Posts Tagged ‘Tennessee’

Gatlinburg Skybridge

November 12, 2019

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This past September Betsy and I, along with Betsy’s son Mark and his girlfriend Robin, visited the Gatlinburg Skybridge for he first time. The Skybridge, which opened earlier in the year, is the longest (680 feet) pedestrian suspension bridge in North America.

The Skybridge is located at the top of the Skylift in Gatlinburg. Robin and Mark rode up the mountain in the chair in front of us.

The Skybridge is even more impressive when viewed from the top of the mountain.

There were quite a few people on the Skybridge, but we were still able to enjoy the views of the Smokies above Gatlinburg.

We never get tired of seeing the Smoky Mountains.

The Waterfalls of Fall Creek Falls

October 1, 2019

Cane Creek Falls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2013.

If you have kept up with Betsy and me for any length of time, you know that Fall Creek Falls State Park here in Tennessee is a special place for us. It was the place for our first ‘big’ date, our first kiss, and the beginnings of our fascination with waterfalls.

I know I have posted pictures of the individual waterfalls in the park, but I don’t think I’ve done a single post that shows all the waterfalls The pictures in this post were taken over several years — we’ve visited Fall Creek Falls at least once a year since 2001. I’m showing the waterfalls in the order we usually visit them while at the park.

The waterfall above is Cane Creek Falls. The overlook for this waterfall is the first we come to after entering the park.

Rockhouse Falls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 22, 2019

Rockhouse Falls shares the same basin with Cane Creek Falls. Rockhouse Falls is much taller, but it is on a smaller creek and has a lower flow of water.

Cane Creek Cascades, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2013.

Cane Creek Cascade is a short distance upstream from Cane Creek Falls. In many ways the cascade is more impressive than the falls since it’s possible to get closer to it. Cane Creek Cascade is a great place to sit, relax and enjoy the beauty and the sound of water.

TributaryFalls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2018.

We discovered this little waterfall last year when the park was undergoing some renovations and a new, temporary, trail to Cane Creek Cascade was cut through the woods. I have not been able to find an official name for this waterfall nor have I found the name of the little creek that feeds it. So we refer to it as Tributary Falls.

George Hole Falls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2013.

I’ll admit that we’re cheating a little here. George Hole Falls is created by a small dam on Cane Creek. But we always visit this waterfall because George Hole is the site of our first kiss. We always try each year to recreate that kiss as well!

Fall Creek Falls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. September 6, 2015.

The park gets its name from Fall Creek Falls, which is the biggest waterfall in the park. This picture was taken from the overlook, and although we have hiked to the base of the falls, the hike back up seems to get a little longer and a little steeper each year. So we are mostly content to admire the waterfall from the overlook.

Coon Creek Falls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2013

Coon Creek Falls is a smaller waterfall on a stream that shares the same basin as Fall Creek Falls. Both waterfalls can be seen from the same overlook.

Piney Falls, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2011.

The last waterfall we see on our visits to the park is Piney Falls. We have to admire this waterfall from an overlook some distance away, as it would involve a hike and overnight campouts to reach the falls. So we make do with telephoto lenses for our cameras and the view from the overlook.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick tour of Fall Creek Falls State Park. If you have the opportunity to visit the park in person, we’re sure you will enjoy it.

Cane Creek

July 16, 2019

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Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee contains many beautiful places, but My Beautiful Bride and I think Cane Creek, especially near the cascade and the waterfall, has to rank as one of our favorites.

The picture above shows can creek above the cascade.

The creek thunders over Cane Creek Cascade. We enjoy sitting near the base and enjoying the sight and sound of water.

The creek is not very deep below the cascade, but it is still beautiful.

Soon the creek reaches the brim of Cane Creek Falls and disappears from sight.

It’s hard to get a good vantage point from which to see Cane Creek Falls, but I did manage to get a faint rainbow from the viewpoint.

A Special Place on a Special Day

August 28, 2018

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As many of you know, Fall Creek Falls State Park is a special place for Betsy and me. We had our first ‘real’ date there on April 21, 2001, It was there that we began our waterfall ‘collection’ and, more importantly, it was there that I got my first kiss from the wonderful woman I was with. For these reasons we go back every year on April 21 to celebrate.

Things were a little different this year. The park is undergoing some major renovations and health problems kept us from doing the hike we normally do when visiting the park, We were, however, able to visit Cane Creek Cascade. The picture above was taken near the top of the cascade.

Because of the work being done, a new trail was created from the parking area to the swinging bridge above the cascade. We were treated to a new (for us) waterfall along this trail. It wasn’t very big, but we were still delighted to be able to add it to our collection.

The trail followed Cane Creek for a short distance, and we were able to enjoy the beauty of the flowing water.

Passing under the swinging bridge, we can to a place where we could watch the sparkling water tumble down to the pool below.

