Posts Tagged ‘Tennessee’

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Machine Falls

January 7, 2010

Scenes from our hike to Machine Falls. February 14, 2009.

Since we’ve been having some cold weather, I’ve been able to spend more time indoors at the computer and am actually getting some things done that should have been done long ago.

One of the folders that I got cleared away contained pictures of a hike Betsy and I made last Valentine Day to Machine Falls.  Machine Falls is in the Short Springs State Natural Area between Manchester and Tullahoma, Tennessee.

The day was beautiful and the hike was very pleasant.  There wasn’t a great deal of water going over the falls, but the flow over the bluff was quite impressive.

To see these pictures and others click HERE.

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I’m grateful for the beauty of God’s creation and for the opportunities we have to enjoy it.

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Posted in Waterfalls | 10 Comments »

Watery Wednesday # 68: A Watery Mystery

December 30, 2009

The picture of Hogskin Branch Falls I posted on December 1.

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 December 1 of this year I made a posting about all the junk we found around Hogskin Branch, a pretty little waterfall near Flag Pond in northeast Tennessee.  The next day I heard from Bill, another waterfall collector, who said that he and his wife had visited the waterfall a couple of weeks before we did and there had been no junk around.  He wondered what had happened and sent along a picture that he had taken.

The picture Bill sent after reading about Hogskin Branch Falls on my blog.

It quickly became obvious to both of us that we had not seen the same waterfall, so the question became ‘What waterfall did Bill and his wife see?’.

When Betsy and I went to Brevard, NC, about three weeks ago we decided, since I-40 was still closed, to go through Flag Pond to see if we could find the mystery waterfall.

Lower Clear Branch Falls, Flag Pond, Tennessee. December 10, 2009.

I think we were successful.  The picture above is of Lower Clear Branch Falls.  There was much less water when we were there, but the shelving and the rocks are the same as Bill shows.  Further, the surroundings all matched what Bill reported.

Not only did we solve a mystery, we got another waterfall to add to our collection.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 12 Comments »

Watery Wednesday # 67: Bald River Falls

December 23, 2009

Bald River Falls, Tellico Plains, Tennessee. July 3, 2007.

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.

Tennessee is blessed with many waterfalls, and one of the most impressive in southeastern Tennessee is Bald River Falls.  Bald River drops 80 to 100 feet as it nears the Tellico River.  The falls can be seen from the bridge where Tellico River Road crosses Bald River, but there is a parking area nearby.  I got this picture by walking back to the bridge after parking the car.

Tellico River Road follows the Tellico River for about five miles from the Cherohala Skyway near Tellico Plains, Tennessee.  The river itself offers many wonderful views for future editions of Watery Wednesday.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 8 Comments »

Christmas at the Opryland Hotel

December 21, 2009

Christmas decorations in the Cascades at the Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee. December, 2001.

One of the advantages of wintry weather is that I can get more work done on my computer than I would if the weather were nicer and I spent more time outdoors.  This weekend has enabled me to make progress on a couple of projects, for which I am grateful.

The Opryland Hotel (or more properly the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center) has been an attraction in Nashville, Tennessee, since it first opened in 1977.  It has gone through several expansions and renovations since that time and is now a tourist attraction in its own right.

One of the traditions of Opryland is A Country Christmas, which makes Opryland ‘The Most Christmassy hotel in the nation” according to the Travel Channel.  A Country Christmas is now in its 26th year and includes more than 2 million lights and more than a dozen shows and attractions.  A Country Christmas runs from before Thanksgiving to after New Year’s.

I’m sure the decorations have changed quite a bit since 2001, when Betsy and I toured the Opryland Hotel one evening during Christmas season.  It was our first Christmas together, and the grand display at the hotel seemed a perfect complement to that special time.

To see more of Christmas at the Opryland Hotel click HERE.

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Posted in American Life | 8 Comments »

Skywatch Friday: Unaka Mountain

December 18, 2009

Hoar Frost on Unaka Mountain, Tennessee. November 27, 2009.

