Posts Tagged ‘Travels’

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Our World: Sequatchie Valley

November 3, 2014
The Sequatchie Valley, Dunlap, Tennessee. August 16, 2014.

The Sequatchie Valley, Dunlap, Tennessee. August 16, 2014.

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

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 three wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

The Sequatchie Valley in Tennessee is a narrow, straight valley between the Cumberland Plateau and the Walden Ridge.  Betsy and I often drive through or across the Sequatchie Valley when we travel south from our home on the Cumberland Plateau.

In August Betsy and I met a blogger friend, Lynda, and her husband for lunch in Dunlap, Tennessee, which is in the heart of the Sequatchie Valley.  Not only did we have a great time and delicious meal with a wonderful couple, we were also able to enjoy the beauty of the valley around us.

The Sequatchie Valley, Dunlap, Tennessee. August 16, 2014.

The Sequatchie Valley, Dunlap, Tennessee. August 16, 2014.

We were in the valley on a bright, sunny day with clouds that rivaled the valley in beauty.

The Sequatchie Valley is primarily rural, dotted with farms and small towns.  The escarpments of the Cumberland Plateau and Walden Ridge form a picturesque background for the barns and cattle.

The Sequatchie Valley, Dunlap, Tennessee. August 16, 2014.

The Sequatchie Valley, Dunlap, Tennessee. August 16, 2014.

All in all we had a perfect day in Tennessee’s Sequatchie Valley.

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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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Our World: Biltmore Orchids

July 7, 2014
Orchid in the Conservatory of the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Caroliina. June 14, 2014.

Orchid in the Conservatory of the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Caroliina. June 14, 2014.

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

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.

Betsy and I have had annual passes to Biltmore House and Gardens for several years now.  We get over there several times a year to enjoy the gardens and the grounds of the estate.  But we almost always stop at the Conservatory to visit the Orchid Room as well.

Orchid in the Conservatory of the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Caroliina. June 14, 2014.

Orchid in the Conservatory of the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Caroliina. June 14, 2014.

We don’t grow orchids — I’m not sure we could be successful at it — but we certainly enjoy the beauty and variety of the orchids being grown at Biltmore.

Orchid in the Conservatory of the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Caroliina. June 14, 2014.

Orchid in the Conservatory of the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Caroliina. June 14, 2014.

Just when it seems we’ve seen just about every possible color and pattern, we turn a corner and see something else which is simply spectacular.

These pictures were taken on a June, 2012, visit to Biltmore.

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Skywatch Friday: Mt. Nebo Sunset

May 30, 2014
Sunset at Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

Sunset at Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

(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.

Sunset at Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

Sunset at Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

If you visited here very often, you know that one of our favorite spots is Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas.  We get the same cabin for each visit, and we can sit on the back porch and enjoy some spectacular sunsets.

Sunset at Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

Sunset at Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

Sometimes the sky is cloudy, which creates magnificent cloudscapes in the sky.  The evening I took these pictures (February 26, 2014) was perfectly clear, and the color of the sky was simply magnificent.

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Our World: Strasburg, Virginia

May 12, 2014
Hotel Strasburg, Strasburg, Virginia. April 6, 2014.

Hotel Strasburg, Strasburg, Virginia. April 6, 2014.

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

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 three wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

In early April Betsy and I visited Strasburg, Virginia.  Strasburg is near the northern terminus of Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park, one of our favorite parts of the country.  Staying in Strasburg gave us the opportunity to do some hiking and exploring in the area.

While in Strasburg we stayed at the Hotel Strasburg (pictured above), which was originally built as a hospital before being converted to a hotel sometime after 1912.  The decor of the hotel is very Victorian.  Betsy has posted more on this neat hotel; you can check out her blog and see some of the interior of the hotel by clicking  HERE.

An old home converted into a bed-and-breakfast, Strasburg, Virginia. April 6, 2014.

An old home converted into a bed-and-breakfast, Strasburg, Virginia. April 6, 2014.

We walked through part of Strasburg on our first evening in town.  Many of the buildings have been renovated and are in wonderful condition.  The home above is now a bed-and-breakfast.

The Dr. F. E. Grove house, Strasburg, Virginia. April 6, 2014.

The Dr. F. E. Grove house, Strasburg, Virginia. April 6, 2014.

The brick turret of the home above caught my attention.  This was the home of Dr. F. E. Grove, and when built around 1910 was the first Strasburg home built with electricity, indoor plumbing and central heat.

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The North Fork of the Shenandoah River, Strasburg, Virginia. April 7, 2014.

German settlers moved into this part of Virginia in the 1740s; the town of Strasburg was chartered in 1761.  The town was located on the bank of the North Folk of the Shenandoah River, a location we visited on a rainy day during our stay.

