Archive for the ‘Travels’ Category

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Down Memory Lane: Victoria Harbor (1987)

October 27, 2014

1987 -- Victoria Harbor

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

My first visit to Hong Kong was in June, 1987.  Hong Kong, then under British rule, was our gateway to China where we were to teach for a summer session.

We spent a couple days in Hong Kong, in a hotel in Kowloon.  To get to Hong Kong proper (the island) we had to cross Victoria Harbor.  Victoria Harbor is one of the largest harbors in the world, and in 1987 was the world’s busiest.

We crossed Victoria Harbor on the Star Ferry, which enabled us to get a close look at both the shipping in the harbor and the skyline of the Central District of Hong Kong itself.  We also were to view the harbor from Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island.

The photo on the top left of the collage above was taken from a hotel in Kowloon.  It shows some of the shipping in the harbor and the Hong Kong skyline in the background.  The picture on the top right was taken from the Star Ferry as we approached Hong Kong’s Central District.  The picture on the bottom left was also taken from a Star Ferry.  The photo on the bottom right shows Victoria Harbor from Victoria Peak.

To see larger versions of these pictures and others, click HERE.  Note that all images were scanned from slides.

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Down Memory Lane: Atlanta, 2001

April 24, 2014

2009 -- Atlanta

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

In early June, 2001, Betsy and I were invited to the wedding of the son of one of Betsy’s childhood friends in Atlanta. We were invited to the rehearsal dinner as well the wedding itself, so we spent the weekend in Atlanta.

We took advantage of some free time on Saturday to visit Stone Mountain Park. I had been there a couple of times before, but it was fun exploring the park with Betsy. We took the gondola to the top of Stone Mountain to enjoy the view, and later visited the covered bridge and old mill in the park. That evening we attended the wedding and reception.

The collage above contains pictures from our weekend. Betsy is striking a fetching pin-up pose on the top of Stone Mountain in the picture on the top left, while the top right shows the water wheel of the old mill. The covered bridge is shown on the lower left, while Betsy is beautifying a rock in front of the iconic Stone Mountain carving in the lower middle. The picture of us on the right was taken that night at the reception.

To see larger versions of these pictures and others, click HERE.

 

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Down Memory Lane: Mountain Air in 2009

February 7, 2014

2009 -- Mountain Air

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

In July, 2009, Betsy and I went to Mountain Air, near Burnsville, North Carolina, to visit my son Robert and his family.  Robert and Melissa were staying at a condo owned by Melissa’s parents, and they invited us to visit them there.

Mountain Air is a development built around a country club and get’s its name from the mountaintop airstrip that allows people to fly in to visit.  Robert and Mel  — as well as Betsy and I — didn’t fly in, but got there by car.

There are awesome views from many places in Mountain Air, as well as some beautiful homes.  We thoroughly enjoyed the tour given by Robert and Mel — as well as Zack and Sean.

The collage above shows views of the sky we enjoyed on our first evening in Mountain Air.  The picture on the left in the second row shows a view of the mountains on the morning of our second day.  The picture in the middle shows me with Robert.  The picture on the bottom right shows our hosts, Melissa, Robert, Zack and Sean.

To see larger versions of these pictures and others, click HERE.

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The Golden Hour

December 19, 2013
Sunset in the mountains near Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. October 23, 2013.

Sunset in the mountains near Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. October 23, 2013.

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

I’ve read about the golden hour in photography.  The golden hour is the first and last hour of sunlight each day.  When we were with our friends Patti and Neal at the end of October, we spent much of one day enjoying the autumn colors and hiking in Kentucky.  Late in the day we drove through Betsy’s home town in Big Stone Gap, Virginia before heading back to the lodge in Kentucky.

The day had been dreary and overcast, but as the sun was going down, we saw a bright orange-pink sky in the west below the clouds.  Since Patti and Neal are as much into photography as Betsy and me, we of course had to stop for pictures.

Evening light in Virginia. October 23, 2013.

Evening light in Virginia. October 23, 2013.

Looking back to the east, the glow on the hills and the buildings were a perfect example of what the golden hour means.

A fiery mountain sunset. October 23, 2013.

A fiery mountain sunset. October 23, 2013.

But as beautiful as that was, our eyes kept going back to the bright light between the mountains and the clouds to the west.  What a gorgeous ending to a wonderful day.

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Down Memory Lane: Mammoth Cave

September 13, 2013

2001 -- Mammoth Cave

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

In late April, 2001, Betsy and I spent the day at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.  I had been there many years before, but it was a special treat to go back with My Beautiful-Bride-To-Be.

