.

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