Keep swinging

My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.
--Hank Aaron (born 1934)

With all the talk about Barry Bonds, I thought I'd put up a great Hank Aaron quote. I'm not a fan of Bonds -- but the one thing I like about all this attention on the home run record is that it's shining a light on the accomplishments of Hammerin' Hank. The more I see about him, the smaller Bonds looks in comparison.

Click to enlarge this photo of Mark Dolenc of the Elizabethton Twins taken Sunday at Joe O'Brien Field in Elizabethton, TN. This is great place to catch a game -- it's a fun atmosphere and the Twins are in first place in their Appalachian League division. Click here to see a website that ranks major and minor league baseball stadiums.

Through the eyes of a child

If I could see the world,
Through the eyes of a child.
What a wonderful world this would be.
There'd be no trouble and no strife,
Just a big happy life.
With a bluebird in every tree.
--Patsy Cline (1932-1963)

Liberty!

Each July at Sycamore Shoals in Elizabethton, TN the excellent outdoor drama "Liberty!" takes place.  The size of the cast and their dedication and professionalism is so impressive. "Liberty!" tells the story (actually many stories) of Fort Watauga during the Revolutionary War period. Click here and here for more information.

These photos are from the 2013 performance of Liberty.

Click here to see photos from another reenactment, "Muster at Fort Watauga."

Laurel Falls

This is probably the most popular, and arguably the most spectacular, waterfall in northeast Tennessee. But it's not necessarily the easiest to get to. The most popular route is to hike in from the top. It is a beautiful 1.2 mile trail that is level for much of the way with the first part actually following an old railroad bed. But the last quarter mile goes straight down. They've done a great job putting in stone steps all the way to the bottom, but it's still a difficult descent and a strenuous hike going back up. I was very surprised to see some folks down at the falls wearing flip-flops and carrying babies, they must be much more sure-footed than I (which actually isn't saying too much!). I'd recommend a good pair of hiking boots and on a hot day, a bottle or canteen of water. The 55' waterfall (also known as Laurel Fork Falls) is powerful and stunning after some heavy rains. As I mentioned, this one is popular, so I'd recommend starting out early and/or going on a weekday if possible. The other trail to the falls, which starts from just north of Hampton, TN, is described here. Click here to learn more about the Laurel Fork Railroad. Click here and here and here for more information and discussions about this popular waterfall.

Directions: Hampton, TN is located between the cities of Elizabethton and Roan Mountain on Highway 19E. Once in Hampton, turn north onto route 321/67 toward Mountain City. Drive 0.8 miles and turn right immediately in front of the Citizen's Bank onto Dennis Cove Road. Take this incredibly curvy and steep road for exactly 4 miles to a parking area and trailhead on your left. From here, begin your hike on the main trail on your left (which is actually the AT -- look for the white slashes on the trees. The smaller trail on your right meanders through some camping areas).  Click here for map.

Here's a really good video of the hike into Laurel Falls on the AT from Dennis Cove.

This video is also well done, describing the hike and giving some good photography tips.

Blue Ridge

Yea for the rain clouds that have settled in over our little corner of Appalachia this week. Woo hoo!

I found a helpful online tutorial/video that walks you through the steps to make a signature stamp in Photoshop -- click here if you're interested. [click photo to enlarge]

Click here for a post listing all there is to see and do on Unaka Mountain.

Steele Creek Park Falls

I'm not sure if this waterfall has an official name. I came across one reference online to "Spillway Falls" -- which would make sense since it exists only when the water in Steele Creek Park Lake is high enough to flow over the spillway next to the dam. The easiest way to get to the dam and these falls is to enter the enormous, 2,000 acre Steele Creek Park through Rooster Front Park, a small park with playground and tennis facilities, and a trail head that connects with the extensive network of trails within Steele Creek Park. It's a short 0.3 mile walk to the falls above.

Directions. Rooster Front Park is located off of Vance Drive which makes a loop with highway 19/11E. Coming from the intersection of Route 394 and Highway 19/11E west of the Bristol Motor Speedway, take 19/11E for 4.4 miles, turn left onto Vance Dr. and drive 0.6 miles to the park on your left. If you're coming in from the north: From State Street, drive 1.3 miles south on 19/11E and turn right onto Vance Dr., continue on Vance for 2.4 miles, the park will be on your right. For directions to the main entrance of Steele Creek Park, click here. For trail maps, click here.

