This barn sits alongside the dirt road on the way to my friend Cherie’s house.
Many times I’ve photographed it; many times I’ve been unsatisfied with the result. This day, however, it seemed just about right.
I’d love you to check out today’s post on Monochromia to see the B&W version and let me know what you think.
The calendar says Sept 4th,
3 days after Labor Day,
the traditional “end of summer”.
In my garden though, summer is still here!
Each morning, I get to enjoy seeing the flowers that still grace the space outside my kitchen door.
And thankfully, my basil is still growing beautifully!
It’s been awhile since I’ve attempted some macro shooting (even though I don’t have a macro lens) and I decided I needed practice. You, my dear blogger friends, are my guinea pigs. As fall approaches, I’ll definitely be practicing more!
In the meantime, I want to thank you for inspiring me with your craft, whatever it may be; for making me laugh; for causing me to sigh with both happiness and in thought, and for being here on WordPress with me!
The Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) is a 469 mile drive that connects the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and I’ve ridden every one of those miles on the bike. In fact, I took my first solo ride on the BRP, celebrating my 50th Birthday, 4 years, and 2 cameras, ago. You can read about that ride here and here if you’d like.
Even though I’ve ridden on the BRP many times, I still see something new with each visit.
Yesterday’s 230 mile ride, part of which was on the BRP, included a stop at Thunder Ridge, at Milepost 75.
A very short hike reveals a view of the Allegheny Mountains and Arnold’s Valley, elevation 3485 ft.
The view made me think of a blanket made of mountains.
We stood there admiring this incredible view, feeling the sun on our faces while the wind blew with gusto, and then took the trail back to the bikes.
What an incredible gift it is to live right near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
“Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2010, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a product of the New Deal’s efforts to provide jobs to the unemployed of the Great Depression. Construction began in September 1935 at Cumberland Knob near the North Carolina and Virginia state line.
The idea was to create a link between the Shenandoah National Park to the edge of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Completed in 1983, the Parkway’s history has been highlighted by documentarian Ken Burns in the six-part “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” series originally aired on PBS”.
Have you visited Monochromia yet? If you haven’t and you like B&W Photography, you really should 🙂
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I Swear…..
I’d just returned home from my trip to Kentucky, and had spent the previous 3 hours riding in the rain. The light, and the shadows, and the raindrops on the windshield, stopped me in my (very wet, dripping )tracks. My bike was dripping, too, but it had brought me home safely and that, my friends, is all that really matters.
Come on over to Life on the Bike and Other Fab Things to see more images from my adventures on, and off, the bike. Please check out the blogs of my fellow contributors to Monochromia, too!
As I wiped the mud and water from my bike, I thought about how grateful I was for the warm welcome that I’d received when I checked into the hotel the night before. Hotels typically treat bikers well, and this time was no exception. I was allowed to park the bike under the covered entrance, was given rags to clean the bike, given recommendations for local eateries, and received a gift of water and trail mix. Betty surely made me feel welcome and a note was sent to her manager to praise her efforts.
The continued calls for rain had me considering heading home a day early, but as I cleaned up the bike I made the decision to take my chances. Kentucky still had alot to show me after all!
After packing up the bike and filling the tank, I set out for Cumberland Falls State Park. 25 E was a beautiful ride, and I passed by wooded lands and farms situated on nicely curving roads. Once inside the Daniel Boone National Forest, where the park is located, I had to keep myself from pulling over every few miles to take photos. The woods were lush and green and I was captivated.
One of the first things I saw upon entering the park was the Dupont Lodge.
The Civilian Conservation Corps, under Roosevelt’s New Deal, put jobless men and boys throughout the United States to work. Built by the CCC in 1933, the historic lodge was destroyed by fire in 1940. It was re-built soon after the fire, and all rooms were completely renovated again in 2006.
The staff offered much information including directions to a half mile trail, with a 200 ft descent, that led to the falls. Since my boots were still a bit wet, I was glad I’d only be hiking a short way, but I was definitely ready to get off the bike and into the woods. I grabbed my water bottle and headed off on foot.
