Posts Tagged ‘North Carolina’

SkyWatch Friday: Full Moon — Blue Sky

February 3, 2012

Full moon in a blue sky, Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. May 6, 2009.

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

This is my post for Skywatch Friday, a meme for sharing views of the sky from all over the world.  To see more, or to join and share your own photos of the sky, click HERE.

When going through some computer files the other day, I came across this photo of a nearly full moon in a blue sky.  It was taken in May, 2009, at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.  Since I misfiled it, I thought it deserved to be shared on Skywatch Friday.

Scenic Sunday: Evening in the Mountains

January 8, 2012

Evening in the western North Carolina Mountains, Otto, North Carolina. August 15, 2006.

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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.

Evenings in the mountains can be magical times.  We were visiting our friends Judy and Charlie at their cabin near Otto, North Carolina, when I snapped this picture.  The sun was starting to drop behind the mountains, and mist was rising in the valleys.  The dead tree seemed to add a sense of mystery to the scene.

Watery Wednesday: Upper Linville Falls

December 7, 2011

Upper Linville Falls, Linville Gorge, North Carolina. November 20, 2011.

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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.

On our Thanksgiving Week getaway Betsy and I drove part of the way on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.  We were near Linville Falls about the time we needed to stop and stretch our legs.  We had visited Linville Falls back in 2004, but haven’t been back since then.

My sweet bride couldn’t do any hiking, but she said she would remain in the car while I took a quick hike to Erwin’s View. which was a trail we didn’t hike when we were there before.  The overlook was half a mile from the parking area and offered the wonderful view of Upper Linville Falls shown above.

Our World: The Conservatory at Biltmore

December 6, 2011

Blossom in the Conservatory at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. November 19, 2011.

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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.

It seems as if Betsy and I make it to the Conservatory every time we visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  No matter what the season, the conservatory always seems to have beautiful plants in bloom.

Blossom in the Conservatory at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. November 19, 2011.

Things were no different the week of Thanksgiving, when we once again got carried away among all the beautiful blossoms.

Blossom in the Conservatory at Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina. November 19, 2011.

I wish I could tell you that I knew the names of all of these beauties, but I don’t.  I only hope that you enjoy these blossoms as much as we did.

Down Memory Lane: Cherohala Skyway (2009)

December 2, 2011

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Betsy and I love driving through the mountains just about any time of the year, provided there are places where we can turn off and enjoy the view.  One of our favorite drives is the Cherohala Skyway between Robbinsville, North Carolina, and Tellico Plains, Tennessee.

We made this drive from east to west in October, 2009, when the autumn colors were very near their peak.  The collage above gives a sample of the beauty we enjoyed, but no photograph can capture the splendor of those mountains in their multi-colored glory.  If you get the opportunity to make this drive during autumn, I encourage you to do so.

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

SkyWatch Friday: Mountains and Clouds

November 18, 2011

The view from the Oconaluftee Valley overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 14, 2011.

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This is my post for Skywatch Friday, a meme for sharing views of the sky from all over the world.  To see more, or to join and share your own photos of the sky, click HERE.

Betsy and I try to get to the Smokies several times a year to enjoy the mountains and the colors.  But the sky is almost always as beautiful as the mountains.  This was the case in mid-October.

We drove Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, into North Carolina.  Once we got into North Carolina we stopped at the Oconaluftee Valley overlook.  There were still clouds left over from the overcast morning,  There was still a smoky appearance to the mountains, but what would you expect when visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

The view from the Webb overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 14, 2011.

By the time we got to the Webb overlook, the sky was much bluer.  The mountains seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

Webb overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 14, 2011.

The skies were definitely beautiful that day, but then too, so were the mountains.

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On a personal note, Betsy and I are taking a few of days off for some much-needed R&R.  We hope you all will have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  We’ll see you after Thanksgiving.

Scenic Sunday: Autumn on the Skyway

October 23, 2011

Autumn color on the Cherohala Skyway between North Carolina and Tennessee. October 25, 2009.

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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.

Autumn in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina can be absolutely beautiful.  This time of the year Betsy and I thoroughly enjoy driving the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Cherohala Skyway.  We don’t make great time on our drives because we stop at every opportunity to enjoy the color, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Red and gold leaves of autumn. October 25, 2009.

These pictures, taken from my archives, show what autumn looks like along the Cherohala Skyway.

Watery Wednesday: Walker Camp Cascade

October 19, 2011

Walker Camp Cascade, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. May 10, 2009.

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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.

There are many pretty little streams and cascades in the Smoky Mountains, and Betsy and I enjoy finding them whenever we can.  Walker Camp Cascade comes down the mountain beside Newfound Gap Road.

Scenic Sunday: Biltmore House

October 9, 2011

The back of Biltmore House as seen from a lagoon on the estate. October 4, 2011.

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

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.

Last Tuesday Betsy and I drove to Asheville, North Carolina, to visit the Biltmore Estate (we have season passes).  Since we are beginning to see autumn colors here on the Plateau, we hoped we would see more color on the estate.

We were surprised to discover that there was even less color in Asheville than there was here.  It was not a wasted trip, however, because we found a place from which we could get a nice view of the back of the house.  The picture above was taken from that place.

It’s hard to get a good picture of the front of the house because of all the people and traffic.  But here we got a nice picture of the back of the house with the water of a lagoon in the foreground.

A closer view of the back of Biltmore House. October 4, 2011.

I was able to get a closer shot of the house by using my telephoto lens.

SkyWatch Friday: Mt. Mitchell Clouds

September 2, 2011

In the clouds atop Mount Mitchell, North Carolina. August 5, 2011.

This is my post for Skywatch Friday, a meme for sharing views of the sky from all over the world.  To see more, or to join and share your own photos of the sky, click HERE.

While we were in Asheville, North Carolina, for Betsy’s birthday last month, we drove up to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River.  We’ve been there before, and always enjoyed the view.

But things were a little different this time.  We weren’t above the clouds — we were IN the clouds, as you can see from the picture above, which Betsy took from the observation deck at the summit.

We saw mountain ridges through a break in the clouds. Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina. August 5, 2011.

As we stood on the observation deck a breeze picked up and we were able to make out some of the nearby mountain ridges.

Blue sky and clouds, Mount Mitchell, North Carolina. August 5, 2011.

The clouds soon moved back in, but not before we caught a glimpse of some blue sky.