"Buddha"

Happiness is a warm puppy.
-Charles M. Schulz

Along Route 107

I didn't bother planting a single tomato plant this spring. From the looks of things on this farm in Washington County, TN, that's okay. Fields like this are a common sight on Route 107 between Erwin and Greeneville, TN. It's a beautiful drive to take any time of year -- but as an added bonus right now, there are lots of produce stands along the way for us non-gardeners.

Directions: Take I-26 to the Erwin/Jonesborough exit #37. At the end of the ramp, turn west (away from Erwin) and take State Route 81/107 west for 6.5 miles, then turn left to stay on Rt. 107, to see some beautiful countryside, and to reach some produce stands. While you're out that way, consider visiting Sill Branch Falls, Pine Ridge Falls, or the Horse Creek Recreation Area.

Simply Summer

We struggle with the complexities and avoid the simplicities.
-Norman Vincent Peale

[Kids playing in front of the 125-year-old Elizabethton Covered Bridge on the newly re-constructed weir dam on the Doe River. I used a fast shutter speed to catch the kids' splashing, so in order to get the waterfall to look softer and to bring out the Norman Rockwellish aspects of the scene, I experimented with the 'accented edges' filter in Photoshop.]

Setrock Falls

The above picture (taken yesterday) of Setrock Creek Falls outside of Busick, NC does not do it justice. This summer's drought has reduced many of our area's great, roaring waterfalls to slow, pathetic trickles. Click here to see a photo of Setrock during periods of high flow and you will see that this 55 foot, zig-zag waterfall needs to be on your list of places to visit if you're ever in the Mount Mitchell area of North Carolina. Setrock is in close proximity to two other wonderful falls: Roaring Fork Falls and Crabtree Falls.

From the Blue Ridge Parkway...exit the parkway at mile 344.1 (Buck Gap) and head north for 2.2 miles on Route 80, turn left on South Toe River Road. Continue straight toward Black Mountain Campground, the road will eventually turn to gravel. At 2.2 miles, you will reach a fork in the road, bear all the way to the right, and drive an additional 0.7 miles and park at the hiker parking area of the campground. From here, walk across the bridge and turn left at the bathrooms toward "Briar Bottom Creek." You'll soon come to trail to your left marked with a trail sign that says "Briar Bottom Bike" -- take it. After a short ways, you'll cross a long, wooden bridge. On the other side, take the trail marked "Setrock Creek" to your right. You'll cross back over the road and continue straight to the falls. Total distance one way: 0.45 miles.

This Week's Poll: Best NC Waterfall

This week's poll asks, which waterfall is best in western North Carolina. Admittedly, I haven't seen all there is to see in western NC -- so if I've missed your favorite, please leave a comment below! As Transylvania County, NC is known as the "Land of Waterfalls" with its 260 falls, let's save those for a different poll covering just Transylvania County waterfalls. Click on the falls below to learn more about them...

Crabtree Falls
Elk River Falls
Linville Falls
Roaring Fork Falls
Setrock Creek Falls
Upper Creek Falls

Update 2...This week's results...a tie between Crabtree and Elk River Falls!

Update 1...By the way, the results of last week's poll are in -- and surprisingly Jones Falls narrowly beat out the Blue Hole and Laurel Falls to claim the best waterfall to visit in northeast TN. Hopefully we'll continue to get some rain, which will make trips to all of these falls worthwhile. Thanks to those who voted!

To Pick More Daisies

If I had my life to live over, I'd try to make more mistakes next time. I would relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I know of very few things I would take seriously. I would be crazier. I would be less hygienic. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers and watch more sunsets. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I am one of those people who live sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I have had my moments, and, if I had it to do over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead each day. I have been one of those people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had to do it over again, I would go places and do things and travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefooted earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would play hooky more. I wouldn't make such good grades except by accident. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I'd pick more daisies.

--Don Herold (1889-1966)

[I took this shot earlier this week on a bald on Unaka Mountain in Unicoi County, TN. If you're into nature/ wildflowers/ photography, then I really recommend the short hike I describe here. It's probably no surprise that this photo has been tweaked a bit. I used the the highlights/shadows feature in PhotoShop to bring out the background without overexposing the daisy, then softened the scene, and finally, sharpened it again (oddly enough). This is a favorite quote of mine, it's something I often need to be reminded of, and I've been saving it for just the right picture. I hope this post inspires you to play hooky and to photograph more daisies!]