I have to admit to being a bit skeptical about the whole “Niagara of the South” label, but oh, I was pleasantly surprised!
Since the early 1900s, Cumberland Falls has been known as the “Niagara of the South”. “Falling 7 stories, it is one of the largest waterfalls in the southeastern U.S.”.
Even though I was just one of many people there to enjoy the falls, I never felt that it was crowded.
I spent over an hour wandering about, taking pictures from a variety of angles and places, and learning about the history of the river and the falls.
The hike back up aggravated the new blister on my heel (thanks to the darn damp boots). But what fun it was to sit outside the lodge, applying first aide to my heel and talking with all the folks who stopped by to admire my bike. I’d been missing the human connection this trip as the rain kept me from alot of stopping and chatting.
While I’d been lucky this day, I knew that as I turned for home the weather would change, and I’d eventually run into rain again, so I made the decision to head on back towards Virginia. I rode through more beautiful country on curvy roads and found myself singing out loud with the joy of the wind in my face and even the occasional glimpse of sun.
As the day waned, I turned onto Rt 58 and my happiness continued.
My friend Tim helped me to find a hotel in Johnson City, Tennessee and one of the first things I did was ask the hotel clerk where I might find a cold beer 🙂
Once back at the hotel, the clerk told me to be sure to park right in front. It’s good to be a biker!
Next Post: The Ride Home
80% chance of rain!
That’s what I would be riding in, and since there was one more trail that I wanted to walk, I was up and out of my room early. The trail led me to The Towers overlook but since it was a misty morning, the views were limited. Even still, my walk into the woods was intriguing, even mysterious, as I had no idea what was around the curve in the trail.
Once back from my walk, I hit the dining room for breakfast and just as I finished and walked outside, the rain began, although lightly. The housekeeping staff gave me some extra plastic bags (to pack wet things in later) and I left the Breaks.
With each mile, the rain came harder, but it wasn’t so hard that I felt the need to pull over. I rode on some twisty, turning, beautiful roads. Oh how I wished I was riding them on a sunny day! The rain seemed to emphasize the poverty in some of the very small, remote communities that I rode through. Signs of support (and opposition) to the coal industry were everywhere.
As I rode, I kept wishing I could stop to take photos, but the rain kept coming down. I rode between rocky, tree covered hills on my right, and river beds and ravines on my left. Simply gorgeous! The weather forced me to rearrange my route slightly, and at one point, I turned around and out of Kingdom Come State Park when I hit an unpaved, incredibly hilly road called the Little Shepherd Trail.
My goal, since I was riding alone, was to stay safe, be smart, and have a different outcome from my ride last fall. In other words, arrive home safely. Even still, I was disappointed that I would not be able to explore the park, named after a Civil War novel, “The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come,” by Kentucky author John Fox Jr. Kingdom Come State Park preserves 1,283 acres of unspoiled wilderness.
At one point I was forced to stop for road work. A 25 minute stop. On a steep hill. Holding onto the brake. Unable to go forward, backward, or to get off the bike, I watched crews work to straighten out an incredibly curvy road through a tiny little hill town. Phew! My guess it will take years to finish that road.
After about 4 hours, the rain slowed and finally stopped, and I stopped for gas. Since I’m not able to share photos from the ride, I thought you might want to see the result of the ride on my pretty bike.
My plan was to stay at Pine Mountain State Park, but when I got there, the lodge was booked. It was time to ride on, explore the surrounding area, and think about where to stay for the night.
As an aside, by now I’d also learned that not only were the State Parks in Kentucky alcohol free, but the entire part of the state in which I was traveling was DRY. According to Wikipedia, “the alcohol laws of Kentucky lead to a confusing patchwork of counties that are dry (prohibiting all sale of alcoholic beverages), wet (permitting full retail sales), and moist (occupying a middle group between the two)”.