But I still think the loveliest sight in Fall Creek Falls is my Beautiful Bride.

The Yellow Day Lilies of Tennessee

July 31, 2018

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The other day I was working in the yard when ‘The Yellow Rose of Texas’ came on my iPod. Now I don’t know much about yellow roses in Texas, but I have some experience with yellow day lilies in Tennessee, so I thought I would share a few of them with you.

The beauty above is Buttered Popcorn. It is one deepest, richest yellow I’ve seen on any plant. One of the nice things about Buttered Popcorn is that it re-blooms throughout the season.

Carolyn Criswell is a bright yellow day lily that we’ve enjoyed for enjoyed for several years. It is not a re-bloomer.

Lemon Vista is a pale yellow day lily. It is also a re-bloomer.

I may be cheating just a little with Star Struck since it has some orange in its blossoms. Star Struck has one of the largest blossoms on our day lilies, and it, too, is re-bloomer.

Savannah Debutante has beautiful double blossoms. This is a relatively new addition to our yard.

We have some other day lilies with other shades of yellow in them. Perhaps, if ‘The Yellow Rose of Texas’ comes up on my iPod again, I will share some of these with you.

Iris on Parade

July 3, 2018

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We had very strange weather here on the Cumberland Plateau in late winter and early spring. February was unusually warm, while April was much colder than normal. As a result we were kept wondering about how well our plants and flowers would do, But once we got into May the irises started putting on a show. The iris above is Mother Earth. I really like these colors.

Cable car is another iris we’ve enjoyed for several years. I like the unusual colors of this iris.

Eugenia King is a relatively new iris in our yard. But she still puts on a nice display.

I had to include My Beautiful Bride’s favorite iris, although I think she likes it as much for the name as anything else. This is Tennessee Vol, and is a must-have iris for any die-hard University of Tennessee fan.

Tip-Toe Through the Daffodils

May 22, 2018

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I know the song title is “Tip-Toe Through the Tulips”, but we have many more daffodils than tulips since the critters around here like to munch on our tulip bulbs.

We got most of our daffodils through collections, so we don’t know the names of them,

but we do enjoy the variety of colors and shapes.

Some of the daffodils have trumpets with different colors.

We got these daffodils from my dad when we first moved to the Glade. i don’t know the proper name for these, but we call them Dad Adams daffodils.

Saint Patrick Rose

August 22, 2017

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One of the newer roses that Betsy and I have in our garden is Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick is a hybrid tea rose that does very well in hot weather, which we’ve had plenty of over the past two years.

When Saint Patrick buds, the yellow buds are tinged with green (some people say chartreuse) — see the photo above, and the hotter the weather the more green there is along the edges.

But as the flower opens the green starts to fade away, and the yellow becomes more pronounced. This picture was taken the day after the one above.

By the third day there is very little green left, and the blossom is a beautiful yellow or gold. The blossoms are quite large and last for quite some time.

Saint Patrick is a rose we very much enjoy, especially during the heat of the summer.

Consider the lilies

July 25, 2017

 

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I’m not sure day lilies are the biblical lilies of the field, but they certainly are beautiful and worthy of consideration. We have several varieties in our yard, most of them rebloomers that we can enjoy twice a year. Day lilies are way to grow and don’t require much maintenance, which is a nice bonus.

Carolyn Criswell (the photo above) is a bright, beautiful day lily that always looks cheerful.

I dearly love Betsy, but I must admit that I enjoy seeing Lady Lucille whenever she puts in an appearance in our yard.

I seriously doubt that Christmas Wishes would bloom in our yard in December, but it certainly looks festive this time of the year.

Pure and Simple may not be ‘fancy’, but it is definitely pretty. The large blossoms of this day lily are always a welcome sight.

I almost feel that I cheated when I got this picture of our Bright Sunset day lily. I actually took this photo in the morning light. I’m not aware of a ‘Bright Sunrise’ day lily.

We have other beautiful day lilies in our yard, but I hope you enjoyed this sample. It’s been a beautiful Spring in the Glade.

Iris in our Yard

May 23, 2017

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I’m sure it comes as no surprise that Betsy and I love flowers and we enjoy having them in our yard.  But what type of flower works best for us?  Betsy loves tulips, but so do the chipmunks that live around us.  Roses are beautiful, but they take a lot of work.  We both like lilies, but so do chipmunks and deer.  As you can see, finding the perfect flower to grow here in the is not easy.

We have had success with iris however, and this year they have been putting on quite a show.  The iris above is Eugenia King.


Bountiful Harvest is one of Betsy’s favorite irises.  She really likes the colors of this one.


Cantina is one of my favorites.  I love the purple color with the steaks of blue in the falls.


Eggnog has a vibrant color, but I almost always get thirsty when I see this iris.


I really think Goodnight Kiss is a beautiful iris, but I really like the goodnight kisses of my Beautiful Bride much better.