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 were in East Tennessee the day after Thanksgiving on a waterfalling trip.  The weather forecast had called for snow flurries and Betsy had hoped that we would see some snow, but there was none.  Friday morning was cold but clear.

The closest Betsy came to seeing snow was this hoar frost on the top of Unaka Mountain.  I had to get a picture of something white for my beautiful bride, so I snapped this picture from the road we were on.

I’m not that thrilled with the hoar frost, but that clear blue sky is beautiful.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 19 Comments »

My World: Baltusrol Falls

December 15, 2009

Baltusrol Falls, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. December 13, 2009.

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

Most of you know that Betsy and I collect waterfalls.  We’ve just returned from a weekend trip where we drove and hiked to visit several falls.

But we don’t always have to go a great distance to visit a waterfall.  The waterfall in the picture above is only about a quarter of a mile from our house.  It flows from the golf course into a vacant lot down the road from us.

Usually there is only a trickle of water flowing down, but after a heavy rain like we had Saturday night and Sunday morning, it can be quite impressive.

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Posted in My World | 10 Comments »

My World: Rutledge Falls

December 8, 2009

Rutledge Falls, Tullahoma, Tennessee. February 14, 2009.

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

One advantage of living here on the Plateau is our close proximity to a number of very nice waterfalls.  I’ve mentioned several times that Fall Creek Falls State Park is only about an hour away.

There are several other waterfalls within a couple of hours of our house.  Rutledge Falls, near Tullahoma, Tennessee, is one of those waterfalls.  We visited Rutledge Falls on Valentine’s Day.  The waterfall is on private property, but the owners grant access to the public.

If you would like to see more of Rutledge Falls click HERE.

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Posted in My World | 12 Comments »

Where It All Began

December 3, 2009

Betsy at Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. April 21, 2001.

Monday was a cold, rainy day here on the Plateau on Monday, so I had a chance to work on some more of my archived photographs.  One of the folders I was able to work with contained pictures of the first time Betsy and I went to Fall Creek Falls.

Betsy and I had had a couple of dates (dinner, a morning in the park and lunch) before that Saturday morning when we drove to Fall Creek Falls State  Park.  Although Betsy had been to the park a time or two before we met, I had never been there before.

The scenery in the park is fantastic.  It is centered around the Cane Creek Gorge, a fifteen-mile long gash that contains views remeniscent of the Grand Canyon.  A road along the rim provides several overlooks with fantastic views.

Betsy and I were impressed with the five major waterfalls within the park.  We visited each and every one.  But the high point of the day (at least for me) was our first kiss.

We realized we were falling in love on that first date to Fall Creek Falls in April, 2001.  We’ve managed to get back there almost every year since to celebrate that anniversary.  Fall Creek Falls will always be special for us.

If you would like to see more of our first trip to Fall Creek Falls click HERE.

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Posted in Betsy | 7 Comments »

Watery Wednesday # 64: Millstone Creek Falls

December 2, 2009

Millstone Creek Falls, Erwin, Tennessee. November 27, 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.

Betsy and I spent most of Thanksgiving weekend visiting waterfalls in Northeast Tennessee.  Most of them were fairly small, but pretty nonetheless.

Millstone Creek Falls is on undeveloped private property, but the owners allow visitors to the falls.  The owners’ home is on the adjacent lot and the house has a beautiful view of the falls.  But we enjoyed our short hike through the woods to this view of the falls.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 7 Comments »

A Reason To Be Thankful

November 30, 2009

Wild turkeys on Bays Mountain, Kingsport, Tennessee. November 26, 2009.

After a delicious Thanksgiving dinner of turkey and all the trimmings, Betsy and I took our friend Reida for a drive to visit a waterfall and to see some of the other sights in the Kingsport, Tennessee area.

One of the places we visited was the Eastman Recreation Area on Bays Mountain.  We saw these critters near the lodge, walking around as if they didn’t have a care in the world.  Since it was the afternoon of Thanksgiving Day, and they were able to enjoy an afternoon stroll, I guess they really had a reason to be thankful!

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Posted in American Life | 18 Comments »

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