Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: Cherohala Skyway

March 18, 2014 /

A couple of Saturdays ago with our cameras and picnic bag in hand, we headed out the door for a fun-filled day to drive the Cherohala Skyway.

From Knoxville, Tennessee, we took I-75 southwest to the Sweetwater exit heading toward Tellico Plain on TN-68. Once there, we got on TN-165 where the byway begins. One of my favorite spots off the skyway is Bald River Falls.

Bald River Falls
Bald River Falls

The water was moving rapidly and the river littered with canoeist. Do you see the canoe resting near the bank? Car and people congestion was a real problem that day. The best place to take a picture is to the right of this photo, which you can’t see, on the other side of the bridge. However, there aren’t any parking spaces on that side and the water was splattering too much to risk getting nasty water on my camera and me. If you wanna see another shot, I snapped years ago, then click here.

Another beautiful spot off the skyway is Indian Boundary lake. Over the years, we have visited this tranquil picturesque area.  On the opposite side the lake, where I stood is where we started. There is a nice trail that circles the entire lake (approx. 3 miles). It was wonderful being outdoors to soak in the peaceful, ambiance. A visit here never disappoints us, melting away all cares of the world and look how the sun’s rays make the lake sparkle like a thousand tiny diamonds. Isn’t it simply gorgeous?

Indian Boundary Lake
Indian Boundary Lake

It goes without fail, every time we have spring-like weather, then motorcycle enthusiasts abound Tennessee scenic parkways creating more traffic than we care to enjoy, but who am I to deny them of the same pleasure? This is God’s country!

View from Cherohala Skyway
View from Cherohala Skyway

While I may not be a big fan of motorcycles, I do appreciate seeing an old classic car out for a joyride.

A classic ride
A classic ride

We had a couple of options for heading home after we drove the skyway. We extended the scenic wonder with our decision to go home by way of the Smoky’s. On US-441north in Cherokee, North Carolina just south of the visitors center near the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance we met a pleasant sight ~ elk!

Elk at dusk
Elk at dusk

Several years ago, the government re-introduced elk into the Smoky Mountain population. Ever since then the herds have grown and on rare occasions, we are fortunate enough to spot them. There must have been a dozen or two grazing along the roadside. Some of them would just walk out into traffic and stop. A smart-cracker driver began honking his horn scaring one of the elks. I thought sure as the world it would run head-long into a vehicle, but it didn’t. Another time an elk licked the headlight of a car, while it blocked on-coming traffic. We suspected it liked the road salt on the vehicle. It was a delightful experience to see such big animals in the wild.

Nearing the top of the Smoky’s on the North Carolina side, we pulled off to photograph the sun’s glow dipping over the edge of the mountains while we had light. Visibility was crystal clear, and you can see from this picture that we were able to see for miles.

Evening approaches in the mountains
Evening approaches in the mountains

A day trip for a quick getaway is always a welcome treat. Here’s hoping you enjoyed the views through a camera lens.

Sending a round of applauds and cheers to this week’s featured WW shutterbug, my good friend, Marie from Reading Challenge Addict.

Please, be kind enough to hop over to leave her place and show some love. Oh, yes…don’t forget to link up below to be considered for the photographer hotspot next week! 😉

 

To join other bloggers/photographers in today’s fun, scroll to the top of my Home page for Daily Blog Hops for more Wordless Wednesday communities! It’s so nice of you to come by and I hope you decide to make it a repeat visit to share in my photo ops. Wanna make me or someone else happy? Then, leave a comment! I’ll be hopping over to see you soon!

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