Golden Sunrise

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Betsy and I have visited Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, in early December for several years now.  We enjoy the peace and tranquility of the the beach at that time of year.  An added bonus is that the sunrises can be spectacular with a light that has to be seen to be fully appreciated.  I got this photo from our room early one morning six years ago.

Dawn's Early Light

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My Beautiful Bride and I ave learned over the years at the beach that each sunrise has its own unique beauty.  This image was captured at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, in December 2019.

Early Morning at Ocean Isle Beach

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One of the reasons My Beautiful Bride and I keep going back to Ocean Isle Beach in December is that we can enjoy beautiful views of the sunrise (and ocean) from our room at the Islander Inn. 

Looking Back: Autumn Color Along the Cherohala Skyway

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I’m afraid that the heat and drought of the past couple of months will mean that there won’t be much autumn color in or mountains this year.  That won’t stop us from looking for the colors of autumn, however.  I got this picture along the Cherohala Skyway several years ago.

Fontana Lake

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I captured this May view of Fontana Lake in the Smokies a few years back as we were traveling along back roads in the area.  We stopped at an overlook that gave us this nice view of the lake and mountains.

Morning at the Beach

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Betsy and I enjoy going to North Carolina’s Ocean Isle Beach in December for a couple of reasons.  One is that December is the ‘slow’ season, so there aren’t as many people on the beach as at other times.  The second reason is that if we wake up early enough we can see some beautiful sunrises.  As that old song says, ‘Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning’!

Chihuly at Biltmore

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In September Betsy and I went to Biltmore to see the Chihuly exhibit at night.  We arrived late in the afternoon, which is when I got this photo of “Sole d’Oro”, which was located on the lawn in front of the house.  The sun was directly behind the glass sculpture when I got this photo, which caused the sculpture to glow in the light.

Tulips in the Walled Garden

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Since Betsy and I have seasonal passes to Biltmore, we try to get there at least once each season.  And although we would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite season, it’s hard to beat Spring.  I got this photo of tulips in bloom in the Walled Garden in April of this year.

A Sure Sign of Spring

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Dogwood blossoms against a brilliant blue sky are a sure sign that it truly is Spring.  I got this photo in the Walled Garden at Biltmore House and Gardens.

Paradise?

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What is Paradise like?  I don’t know, but a beautiful beach under a gorgeous blue sky comes pretty darn close in my opinion.  This picture was taken at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, on May 10, 2017.

Fontana Lake

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My Beautiful Bride and truly enjoy driving the back roads, especially when we’re in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.  These roads don’t work well when we’re in a hurry or have to be some place at a given time,  The problem is that there is always a wonderful view around the next curve that simply insists we stop and get a picture.

I got this picture of Fontana Lake in North Carolina several years ago while we were driving through the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina.  Fortunately we had time to stop and enjoy the view.

Merry Christmas!

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I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year.  These beautiful — and for me, different — poinsettias were seen in the Conservatory at Biltmore House and Gardens near Asheville, North Carolina.  Betsy and I visited there on November 20, 2016.

Lake Santeetiah

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In mid-October Betsy and I drove through the mountains of east Tennessee and western North Carolina in search of autumn colors.  We came upon this beautiful sight on Lake Santeetiah near Robbinsville, North Carolina, on October 20, 2016.

The View from Grandfather Mountain

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I started experimenting with panoramas back in 2011.  Although smartphones and tablets have a pano mode, I make my panoramas by stitching together individual images using Photoshop.  I’m never quite sure how a particular experiment is going to turn out, but I will admit I like the image above.  It was made on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina in November, 2012.  I like the way the mountains slowly retreat toward the horizon and start to fade away.

Morning at the Beach

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Betsy and I enjoy going to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, for many reasons, but seeing sights like this when we wake up in the morning is definitely one of them.  What a way to start a day!

Pier At Sunrise

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Betsy and I got up each morning we were at the beach in order to watch the sunrise.  I captured this photo on our last morning as we were loading up the car to head home.  The sun had not yet popped up over the horizon, but I really liked the colors in the sky.  The pier and the reflections in the sand were a nice bonus.

Autumn in the Mountains

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Betsy and I think the mountains are beautiful any time of the year, even if the Autumn colors are past their peak.  This late October picture, from my archives, was taken at the Woolyback Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

Evening Sky in Western North Carolina

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I went to the archives for this photo of the evening sky in the western North Carolina.  We were visiting with my son and his family back in July, 2009, when I snapped this photo.

Whitewater Falls

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In March Betsy and I visited Whitewater Falls near Sapphire, North Carolina.  We’d been there before, but this was a beautiful morning, and there were very few people around.  It seemed as if we had this gorgeous waterfall all to ourselves.

My Favorite Waterfall Hunter

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Betsy and I did some hiking and waterfall-hunting around Cashiers, North Carolina, earlier this week.  One of the places we visited was Glen Falls, near Highlands.  It was foggy and drizzling when we hiked to the base of the first drop, where I got this picture of my Beautiful Bride.