Our World: The view from Grandfather Mountain

The mountains of western North Carolina as seen from an overlook on Grandfather Mountain. November 8, 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.

Since Betsy and I live in Tennessee, we’re naturally fond of the Smokies.  We visit the Smoky Mountains whenever we can.

But the mountains of western North Carolina are pretty neat as well.  I lived in Black Mountain, North Carolina, for thirteen years and enjoyed exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina is Grandfather Mountains.  (Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the state is in the Black Mountains.)  Betsy and I visited Grandfather Mountain in November, and I was able to capture this panorama view of the surrounding mountains from one of the overlooks.

Our World: Mile High Swinging Bridge

The mile-high swinging bridge on Grandfather Mountain, North Carollina. November 8, 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 had to go to Plan B on our November trip to Asheville, North Carolina.  Plan B included a trip to Grandfather Mountain and the Mile High Swinging Bridge.  The name ‘Mile High Swinging Bridge’ is somewhat misleading.  Although the elevation of the bridge is 5,278 feet (a mile) above sea level, the bridge spans an 80 foot deep chasm on Linville Peak of the mountain.

The Mile High Swinging Bridge as seen from the parking lot on Linville Peak. November 8, 2012.

Both Betsy and I had been to Grandfather Mountain before we met.  Back then the bridge (a suspension bridge built in 1952) really did swing.  The wooden planks and side rails weren’t anchored, and would readily swing during high winds.  In 1999 the bridge was rebuilt and galvanized steel was used for the the planks and side rails.  Furthermore, anchor cables for the planks were added.  Now the bridge doesn’t swing very much, but it does ‘sing’ during high winds.

And the winds were definitely high when we were at the bridge.  The official temperature was 35°, but the wind was so strong it was hard to stand up straight.  I don’t know what the wind chill temperature was, but my fingers were so cold it was hard to take pictures.

Betsy after crossing the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. November 8, 2012.

Even my Beautiful Bride thought it was cold.

Our World: Grandfather Mountain

The view from Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. November 8, 2012.

 

 

(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.

Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountain range.  It is also the only private park in the world designated by UNESCO as an International Biosphere Reserve.  Grandfather Mountain received this designation because of the sixteen different habitat communities that can be found on the mountain.  The vegetation on some parts of the mountain has more in common with northern Canada than North Carolina.

We visited Grandfather Mountain on a beautiful but cold and windy day in November.  The picture above shows the view from the first overlook on the road leading to the summit and the Mile High Swinging Bridge.

SkyWatch Friday: Smoky Mountains Sky

Looking toward the Smoky Mountains from the Foothills Parkway, Tennessee. October 14, 2010.

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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.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the nation’s most visited national park.  People come throughout the year to see the mountains.  They come in October to see the autumn colors.  But the sky is also worth seeing and enjoying.

This picture was taken in early October from the Foothills Parkway looking toward the Smoky Mountains.

Betsy in the Smokies

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In late August we had some early morning appointments in Knoxville, so we decided to make a day of it by visiting the Smokies after finishing up in Knoxville.  We drove along Middle Prong past Tremont, and although the water level was low, we found plenty of reasons to stop and enjoy the scenery.  Later in the day we drove around Cades Cove, one of our favorite  parts of the park.

This collage is made up of photos I took of Betsy during our day in the Smokies.

Our World: Chattahoochee River

Betsy at the Chattahoochee River in the north Georgia mountains. May 5, 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 wanted to visit a couple of waterfalls in northern Georgia on our way to the beach last month.  We had been to the area is February, so we had a good idea how to get to the falls we wanted to see.  Unfortunately the Forest Service road we needed to take into the mountains was closed, so we had to go to Plan B.

We found an alternate road to one of the waterfalls we wanted to see, and this route would also let us see a couple of ‘bonus’ falls along the way.  Our alternate route took us into the mountains along the Chattahoochee River, which has its headwaters near the waterfall we wanted to see.

As we drove deeper in to the mountains, we found a pullover where we could stop and go down to the river.  The picture above shows Betsy on the bank of the Chattahoochee.

George at the Chattahoochee River. May 5, 2012.

Here’s another view of the Chattahoochee that Betsy took.  I’m not sure where the old man came from, but he popped up in quite a few pictures that Betsy took on this trip.

The clear waters of the Chattahoochee River in north Georgia. May 5, 2012.

The Chattahoochee wasn’t very wide or very deep at this location, but it was running freely and the water was crystal clear.  It’s a beautiful stream.

SkyWatch Friday: Morning in the Mountains

Morning sky at Hazel Mountain Overlook, Skyline Drive, Virginia. November 23, 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.

I would have trouble deciding which is more magnificent — mountains or the sky.  When they are together I am often struck by the sheer wonder of the scene before me.  Often I can only think “The Heavens Are Telling the Glory of God”.

Such was the case early one November morning last year when we stopped at Hazel Mountain Overlook on the Skyline Drive in Virginia to take in the sight above.

Scenic Sunday: Evening in the Mountains

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.

Scenic Sunday: Cades Cove

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. December 11, 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.

One of the most popular sections of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee is Cades Cove.  Cades Cove is a valley surrounded by mountains which contains white tail deer, wild turkeys, coyotes and black bears.  To travel the loop road through the cove is somewhat like traveling back in time.

Settlers first came to Cades Cove from Virginia in 1819.  By the 1850′s the population of Cades Cove was 685 people in 137 households, but by 1860 the population had dropped to 269 people.

Cades Cove is the largest open air museum in the entire Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The cove today looks much like it did in the 1800′s and has original pioneer homesteads, barns, businesses, pasture and farmland.

Cades Cove is interesting and beautiful any time of the year.  The picture above was taken on a visit we made last week.

SkyWatch Friday: Morning in the Mountains

Early morning view from Hemlock Springs Overlook, Skyline Drive, Virginia. November 23, 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.

There are advantages to driving in the mountains early on a foggy, misty mountains.  We left Skyland Resort on such a morning to make our way home on our Thanksgiving trip.  We had to drive north along Skyline Drive to get to an exit from the Shenandoah National Forest.

We came upon this scene at the Hemlock Springs Overlook.  The fog had lifted in our immediate vicinity, but much of the valley below was still cloud-covered.  A few peaks were just beginning to show themselves above the clouds.

Early morning view from Hemlock Springs Overlook, Skyline Drive, Virginia. November 23, 2011.

I liked this picture so much that I wanted to see what it looked like as a black and white photo.  I like this version just as much and decided to share it with you as well.