Fun Fest at Bays Mountain

Fun Fest, on now through Saturday. For this week admission to the amazing Bays Mountain Park is free. Another favorite is the "Taste of Tri-Cities" being held from 4pm to 9pm in Memorial Park. Click on the Fun Fest link above for details and a list of other events.
One of the Tri-Cities most popular summer festivals is Kingsport's

The Bays Mountain website says that the best time to see the gray wolves, like the one above, is in the early morning or late evening. The summer hours at Bays are: Mon.-Sat. 8:30am - 8pm., Sunday 1pm - 8pm. Four wolf pups are being introduced to Bays Mountain this summer, see their website for some cute pics!

[This is a photo I took in February -- it seems I've already posted all my most recent pics of Bays Mountain, click here to see them and then scroll down]

Grove Arcade

Edwin Wiley Grove, the visionary who created the Grove Park Inn, also conceived a new retail establishment for Asheville, NC which he hoped would be "the most elegant building in America." The Grove Arcade is certainly a unique shopping destination with its marble floors, skylights, spiral staircases, arches, gargoyles, and Gothic ornamentation. It served as a retail outlet from its completion in 1929 until 1942 when the federal government took over to house government offices displaced by the war effort. It was not until 2002 that the Grove Arcade was returned to its former glory and intended purpose -- offering a most elegant setting for a wide variety of restaurants and shops. For more on the Arcade's history, click here and here.

Hours and Directions: The Grove Arcade is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. -6 p.m. and noon - 5 p.m. on Sundays. Restaurant hours may vary depending on the establishment. For directions, click here.

Ghost Flower

This unusual, waxy plant is native to shady, rich woods from June to September in nearly all temperate areas of North America. Its common name is Indian Pipe, but it has many other names: Ghost Flower, Ice Plant, Fairy Smoke, and my favorite, Corpse Plant. It gets these spooky names from its white, translucent color -- and because it turns black with age and when picked. Lacking chlorophyll, it is a non-photosynthetic plant, which means it's not dependant on light, but gets its nutrients from a wood-rooting fungi. For more information and some neat pics, click here.

There was no way of getting around laying on the forest floor for this picture. Carrying a garbage bag along with my camera equipment to use as a tarp has been helpful for this task. The bug's eye perspective gives some interest to what might otherwise be a boring shot. I have usually found that it's worth the extra effort to get a different angle on a subject. I used a large aperture (f/3.3) in order to minimize the depth of field and separate the plant from its environment -- with the hope of drawing more attention to its unique characteristics.

Tipton-Haynes

In the shadow of Buffalo Mountain lies one of the earliest settlements in this area. The home at Tipton-Haynes State Historical Site in present-day Johnson City, TN belonged to three prominent Tennessee statesmen: John Tipton (1730-1813); John Tipton Jr. (1769-1831); and Landon Carter Haynes (1816-1875). The museum, exhibits, buildings and grounds trace the history of the Native Americans and the earliest settlers to the area, the fascinating history of the "Lost State of Franklin," and the growth of Tennessee, as well as the Civil War period. Located on the grounds is a cave which tradition says Daniel Boone camped. To read more about the history of Tipton-Haynes, click here and here. For directions, click here.

Gospel finger painting

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees, and flowers, and clouds, and stars.
--Martin Luther

Another amazing sunset last night. The sky in this photo looks unreal, but besides some minor color balancing and vignette correction, this is how it appeared!

Saturation

Nature is saturated with deity.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82)

[Photo of Unicoi Baptist Church taken last night]

Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway's 469 mile scenic roadway meanders through Appalachia connecting the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in North Carolina with the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Work on the parkway began in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and continued until 1968 when all but the stretch around Grandfather Mountain in NC was completed. It was not until the completion of the Linn Cove Viaduct in 1987 that the entire parkway was officially dedicated, fifty two years after construction had begun. Click here and here to read more about the parkway's history.

Above: Rosebay rhododendron in bloom along the parkway (taken last weekend).