Of the 120 counties in Kentucky, 55 are dry … and those are the ones I was riding through.
When I walked into the Visitors Center at Cumberland Gap National HistoricalPark, I was greeted by a wonderful Brit who not only gave me information about the park, but also a list of nearby hotels, and directions to Pappy’s Beer & Wine. In order to get to Pappy’s, I had to ride through the very cool Cumberland Gap Tunnel, out of the state of Kentucky, into the state of Tennessee, and then back into Kentucky with a bottle of red wine safely tucked into my saddle bag.
(photo credit: http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Cumberland_Gap)
After securing a hotel room for the night, I rode to the top of the Cumberland Gap, “the first great gateway to the west”, where the buffalo, the Native American, the longhunter, the pioneer all traveled this route through the mountains into the wilderness of Kentucky. For many, it was the way to a new life in the frontier wilderness. Through the Cumberland Gap, a natural passage through the forbidding Allegheny Mountains, passed the Wilderness Road. Hacked out in 1775 into by a party led by Daniel Boone, this road was one of the main arteries used by the settlers who occupied the region between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River (http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ky-cumberlandgap.html).
This cabin, a replica of an original pioneer cabin, stands near the Visitors Center.
The ride to the top was one 180 degree turn after another, with each turn an elevation change. Thank goodness there was little traffic as I was challenged by that ride. While my photos from the top of the Gap reveal the continued overcast, foggy day, I thought you’d appreciate seeing one that I downloaded. The first are mine, the last is not.
As I stood there, looking at that beautiful scene, the mists and clouds rolled right over me.
This is what I hope to see when I return on a beautiful day.
I spent two hours in this national historical park, but could have spent more. So much history, so much to learn! As evening approached, I checked into my hotel and found a wonderful locally owned restaurant in downtown, historic Middlesboro. A delicious meal at Shades Coffeeshop was followed by a lovely plastic cup of wine in my hotel room surrounded by drying bike gear. Ah, life is good!
And tomorrow, my Kentucky adventure continues!
Despite the fact that every weather report called for extensive rain, I was ready to ride! My goal for this ride, my first trip on the bike since the wreck 10 months ago, was to take my time, enjoy the adventure, and have a completely different outcome from the last one. To say the least, I was excited!
The destination for this, the first day, was Breaks Interstate Park, a park shared by the states of Virginia and Kentucky.
I took a chance and kept my rain gear packed in the saddle bags and hit the road. The day was overcast and just a little cool … in essence, a perfect day to ride. As I got closer to the park the roads became curvier and the traffic became more sparse. About four hours later and just a few miles before entering the park, I stopped at Mill Rock Point Overlook. A short 65 yard hike, and I was taking my first photos of the trip!
Shortly after that, I entered what is known as the “Grand Canyon of the South”. 200 million years ago the area was covered by a vast inland sea. Once the sea receded, the river that is now known as Russell Fork began the work of carving out an immense gorge, renowned as the largest east of the Mississippi.
I rode straight to the Visitors Center, and was immediately distracted by this historic log cabin.
It was while chatting with the woman at the Visitors Center, and hoping to quench my thirst, that I realized my first error in planning. There would be no traditional end of the day beer as there areNO ALCOHOL sales in the park! Ah well, at least I was able to enjoy a cold ice cream cone!
The park has several trails and I set off to hike a few of them. Most were less than a mile and all of them led to various views of the 5 mile gorge.
These images look similar but the clouds kept changing and I could not stop shooting!
It was 6 oclock in the evening and I met no one else on the trails and saw no one at the overlooks. Perfect!
From this vantage point, I was standing in Virginia and looking at both Kentucky and Virginia.
All I could hear was the sound of the river, the train, and hawks flying around overhead.
I had to chuckle as I came upon this sign and of course, ventured beyond.
After several hours of riding and a few hours of hiking, it was time to head to the lodge for supper. While I had to settle for unsweet iced tea, I thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant’s specialty of brown beans and cornbread. Time on the deck was the only dessert that I needed.
