August 15, 2021 – A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens

Waterfalls were supposed to be the destination for stops along the Blue Ridge Parkway on our last day. Nearby Brevard County, NC has dozens of waterfalls, but we had been away for quite a while and if we were to go there we wanted to spend lots of time, so we settled on the falls that were right on the parkway as we continued south. Only there was a detour that took us past Linwood Falls without being able to stop, a big disappointment. But Looking Glass Falls made up for it.

The view from the road was certainly nice, but I had to go down the steps for a closer view.

Not the biggest waterfall ever, but the weather was rainy off and on so we were glad for this opportunity for a few shots.

Sometimes having other people around makes a place seem even more special, and on this day a few more hardy souls were braving the rain to come to the falls.

And when I looked upstream I discovered yet another unexpected photo shoot happening. This time a pregnancy shoot. Not a great picture but it’s the best one I got.

We stopped to see a rocky stream along the way.

As we ascended yet another steep drive up, with lots of twists and turns, we encountered mirrors along the way to make those hairpin turns a bit safer.

And then there it was, way up high, Chimney Rock. Seeing the walkway I knew I was going to have to go up for the view. And discovering that there was an elevator was a happy surprise.

Zooming a little closer, because I could.

Lest you think there was a nice, level patio of sorts to stand on and enjoy that view. Nope, it was impossible to approach the railing at the sides without climbing over lots of rocks, so I just stayed put and got what shots I could.

This is the view of the tunnel that leads to the elevator. The signage along the walkway tells you that if you are standing in line at this spot your wait will be 30 minutes, etc. On that rainy day there was no wait at all. When I reached the elevator I turned to take this shot.

Somewhere in this trip we found a cliff-side overlook, where, we were told, they held events that allowed people to become certified to paraglide. (I hope that’s the right term.) For the life of me I couldn’t see down the cliff, try as I might for a photo. The feature photo was from this same area. Spending a few days traveling those very scenic roads was a pleasure, not only for a photographer, but for anyone who appreciates nature in all it’s glory.