This Week's Poll: Best TN Waterfall

This week's poll asks which waterfall in northeast Tennessee is best. Click on the links below to see pictures of the listed falls and to read more about them. (Results of poll listed in parentheses)
Blue Hole (25%)
Jones Falls (29%) *
Laurel Falls (21%)
Red Fork Falls (11%)
Rock Creek Falls (0%)
Sill Branch Falls (7%)
Other (7%) - Elk River Falls, and Margarette Falls (1 vote ea.)

Milligan College

As a Christian liberal arts college, the mission of Milligan College is "to honor God by educating men and women to be servant-leaders." And they have been doing just that since 1866. The above scene along Buffalo Creek welcomes visitors to the beautiful 181 acre campus located outside of Johnson City, TN.

Seeing Spots

This ladybug found the perfect hiding place among the spots of the Turk's Cap Lily. This unique-looking flower is found from July to September in wet meadows and roadside ditches throughout much of Appalachia.

Linville Falls

Kevin Adams, in his excellent guide "North Carolina Waterfalls," gives Linville Falls a Beauty Rating of 10 out of 10. It's one of the most visited and photographed falls on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Located at mile #316.5 on the parkway, views of the 45 foot tall waterfall can be had from two available trails, an upper trail (Erwin's View Trail) and a lower "plunge basin" trail. The upper trail is the easier of the two -- but is still listed as "moderate" in difficulty. A bridge just past the gift shop/restroom area leads across the Linville River and to your first stop above the falls. From there the path gets more steep but you are rewarded with great views of the falls from Chimney View Overlook and Erwin's View Overlook.

The lower trail or "plunge basin" trail begins to the left of the visitor's center. Eventually the trail will split, the right fork taking you to the 'plunge basin overlook,' and the left fork taking you down to the bottom of the falls, called the 'plunge basin.' This trail is listed as difficult because of its steepness and its difficult footing over roots and rocks. The view is great from any of the overlooks mentioned, but my favorite is the view from the plunge basin (pictured above).

A much smaller waterfall, Dugger's Creek, is located at the end of the parking area and is best viewed in the spring or after a heavy rain.

Click here to see another photo from a different vantage point, and to see a map of the falls.

Click here and here to see more pictures and to read other descriptions of the area.

The Land of Lincoln

As much as I insist that family and friends come here to visit me, occassionally my treks take me away from AppalacSpringfield, Illinois, which is a great place to visit. I lived there for a time in the early 1990s and fell in love with the city and its history. In addition to the beautiful Illinois State Capitol (dome pictured above) there are Lincoln sites everywhere... his home, law office, the depot where he bid farewell to his friends, the old capitol where he served, and his tomb where he, Mary Todd and three of their four sons are buried (pictured left and below). I don't have photos of the newest Lincoln attraction...the amazing Lincoln Presidential Museum, no trip to Springfield is complete without visiting this exceptional museum.

If you can't make it to Springfield, there is a wonderful Lincoln Museum right here is Appalachia! Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN is home to the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum. The Cumberland Gap Tunnel is nearby and offers a visitor's center, nearby park and trails.

Bass Lake Waterlilies

Red, White, and Blue

Have a happy 4th of July!
--Mark

Bristol Motor Speedway

Appalachia would be complete without a stop at the Bristol Motor Speedway? When I visit Illinois where I grew up and people ask me where I'm living, it doesn't do any good to say I live near Johnson City or Kingsport or Boone. But they have heard of Bristol. Twice each year 160,000 race fans make their pilgrimage to Bristol, TN to experience the roar and excitement of the "World's Fastest Half-Mile." With all those seats, you'd think tickets would be easy to get -- but Bristol is considered the "toughest ticket in NASCAR." Even if you can't make the race, you can still experience the speedway by taking a tour of the facility (only five dollars!), which includes a look inside owner Bruton Smith's luxury suite high above, a lap around the track with its 36 degree banks, and a run down the nearby dragway known as "Thunder Valley." If you're ever in the area, stop by and experience "racin' the way it ought'a be."
What trek through

Crown Vetch

Covering roadside slopes all over the Eastern U.S. is a plant called crown vetch. Its dense growth prevents weeds and stops ground erosion. A close look reveals that its flower is also quite beautiful. And yet while this all sounds good, the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council lists this plant as a "significant threat" because of its tendency to crowd out native plants.

Water Shield

A closeup of the floating "water shield" plant at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport, TN.