Twin Falls

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When we could hike (many years ago), Betsy and I would plan vacations or road trips around our search for waterfalls.  But we didn’t always have to make a major trip to find an interesting waterfall — we had several interesting falls relatively close by.

Twin Falls, in Rock Island State Park, is a waterfall that came into being when a dam was built creating Center Hill Lake.  The dam used water to back up and flood caverns.  The water then broke through the back of the cavern, creating Twin Falls.  Are Twin Falls natural or man-made?  Who cares, they are beautiful. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ocean Isle Beach Pier

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Betsy and I try to get to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, at least once a year.  We normally travel there in May (before the season gets started) or December (after the season winds down.  This schedule means there are fewer people around and that we often have the beach to ourselves.

I got this picture of the Ocean Isle Beach pier on a May morning a few years ago.  I like the reflection of the pier in the wet sand of the beach.  Since it was an overcast day, I thought the photo would look good as a monochrome mage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calbash, North Carolina

 

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Betsy and I like to get to the beach in North Carolina at least once a year.  We stay  in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, but we always make a daily trip to Calabash, North Carolina, for some delicious seafood.  Calabash is a working  fishing village, and the seafood is absolutely fantastic.  I got this picture of the Calabash waterfront a few years ago.  We can’t wait to get back there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink Dogwood Blossoms

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We know that Spring has arrived in the Glade when the pink dogwood tree in our front yard blooms.  My Beautiful Bride and I have been celebrating Spring’s arrival for the past week or so.  This picture was taken a couple of years ago, but the blossoms were just as beautiful this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walled Garden Tulips

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For many years Betsy and I have made a Spring trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  We go primarily to see the tulips in the Walled Garden of the estate.  Seeing all those beautiful tulips tells us that Spring has truly arrived.

A March Hike

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Several years ago, when both Betsy and I were younger and could still do some hiking, we celebrated my birthday by visiting Desoto State Park near Fort Payne, Alabama.  While there we took several hikes, one of which was along the west fork of Little River.  It was on that hike that I captured this image of the March scenery along the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cades Cove in March

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Betsy and I enjoy visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the ‘off’ seasons, although those seasons are harder to find then they used to be.  We often visit during the winter season.  The vibrant colors of Spring haven’t yet put in an appearance, but there is still a beauty to be enjoyed.  I got this picture in Cades Cove air March a few years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waterloo Falls

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When Betsy and I were younger, we collected waterfalls.  We visited as many as we could find, usually getting in some hiking along the way.  We quickly discovered that winter is a good time to search for waterfalls in our area.  The vegetation isn’t as dense, which make it easy to see some of those that are “hidden’.

One February afternoon several years ago we set out to find Waterloo Falls, which is not too far from Cookeville, Tennessee.  As you can see from the picture above, we did find it after doing some bush-whacking along the river bank.  Waterloo Falls is wide, although not very high.

After leaving Waterloo Falls we followed the river down stream and were rewarded by coming across a much smaller waterfall Little Waterloo Falls.  All in all we had a very rewarding day “waterfall hunting”.

 

 

 

 

 

The Rim Trail

 

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Betsy and I really enjoy the sunrises and sunsets at Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas.  But when we were younger (and healthier) we also did some hiker a the park.  One of the trails we hiked several times was the Rim Trail, which circles the top of the mountain.  The Rim Trail is where I got this photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Snowy Scene

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We don’t often get much snow here in the Glade, but when we do get snow the result can be a beautiful landscape.  I got this picture from the front of our house several years ago.

 

 

 

Blue Sky and Icy Brances

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We haven’t gotten a lot of snow here in the Glade for the past few years, so I haven’t gotten many snowy inter wonderland pictures.  But we do ave beauty during the winter months.  A few years ago we had an ice storm that left the tree branches coated in ice.  Those icy branches against a beautiful blue sky made a wonderful winter picture.