With the bike parked right outside my room, I settled in for the night. I managed to escape the rain this day, but I knew that there was a good chance I’d be riding in the rain soon.
Next Post: Onward into Kentucky
The day dawned and brought with it a hint of sun, a welcome change from the previous 3 days.
My plan was to travel over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Tucked between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, the Eastern shore is “defined by two elements: the fertile land and the water”.
I looked forward to going over the 17.6 mile Bay Bridge Tunnel and was happy to find that it had a visitors center and pier midway across the bay. Well you know me … I just had to stop and walk all the way out to the end of the pier before heading on my way.
It fascinates me that cars travelthrough a tunnel under the water in the break between the two rock edges.
Once back on the road, and knowing that I’d have much more time to explore the Eastern Shore the next day, I pushed on up to Bethany Beach, Delaware. After a short but wonderful visit with dear friends, I set out to explore a bit. On a borrowed bike, I hit a pretty bikeway which ultimately led me to the Indian River Inlet Bridge.
The view of the ocean and the Delaware Seashore State Park was beautiful.
Every bike ride should end with a cold beer, at least in my opinion, and I found that, and fish tacos, at Hammerheads Dockside. It was just the fuel I needed for the ride back over the bridge. After that, it was a quick visit to the beach and time to settle in for the evening.
The next morning, I was up early for the drive back down the Eastern Shore. I stopped in Cape Charles, a town founded in 1884 as the southern terminus of the New York, Philidelphia, and Norfolk Railroad. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this train town also boasts a water tower that looks like a lighthouse.
I found my way down to the bay and within minutes, I was out of my shoes, had rolled up my pants, and was enjoying the feel of the sand and the water.
The next stop was the Eastern Shore Wildlife Refuge. “Located at the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, this area is one of the most important avian migration funnels in North America. Each fall, like colorful clockwork, the refuge is the scene of a spectacular drama as millions of songbirds and monarch butterflies and thousands of raptors converge on their voyage south”.
In addition to photography, the refuge offers the visitor opportunities for fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, and education.
I wish I’d had a kayak with me this day!
All to0 soon, it was time to start the trip back home to the mountains. While disappointed to leave the water and marine life, it was time to get home to prepare for my first post-wreck bike trip.
Next Up: Kentucky
Gwynn’s Island is an island located in the Chesapeake Bay on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula. Just drive over this drawbridge and you are there.
Hopefully, you’ve seen my post Fresh From the Bay. This small community lives and loves the marine life. I’ve included this photo (credit the Gwynn’s Island Museum) because it offers such a great view of the island.
The Chesapeake Bay is a fragile economy and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the largest conservation organization dedicated solely to saving the Chesapeake Bay, has a mission to reduce pollution, improve fisheries, and to protect and restore natural resources such as wetlands, forests, and underwater grasses.
Before heading off to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and to Delaware, I wanted to share a few more images from 3 lovely days on this Island.
I hope you’ll find time to visit the Middle Peninsula someday … it really is worth the trip!
(You may be wondering why some of these images are watermarked and others are not … just a little Lightroom trouble today)
Next Up: The Eastern Shore and Delaware
… as Joe says, If you love B&W Photography, check out Monochromia and the group of photographers who participate in this blog.
Depsite the rain and cloudy skies that I encountered while riding through the hills and hollers of Kentucky, I was none the less, struck by the beauty of the area. Walking into the mist during an early morning hike in Breaks Interstate Park, I was surrounded by the quiet sounds of morning in the woods. The light coming through the trees let me know that the canyon was not too far off, but once I arrived, I had to use my imagination as to what lay before me. No disappointment though … just peace.
The return to work, and life in general, has so far been a barrier to sharing the tales of my recent travels. I will get it done, however, and I’ll hope you’ll come on over to Life on the Bike and Other Fab Things to ride those roads with me.
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