Skywatch Friday: Tennessee Skies

Autumn color on the Cherohala Skyway. October 25, 2009.

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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.

Moon in a blue sky over the Cherohala Skyway. October 25, 2009.

I went to my archives for these pictures of a beautiful Tennessee sky.  We were on the Cherohala Skyway on a gorgeous October day.  The autumn colors and the sky were both brilliant.  The moon in that blue sky was an added bonus.

Lake Logan, Ohio

Autumn color along the shore of Lake Logan State Park, Logan, Ohio. October 17, 2012.

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Betsy and I went to Ohio in October to visit Hocking Hills State Park with our friends Patti and Neal.  But there was another state park nearby — Lake Logan.  After a day of hiking at Hocking Hills we stopped by Lake Logan to enjoy the view.  The autumn colors were in full display along the shore of the lake and in the reflections in the water.

Mute Swans along the shore of Lake Logan, Ohio. October 17, 2012.

But we found another treat in visiting Lake Logan.  We found some Mute Swans along the shore near a fishing pier where we had stopped to take pictures.  Those elegant swans just added to the picturesque scene we were enjoying.

Skywatch Friday: Tennessee Sky

Looking toward the Smoky Mountains from the Foothills Parkway near Townsend, Tennessee. October 23, 2012.

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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.

Some people come to East Tennessee to enjoy the glorious autumn colors.  Other come to see our majestic mountains.  When both are present under a beautiful Tennessee sky, there’s not a better place to be.

This picture was taken on the Foothills Parkway looking toward the Smoky Mountains in October of this year.

Our World: Cox Covered Bridge

Cox Covered Bridge, Vinton County, Ohio. October 18, 2012.

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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.

Betsy and I enjoy traveling back roads whenever possible.  It may take us a little longer to get somewhere, but that’s usually not a problem.  Besides, we often come across some very interesting sights.

On our way home from our visit to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, our GPS took us along two-lane Ohio 93.  We were enjoying the autumn color when Betsy spotted a covered bridge.  Of course we stopped to investigate.

The Cox Covered Bridge was built in 1884, and served as the road bridge over Brushy Creek in Vinton County, Ohio, until 1992.  That year the bridge was moved 20 feet north to rest on a concrete foundation.  The bridge no longer carries traffic, but it can be walked across.

Autumn color as seen looking through the Cox Covered Bridge. October 18, 2012.

We got a great view of a beautiful orange tree looking through the bridge.

Satellite image of Cox Covered Bridge, Vinton County, Ohio.

The above image from Google Earth shows the location of the bridge.  There were no nearby towns, but the Vinton County Airport is off to the southeast.  The red dot shows our position in front of the bridge.

Our World: Ohio Autumn

Autumn scenes from Ohio, October 15-16, 2012.

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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.

In mid-October Betsy and I went up to Ohio to meet our friends Patti and Neal at Hocking Hills State Park.  We had two wonderful days of fellowship, hiking, and beautiful autumn colors.

Two of the pictures in the collage were taken at a rest area on our way to Hocking Hills (I even managed to get Betsy in one of the photos).  The whimsical sculpture was almost as colorful as the trees.  The other two pictures were taken during a hike to a natural bridge in Rockbridge State Nature Preserve near Logan, Ohio.

Smoky Mountains Panorama

A panorama of the Smoky Mountains as seen from the Foothills Parkway in Tennessee. October 23, 2012.

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Last week Betsy and I drove along the Foothills Parkway, which is just west of the Smoky Mountains.  We were able to enjoy the autumn colors and beautiful views without getting caught in all the traffic of the Smoky Mountains National Park.

The views were spectacular, and I was inspired to try to get a panorama of the scene.  The picture above is my first effort, created by merging three photos in Photoshop.  I don’t think it looks too shabby, if I do say so myself.

Down Memory Lane: Cherohala Skyway (2009)

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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.

Our World: Water and Autumn Color

West Prong of the Little Pigeon River through the trees. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. October 14, 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.

When Betsy and I visited Smoky Mountains National Park in October, we drove up Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg into North Carolina.  In the area of Chimney Tops the road follows the West Prong of Little Pigeon River.  Since we were stopping to admire the autumn colors, we could also catch glimpses of the river through the trees.

Autumn Color along Little Pigeon River, Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. October 14, 2011.

The river is neither very deep nor very wide along this stretch of road, but it is pretty as it tumbles over and around the boulders in the stream.  This is especially true when the trees are beginning to turn.

West Prong Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. October 14, 2011.

At some places the trees were far enough apart that we could catch a good glimpse of the water as it rushed down the mountain.

Scenic Sunday: Lake Canterbury

Autumn colors in a tree at Lake Canterbury dock, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 5, 2011.

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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.

Betsy and I took a ride this past Saturday afternoon to see what autumn color we could find here in the Glade.  The colors are past their peak, but we did find some trees with pretty rust-colored leaves.

The tree above is near a small pubic dock on Lake Canterbury here in the Glade.  We usually pass this lake when going to or from town.

Lake Canterbury, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 5, 2011.

There are some nice waterfront homes along that lake, but the reflections are more beautiful as far as we’re concerned.

Lake Canterbury, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. November 5, 2011.

The late afternoon sun made created a perfect autumn scene.

SkyWatch Friday: Plateau Skies

The sky above the road in front of our house, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 29, 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.

Autumn on the Plateau can be a beautiful season with trees in their autumn glory, blue skies, and white clouds.  Things got interesting around our house this week, but I did get out last weekend and captured a few pictures showing our autumn skies.

The picture above was taken on the road in front of our house.  Although there are still leaves on the trees, more and more bare branches can be seen.

The view at the Fourteenth Hole of the Druid Hills Golf Course, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. October 29, 2011.

A little later we drove to an overlook on the fourteenth hole of the Druid Hills Golf Course.  There were plenty of rust-colored trees to be seen.  Could there possibly be a prettier place to live?