Posts Tagged ‘North Carolina’

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Scenic Sunday #120: Autumn Reflections

November 1, 2010

Santeetlah Lake, Robbinsville, North Carolina. October 21, 2010.

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

Betsy and I came home from our stay in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, on the Cherohala Skyway which goes over the mountains from North Carolina to Tennessee.

The autumn colors were beautiful, but I also had the chance to see those colors reflected in various bodies above.

The picture above was taken at Santeetlah Lake near Robbinsville, North Carolina, before we reached the skyway.

Tellico River, Tellico Plains, Tennessee. October 21, 2010.

As we neared the Tennessee end of the skyway, we turned off to go with Patti and Neal to Bald River Falls near Tellico Plains, Tennessee.  After visiting the falls, we drove along Tellico River Road as we headed toward home.  The sun was beginning to drop behind the mountains, putting parts of the river in shadow.  I found a pullout so I could stop and capture this second picture.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 21 Comments »

Cataloochee Valley Elk

October 28, 2010

A bull elk in Cataloochee Valley, North Carolina. October 20, 2010.

One of the high points of our visit to North Carolina was getting to see the elk in the Cataloochee Valley.  We got up early on a foggy Wednesday morning and drove to Cataloochee.

Elk once roamed the southern Appalachian Mountains, but they were eliminated from the region by over-hunting and loss of habitat.  The last elk in North Carolina was believed to have been killed in the late 1700s.

In February, 2001, there was an experimental release of 25 elk into the Cataloochee Valley of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  In 2002, another 27 elk were introduced.

We first saw elk in a field along Ranger Station Road, the main road leading into the valley.  There were twenty of so elk in a field bordering the road.  The bull elk in the picture above was apparently the dominate male, and his bugling call could be clearly heard.
Elk grazing in a field in Cataloochee Valley. October 20, 2010.
The herd we saw consisted mostly of females and young elk, although there were one or two other males in the herd as well.

A bull elk relaxing in a field in Cataloochee Valley, North Carolina. October 20, 2010.

We then drove over to see the Palmer House on National Park Road.  As we pulled into the parking area, we saw two more bull elk in a field across the road.  The bull in the picture above was one of those bulls.

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Posted in Travels | 16 Comments »

My World: Autumn in the Smokies

October 26, 2010

Chimney Tops overlook, Newfound Gap Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. October 19, 2010.

This is my post for the My World meme.  It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, and Fishing Guy.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Last Tuesday Betsy and I drove Newfound Gap Road through the Smokies and part of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.  We were on our way to Maggie Valley, North Carolina, but we took advantage of every opportunity to stop and enjoy the colors.

We had an absolutely gorgeous day, with bright sunshine and blue skies.  The colors may not have been at their peak, but they were close to it.  The picture above was taken at the Chimney Top overlook in Tennessee.

Webb Overlook, Newfound Gap Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 19, 2010.

As we headed down the mountain in North Carolina after passing Newfound Gap, we stopped at the Webb Overlook, where the trees were mostly yellow and orange.

Balsam Mountain, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 19, 2010.

Later in the afternoon we left the Blue Ridge Parkway to drive to Balsam Mountain, where we took a short hike to an overlook.  We found these beautiful colors along the trail.

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Meeting New Old Friends

October 25, 2010

Patti and Neal at Cataloochee Valley, North Carolina. October 20, 2010.

Both Betsy and I have been following Neal’s blog (and he’s been following ours) for nearly two years.  Neal is a retired systems analyst living in Indiana, although he was born in eastern Tennessee.  Neal is a wonderful photographer and features his photos on his blog.  Neal is also my hero — he’s not afraid to tell Betsy exactly what he thinks!

When Neal found out that Betsy and I were going to Maggie Valley to see the autumn colors, he decided that he and Patti would like to do that as well.  The four of us met up Tuesday evening and had a delightful dinner.  It was as if we had known each other for years.