We took the Historical Tour of the cave, and later walked through some of the woodland in the park.  We took a cruise on the Green River later in the day.

In the collage above, my Beautiful Betsy is on the upper left, and the Grand Avenue in Mammoth Cave is on the right.  At the bottom, from left to right, is the site of saltpeter mining in the cave, the stairway in Mammoth Dome, and a cable ferry across the Green River.

To see larger versions of these pictures and others, click HERE.

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Little River in the Smokies

March 8, 2013

2010 -- March Smokies

(Note:  The collage may be enlarged by clicking on it once or twice.)

March is a wonderful time to visit the Smoky Mountains here in Tennessee.  There usually aren’t too many tourist, especially during the week, and it is possible to pull to the side of the road and enjoy the scenery.  The water levels are usually pretty good in March, so it’s possible to get some nice pictures of flowing water.

The waterfall in the upper left corner of this collage is Meigs Falls, which can be seen along Little River Road.  The other pictures are of Little River taken at pull-offs along the road.

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Betsy has a new photo blog, which I’m sure you will enjoy.  You can find it by clicking HERE

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Dierks Lake

March 6, 2013
Dierks Lake, Dierks, Arkansas. February 27, 2012.

Dierks Lake, Dierks, Arkansas. February 27, 2012.

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

As many of you know Betsy and I have been going to Mount Nebo in Arkansas for almost as long as we’ve been married.  We usually try to find some waterfalls to visit, but we visit other places that capture our interest as well.

Last year we met a man as we were coming back to the car after visiting a waterfall in Arkansas.  He recommended that we continue a little farther down the road to Dierks Lake.  We were glad we took him up on his suggestion.

Dierks Lake was formed by a dam across the Saline River.  We’ve been told that it’s noted for largemouth bass fishing, but we just enjoyed the beauty of the lake.

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Betsy has a new photo blog, which I’m sure you will enjoy.  You can find it by clicking HERE.

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Alabama’s Little River

February 6, 2013
Little River Canyon National Preserve, Fort Payne, Alabama. February 14, 2010.

Little River Canyon National Preserve, Fort Payne, Alabama. February 14, 2010.

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

One of the places Betsy and I have visited several times is Little River National Canyon Preserve near Fort Payne, Alabama.  The canyon is sometimes called “The Grand Canyon of the East”.  There is a scenic drive along the rim with several overlooks from which the river can be seen far below.

Little River, Fort Payne, Alabama. February 14, 2010.

Little River, Fort Payne, Alabama. February 14, 2010.

These pictures were taken in February, 2010, when the river was fairly high and the water was a beautiful color.  We thoroughly enjoyed watching the water rush over and around the rocks in the stream bed.

Little River, Fort Payne, Alabama. February 14, 2010.

Little River, Fort Payne, Alabama. February 14, 2010.

Both kayaking and rock climbing are permitted in the canyon, but Betsy and I decided to content ourselves with photography.

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Henrys Fork

January 2, 2013

Henrys Fork River, Idaho. September 23, 2012.

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

Since there was smoke forecast for the Tetons on our last day in West Yellowstone, Betsy and I visited some more of the thermal areas in Yellowstone and explored part of neighboring Idaho.  We visited Mesa Falls in Idaho (you know how we are about waterfalls) and found some autumn color along Henrys Fork River between the upper and lower falls.  The picture above was taken from an overlook between the two falls.

Henrys Fork River, Idaho. September 23, 2012. This photo was taken with a 5.9 second exposure.

I had time to play around with my neutral density filter and I got this picture.  I like the way the water of the rapids was smoothed out by the longer exposure.

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Lake Logan, Ohio

December 19, 2012

Autumn color along the shore of Lake Logan State Park, Logan, Ohio. October 17, 2012.

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

Betsy and I went to Ohio in October to visit Hocking Hills State Park with our friends Patti and Neal.  But there was another state park nearby — Lake Logan.  After a day of hiking at Hocking Hills we stopped by Lake Logan to enjoy the view.  The autumn colors were in full display along the shore of the lake and in the reflections in the water.

Mute Swans along the shore of Lake Logan, Ohio. October 17, 2012.

But we found another treat in visiting Lake Logan.  We found some Mute Swans along the shore near a fishing pier where we had stopped to take pictures.  Those elegant swans just added to the picturesque scene we were enjoying.

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