So I went to North Carolina last October but presciently waited until our local trees had a bad year before blessing you all with the colors of autumn that I found in that wondrous state. :) I actually had only booked a weekend getaway to be alone and meditate, of course bringing my camera just in case, and by the time the sun rose on my drive in through the Tennessee mountains I knew it was going to be just another photo trip with a five-minute meditation session tossed in somewhere.
It was the first weekend of October and in the Smokies and Blue Ridge Mountains, the leaves at the highest elevations turn first, and in many of my non-public photos you can literally see the line of demarcation from bursts of red and orange and gold to efforts of yellow and bright green. It was even better color than I’d encountered in 2020, which is saying A LOT.
It was really something, to be able to spend time just cruising the Parkway seeking overlooks at which to take in the carpet of color laying over the mountains.
The oranges in particular near Graveyard Fields and Craggy Gardens were so intense that this particular tree showed up on Instagram a dozen times over.
I hiked the Graveyard Fields trail, up a mile or so and then back down to the lower Falls. It was a sunny day, but I made it work.
I remembered to stop and take in the small details as well.
Mornings were foggy, misty, with a character that changed from minute to minute as the temperatures rose and the sun poked in and out of the clouds.
It really was an unforgettable trip. Even though I only had four days, I was able to make the most of it and I had ever so much fun. I even got to meet a lovely friend for the first time! So I have a lot to look forward to when I get back, although I may try a spring trip this time just to toss things up.
In exciting news, I have made a down payment on a Colorado wildflowers photo tour next July! Thank God they make people put money down and make an actual commitment, because they know people like me need that extra push. It’s going to be led by a Colorado native who now lives in North Carolina and gives photo tours for a living and he produces the most spectacular photos. You can follow him at @wncphototours. I can’t wait to go, and show you the results!