On Wednesday the four of us visited the Cataloochee Valley to see the elk which had been reintroduced there.  We then drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mount Pisgah, stopping at just about every overlook to take in the colors.  I won’t frighten you by telling you how many pictures Betsy and I took over the three days.

Betsy, Patti and Neal at the highest point of the Blue Ridge Parkway. October 20, 2010.

Thursday we drove across the Cherohala Skyway from North Carolina to Tennessee, again enjoying the autumn color.  After visiting Bald River Falls near Tellico Plains, Tennessee, Betsy and I headed home while Neal and Patti headed toward a visit with Neal’s brother.

Patti and Neal taking pictures at Santeelah Overlook, Cherohala Skyway, North Carolina. October 21, 2010.

We enjoyed our time with Patti and Neal, even if this is the view of them we often saw!

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Scenic Sunday #114: The Mountains

September 20, 2010

The mountains of western North Carolina, Burnsville, North Carolina. July 11, 2009.

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

Although Betsy and I go to the beach each year, we really like the mountains.  I guess that’s a good thing since we live in eastern Tennessee.  The mountains in the picture above are in western North Carolina.  This picture was taken in July near Burnsville, North Carolina.

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Watery Wednesday #105: High Falls

September 15, 2010

High Falls, DuPont State Forest, Brevard, North Carolina. May 10, 2009.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

DuPont State Forest between Hendersonville and Brevard, North Carolina, is a area of more than 10,000 acres of forest, trails and waterfalls.  Betsy and I have visited DuPont twice and have enjoyed visiting the waterfalls.  There are six major waterfalls in the forest and we have hiked to  four of them.

The picture above was taken in May, 2009, on our way back home from the beach.  High Falls is a steep cascade of about 100 feet.  The structure that can be seen above the falls is a covered bridge over the river.

We’ve enjoyed both of our visits to DuPont State Forest and, since there are still two waterfalls we haven’t seen, the chances are pretty good that we will be going back there.

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Down Memory Lane: Our 2006 Anniversary Trip

August 19, 2010

2006 was an interesting year for Betsy and me.  My job ended since I didn’t want to move to Memphis and so I retired instead.

Retirement made it possible for us to celebrate our anniversary by taking a trip, which we did for the first time.  Our friends Judy and Charlie invited us to their cabin near Franklin, North Carolina.  Since Franklin is in the heart of the mountains of western North Carolina and there are many waterfalls to visit, we quickly accepted their invitation.

During our visit to North Carolina we visited  waterfalls near Cherokee, North Carolina, at Deep Creek in the Smokies, in the Dupont State Forest in North Carolina.  We also stopped by a couple more waterfalls on our way home.

All in all it was a very successful trip.

To see these pictures and more of the waterfalls we visited, click HERE.

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Scenic Sunday # 109: Autumn on the Parkway

August 15, 2010

View from the Fork Ridge Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina. October 25, 2009.

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

Although some parts of the country have gotten some relief from the impressive heat, that relief hanse’t reached the Plateau here in East Tennessee.  So I’m looking at pictures from other seasons hoping to feel a little cooler.

The picture above was taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina this past October.  I like the mountain ridges receding into background.  The picture shows why these mountains are called the Blue Ridge.

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Watery Wednesday #98: Nantahala River

July 28, 2010

White water rafting on the Nantahala River, North Carolina. May 30, 2009.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

I posted a similar picture on Photos by Senior Hiker a couple of days ago, but it’s still hot here on the Plateau and the subject is appropriate for Watery Wednesday, so you’re getting another picture.

I shot this on the Nantahala River in North Carolina in May, 2009.  The Nantahala is very popular for white-water rafting.  I took this photo at the end of the run through the final rapid in the river.  I’ll bet not a single person in this raft was complaining about the heat!

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 18 Comments »

Scenic Sunday #105: Ocean Isle Beach

July 18, 2010

Moon over Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 8, 2009.

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

Most people think of sea, sand and surf when they think of the beach.  But when Betsy and I go to Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina, if we’re lucky, we can think of surf, clear night skies, and a moon over the sea.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 12 Comments »

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