~ Vacation Time ~

April/May 2010

We signed up for a photography workshop in South Carolina and decided to make some additional stops now that we are on "retiree" schedules.

We left home on a Saturday morning and drove 3/4 of the way before stopping for the night in Hickory North Carolina.  We are not into what I call "marathon drives" but were pleased with how far we got.  At the motel we spotted a brochure for Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina and decided to stop in on our way to Pickens South Carolina.  We arrived at the park just after they opened for the day and decided to drive up in spite of the morning fog that was obscuring the view.  The fog eventually cleared.  Driving means taking the car UP to a gift shop which is still 26 stories below chimney rock.  Two choices from there.... walk up (a 200 foot climb on trails and stairs) or take the elevator.  We're not sure why, but a park employee looked at us and suggested the elevator up and perhaps walking down.  Sounded like a good idea so that is what we did.

After the workshop we decided to spend a couple hours in downtown Greenville South Carolina on our way out of the area.  Word was they had done a great job revitalizing the area so we wanted to have a look.  It was very very nice with lots of walking paths, gardens, walk bridges, and waterfalls.  Well worth the stop.

From Greenville we worked our way to Meadows of Dan in Virginia for the night.  Meadows of Dan was going to be our point of entry onto the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Nearby on the parkway is the highly photographed and painted Mabry Mill.  We arrived at the mill mid afternoon with a very bright sun shining on the scene which was perfect for infrared photography.  We came back later at dusk for a round of color photography during the "golden hour" and found the light was spectacular!  Also note, that we had the place to ourselves which is unique in itself.  We hear that the place is mobbed when the Fall color is out.

Our ultimate goal was to visit friends in Charlottesville Virginia.  We could have made the trip in a single day but decided to go half way and spend the night at the Peeks Of Otter Lodge.  This made for a very leisurely trip with ample time to stop and take some pictures.

The Peeks of Otter Lodge was a nice stop unto itself.  Every room had a view of the lake and there were trails all around it.  The grounds were picturesque and very pleasant.  We hiked the trail to a nearby farm as well as around the lake all the while thankful that we are still physically able to so.

While in Charlottesville, we toured Monticello, had lunch at Michie Tavern, then strolled around the University of Virginia campus.

A click on any of these images will get you a larger view as well as camera information.  Note that images taken with a Nikon D60 are Kathy's and images taken with a Nikon D300 or D80 are Joe's....

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