Cumberland Falls

We took a short, quick trip up to the Cumberland Falls. Cumberland Falls is in Kentucky and it is a real nice one day trip from Chattanooga.

The waterfall offers a real opportunity for some waterfall photography. There are several good overlook areas for some nice views of the waterfall.

There is a lower view and upper view and one right at the falls (don't get wet).
We were very lucky the day we were there the water was pretty clear and there was a good flow of water. I decided to take a shot slowing down the water and making it appear soft.

Red Clay State Park

We recently visited a state park nearby named Red Clay. Red Clay is a State Historic Park located in the southwest corner of Bradley County in Tennessee, just above the Tennessee-Georgia state line.
The park encompasses 263-acres and includes a natural landmark, the Blue Hole Spring, which arises from beneath a limestone ledge to form a deep pool that flows into a tributary of the Conasauga and Coosa River system, called Mill Creek. The spring was used by the Cherokee for their water supply during council meetings. Red Clay served as the seat of the Cherokee government from 1832 until the forced removal of the Cherokee in 1838. It was the site of the 11 general councils.

There is a monument in the park for the Cherokee, that houses the eternal flame of the Cherokee nation.

Chattanooga- Market Street Bridge

I got a great photo opportunity recently. In
Chattanooga there are several bridges that cross the Tennessee River, one of those bridges is the Market Street Bridge.

The Market Street Bridge was built as a counter weight style draw bridge and once in awhile they open this bridge. I was lucky enough to find out when it was scheduled to open and I didn't miss the opportunity to get some great pictures.

The weather was not what we had hoped for, it was rainy and overcast. But we got a few nice shots and kept the camera dry.

Fort Mountain State Park

We took a short trip last week to a new place we have never visited before. We had hoped for some spring flowers but the elevation was a bit too high and spring was not really in show.

We visited Fort Mountain State Park near Chatsworth, GA. The park is at an elevation of about 2,832 feet and spring has not quite made it to the top of this mountain yet. But we did find an interesting place.

At the top of this ridge stands an old fire tower, as seen in this photo, and a stone wall. The wall was built around 500AD, and the builders are not known with any certainty. There are many theories regarding who the original builders were but no one has made a concrete determination. It is thought either Native Americans built the wall or Price Madoc, a traveler from Wales may have built the wall on this mountain.

The photo of the firetower shown here, was taken in the afternoon and shows you how the trees have still not started to have any leaves or buds. We took the photo with the sun highlighting the front and at our backs. A good way to take advantage of natural light, the light at this time of day always makes for a decent photo.

Birds In the Snow Again

Well, here it is the 1st of March and it is snowing again! It is hard to believe in Chattanooga that the snow is falling once again. We rarely get snow of any real amount in Soddy Daisy but this year has been exceptional.

Here are the birds wondering what in the world is going on "Snow in March"

Sure is good for a few nice pictures.

Cades Cove Excursion

We just took a day trip over to Cades Cove, this is a part of the Smoky Mountains. Cades Cove is a gorgeous cove tucked away in the Smokies, where wildlife abounds and old cabins and barns are preserved.

We planned a little photo trip as we knew there was snow. We were not disappointed when we arrived, there was snow and it began to snow more while we were there. The day turned out perfect as the weather was not terribly cold, it was right around 25-31 degrees F.

Here is one of the pictures we took while on the loop around the cove. This is Carter Shields cabin, one of the most picturesque of all the cabins in the cove.

Winter Waterfall

We took a great winter photo trip a couple of weeks ago. I am just now getting around to checking out my pictures. We took a great picture of a frozen waterfall and I just wanted to share the winter beauty with everyone.

This is Bald River Falls, it is located in the Cherokee National Forest near Tellico, TN. This falls is beautiful in winter, spring, summer or fall. It had been very cold for several days and then we got a blanket of snow.