Blog Index

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Biltmore Gardens

We spent a morning touring some of the gardens at Biltmore in Ashville, North Carolina, in late June, 2012.  For this post, I'll let the pictures do the talking. 


Walled Garden


Hibiscus

Gladiolus

Yellow Coneflower

Dahlia


Zinnia




Shrub Rose

Queen Elizabeth

American Beauty

Poulsen's Pearl

Pernille Poulsen

Daylilies


Daylilies

Daylilies

Daylilies

Daylilies

Daylilies

Daylilies

Daylilies


Conservatory



Hibiscus

Anthurium

Impatiens

Mandevilla

Hibiscus


An American Goldfinch blends in with 
the daisies and Black-Eyed Susans

The website of Biltmore House and Gardens is http://www.biltmore.com.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Virginia Creeper Trail





We drove up to Damascus, Virginia one Saturday morning in late June, 2012, to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail with our good friends, Jay and Pam and their son Joel.  On the way, we drove through several areas of dense fog, but the fog cleared and gave way to a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures in the upper 70s.  Upon arrival in Damascus, we parked at The Bike Station, rented our bikes and boarded the van for the thirty minute ride to Whitetop Station near the North Carolina border.  The trail is owned by the US Forest Service and the municipalities of Abingdon and Damascus.  The portion we were riding is in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area of the Jefferson National Forest.


The elevation at the parking lot at Whitetop is 3560 feet above sea level, Green Cove is 3160, Taylors Valley is 2360, and Damascus is about 1880.  I'll need just a wee bit more practice before I attempt to ride up the trail from Damascus to Whitetop.


Northwest view approximately 1.5 miles down
 the trail near the tip of Tennessee
Pam and Joan
Jay zooms by
High Bridge over Co Rd 728
 and Whitetop Laurel Creek
Whitetop Laurel Creek
High Bridge from Co Rd 728

Whitetop Laurel Creek at Taylors Valley
Water carving
View from the through truss bridge
They fit the bike to you, not the other way around


The official trail website is http://www.vacreepertrail.com/.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Cherohala Skyway - Indian Boundary Lake



The turnoff to Indian Boundary Recreation Area is located about 14 miles from the beginning of the Skyway at TN 68 in Tellico Plains.  A two mile spur leads to a picnic area, campground, camp store, and a boat launch.  In addition, there is a 3.6 mile trail that loops around the 96 acre Indian Boundary Lake.  The trail is for both bicyclists and hikers.  While I didn't meet any other hikers, I did meet a handful of cyclists.  The trail has a gravel surface and is mostly shaded.  On my trip in mid-June 2012, bug spray was a definite requirement.  The trail is mostly level, but it does rise 10 to 15 feet above the lake in a couple of places.  The lake is impounded by a small concrete dam that maintains a lake level of about 1560 feet above sea level.  


Calm enough for reflections
Wildlife is abundant
The trail is well maintained
All stream crossings are via sturdy bridges
An open field that needs to be explored
The upstream side of the dam
A sitting tree?
Swimming beach
The dam crossing is single file
Several locations offer spectacular views
Picnic shelter
Volleyball and horseshoes beside the trail
Looking back at the end of the trail
More information is available at http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cherokee/recarea/?recid=35150.