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Our World: Mt. Magazine

April 28, 2014
Betsy at Signal Hill, Mt. Magazine State Park, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

Betsy at Signal Hill, Mt. Magazine State Park, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

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

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 three wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Betsy and I have been going to Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas for several years. We love ‘our’ cabin on the rim of the mountain and the gorgeous views of the setting sun we get from the back porch.

Geological marker on Mt. Magazine. February 26, 2014.

Geological marker on Mt. Magazine. February 26, 2014.

But we almost always make a trip to nearby Mt. Magazine State Park to enjoy more mountain views and to do some hiking. Mt. Magazine is the highest point in Arkansas, and we’ve hiked to Signal Hill, the highest point, several times.

Patti, Betsy and Neal at an overlook on Mt. Magazine. February 14, 2014.

Patti, Betsy and Neal at an overlook on Mt. Magazine. February 14, 2014.

This year we were able to share Mt. Magazine with our friends Patti and Neal. In addition to hiking with us to Signal Hill, they also enjoyed the views from some of the overlooks around the mountain.

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Skywatch Friday: Mountains and Sky

April 18, 2014
The view from Signal Knob Overlook on Skyline Drive, Virginia. April 8, 2014.

The view from Signal Knob Overlook on Skyline Drive, Virginia. April 8, 2014.

(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.

Earlier this month Betsy and I were in Virginia, and we drove along the northern end of Skyline Drive on a beautiful morning.  When we stopped at the Signal Knob Overlook, I got this panorama of the view we enjoyed.  The sky, mountains and valley combined to give us a gorgeous view.

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Our World: ‘Our’ Mt. Nebo Cabin

March 31, 2014
'Our' cabin on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

‘Our’ cabin on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

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

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.

By now most of you know that Betsy and I visit Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas every year.  Betsy knew about this place before I was in the picture, but It didn’t take her long to introduce me to Mt. Nebo.

We stay at the same cabin each time we go.  ‘Our’ cabin is a one-bedroom stone cabin built by the CCC, although it has been renovated since then.  The cabin has a small but well-equipped kitchen, and the main room has a marvelous fireplace  which we enjoy very much.

The back of 'our' cabin, Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

The back of ‘our’ cabin, Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

The cabin sits near the western rim of the mountain.  It has a small porch in back as well as a patio with a picnic table.  We don’t use the picnic table much since it’s usually still winter when we visit.

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‘Our’ cabin in the light of the setting sun, Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 26, 2014.

The cabin is perfectly located for enjoying sunsets in February-March, when the light of the setting sun bathes the cabin in a golden glow.  The back of the cabin gives us a grandstand view.

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Our World: Old Man’s Cave

March 17, 2014
Looking down into the gorge near Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 10, 2014.

Looking down into the gorge near Old Man’s Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 10, 2014.

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

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.

Ice along canyon walls, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 10, 2014.

Ice along canyon walls, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 10, 2014.

Old Man’s Cave is a recess cave in a gorge in Ohio’s Hocking Hills State Park.  Betsy and I have been to the park a couple of times and have enjoyed hiking down to the cave.  The park contains several waterfalls which had very little water when we visited before, so we went back there in early March hoping to find more flowing water.  We found more water, but we also found a great deal of ice, which was unexpected.

Ice along the walls of the gorge, Hocking Hills State Park. March 10, 2014.

Ice along the walls of the gorge, Hocking Hills State Park. March 10, 2014.

The walls of the gorge were covered in ice in many places, which was very beautiful but made it tricky to get down to the floor of the gorge.

A column of ice near Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 11, 2014.

A column of ice near Old Man’s Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. March 11, 2014.

Once I got down to the floor of the gorge, it was fascinating to see the huge columns of ice reaching from an overhang to the base of the cliff.  In the photo above you can even see some blue ice in the column.

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Skywatch Friday: Mt. Nebo Sunrise

March 7, 2014
The pre-dawn view from Sunrise Point on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

The pre-dawn view from Sunrise Point on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

(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 Betsy and I visit Mt. Nebo in Arkansas, we tend to get up a little earlier than usual so we can drive to Sunrise Point to watch the sun come up.

If the visibility is good, we can see much of the Arrkansas River valley below us before the sun makes its appearance.

The sun making its first appearance across the Arkansas River valley. February 27, 2014.

The sun making its first appearance across the Arkansas River valley. February 27, 2014.

In late February we can catch our first glimpse of the sun just beyond the end of Petit Jean Mountain across the valley.

The day is off to a great start on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

The day is off to a great start on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. February 27, 2014.

It doesn’t take long before the sun is completely up filling the sky with light reflected in the waters of the river below us.  It’s always a gorgeous sight, and gets our day off to a wonderful start.

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