Bristol Sign recognizing the City of Bristol in both Tennessee and Virginia. The sign spans State Street, so the sign has a half in each state.
On our recent adventure to Kentucky, Kathy & I decided to break up the drive by spending our first night in Bristol – but is Bristol in Tennessee or Virginia? As it turns out, it is a town in both Tennessee and Virginia!
Bristol Sign recognizing the City of Bristol in both Tennessee and Virginia. The sign spans State Street, so the sign has a half in each state.Paramount Theater on the Tennessee side of State Street in Bristol Tennessee
Many folks – including me for a long time – had always thought of Bristol as being in Tennessee. But the state line runs right down the middle of State Street, so the businesses on the north side are in Virginia while those on the south side are in Tennessee. And both sides of town have their own city government. Interesting!
Train Station, Bristol VirginiaTrain Station, Bristol Virginia
What attracted us to Bristol to cause us to decide to stop there? Well for one thing they have a very nice train station, and there is some interesting history in Bristol, particularly related to the early roots of country music. We made a quick overnight stop and managed to hit some of the highlights, and now we’re talking about a return visit, when we can spend some more time seeing more of what is there. It was a nice town to visit and we hope to get back there soon.
Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol VirginiaSun and shadows on a building along the Virginia side of State Street in Bristol VirginiaSun reflecting off windows onto the blank side of the building next door. On the Virginia side of Main Street in Bristol Virginia
Perhaps as self-compensation for not shooting as much as I’d like to do, it seems that I have been loading up on Fuji lenses. Every time I think I’m done I decide to buy “just one more.” And I’m perhaps just a little embarrassed to say that I am now up to 8. Yikes! I just recently I sprung for the 35mm 1.4 lens. Going a little bit counter to conventional thought (who, me?), I considered the newer and slightly less costly f2 version in favor of the somewhat dated but still quite worthy older model. I put it through some initial paces on a quick walk around town this past weekend. So far I must say I’m impressed and happy with the purchase.
Charlotte Transit Center in uptown Charlotte, North CarolinaOngoing construction in uptown Charlotte, North CarolinaRandom photos in uptown Charlotte, North CarolinaRandom photos in uptown Charlotte, North CarolinaRandom photos in uptown Charlotte, North CarolinaRandom photos in uptown Charlotte, North CarolinaSunset from our back yard
My buddy Paul has been documenting a strange phenomenon regarding shoes – sometimes pairs but occasionally single shoes – left unexplainably in strange locations. I have had my own sightings from time to time, and here is the latest. I have no idea what has happened to the owners of these shoes, but Paul’s theory – and I’m a believer – is that these poor folks have been abducted by aliens. No idea why the aliens don’t want the shoes – that remains a mystery!
Kathy & I spent a nice quiet weekend in the Waynesville, NC area last week. It was sort of a birthday celebration but was primarily an excuse to escape the Charlotte heat and get away to the quiet and cool of the mountains. We ate at a few of our favorite restaurants and explored a bit of the area, but mostly we “chilled.”
Remains of a former CCC camp along the Kephart Prong Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North CarolinaAlong the Kephart Prong Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
We had a nice hike in the Smokies along a quiet mountain stream, had a picnic lunch and spent some time at a few overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but nothing especially noteworthy.
Along the Kephart Prong Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North CarolinaAlong the Kephart Prong Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
At one point while sitting at a picnic table having lunch, one of us remarked at the number of people who come roaring into the parking area, race to the bathroom and barely have time for the car to cool down before they fire it up and race on to the next destination. Once in a while someone would “picnic,” which basically involved carrying their fast food container and half emptied “Big Gulp” over to a table, gobbling down some unrecognizable carbohydrate, then do the same hop back into the car and roar off thing.
Along the Kephart Prong Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North CarolinaTurks Cap Lillies along the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Rabb Knob overlook
We see the same thing happen at an overlook on the Parkway. We’ll be sitting in the car enjoying the quiet and the view, and car after car will drive in, stop without even putting the car in Park, stick an arm or a camera/phone out the window then drive off. Drive-by sightseeing!
Purple bee balm along the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Rabb Knob overlookYellow Coneflowers at Roy Taylor Forest overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway
One of us mentioned that – if they ever even took the time to notice anyone was there – these people would think we were crazy for just sitting around doing “nothing.” But what they fail to realize that “nothing” is actually “something,” but that too many people don’t bother to think about the benefits of just sitting and enjoying the view!
Kathy & I like to get out of town on weekends, especially taking advantage of some long holiday weekends to stretch our meager PTO (Paid Time Off) allotment. We did just that over July 4th, visiting (most of) our friends in Belhaven and Washington, NC. The towns were dressed up in their patriotic best, and we even managed to take in a parade. I’m saving the parade photos for another post and possibly even my SoFoBoMo project, but here are a few random photos from the weekend.
Fourth of July in Belhaven, North Carolina
With temperatures in the mid to upper 90s here in Charlotte we’ll be taking off again this weekend. The mountains are calling, as they say…. 🙂
Fourth of July in Belhaven, North CarolinaFourth of July in Belhaven, North CarolinaFourth of July in Belhaven, North CarolinaAlong Water Street in Belhaven North CarolinaRiver Forest Manor in Belhaven, North CarolinaFourth of July in Belhaven, North CarolinaFourth of July in Belhaven, North CarolinaFourth of July in Belhaven, North CarolinaRiver Forest Manor in Belhaven, North CarolinaFourth of July in Bath, North Carolina
Hudson’s Seafood, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
I was getting tired of my desktop wallpaper and decided it was time for something new. But then I had two photos I really liked and couldn’t decide. So guess what? Two for the price of one! 🙂
Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!
Hudson’s Seafood, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Ela’s Blue Water Grill, Shelter Cove, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Kathy & I recently spent a week at the beach in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Since we got back I’ve had so much going on that I haven’t had a chance to process and post any photos. I didn’t take many photos on the beach proper, but did take my camera with me to dinner and other outings. Here are a few picks from my first pass through the folder.
Shelter Cove, Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaShelter Cove, Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaShelter Cove, Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaShelter Cove, Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaPalmetto Dunes, Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaPalmetto Dunes, Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaPalmetto Dunes, Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaHudson’s Seafood, Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaHudson’s Seafood, Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaHudson’s Seafood, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Window and shadows in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina
My photo buddy Paul Lester and I got together earlier this month for an impromptu photo walk. We don’t do this often enough, but when we do it’s a real blast. There’s nothing like wandering around with a camera to exercise the creative muscles a bit.
Glass sculpture at a park in uptown Charlotte, North CarolinaMirrored mosaic in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina
While there are meetup groups and photowalks staged and sponsored by “celebrity” photographers, those are often large group activities. Paul & I are alike in that too many people makes it more of a cat herding competition than a photography activity. I’d say that 4-5 people would be the max for me.
Cemetery at Fourth Ward Park, Charlotte, North CarolinaShadow photos in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina
Paul lives on the south end of the county and I am at the north end. We met for breakfast down his way then drove to the light rail station for a ride into town. We ended up disembarking in South End, which is a neighborhood 1-2 miles south of “Uptown” then walked the rest of the way. After a few hours of wandering we boarded the train for the ride back to our respective cars.
Sculpture made of old tires in uptown Charlotte, North CarolinaAboard the CATS Blue Line light rail in Charlotte, North Carolinia
Paul has already posted an article about our walk on his own blog, and it’s always interesting to see what he saw and compare it to what I saw. I’m purposely leaving out photos that are from the same places as Paul’s, although I certainly have a few that look at lot like his! Instead I’m showing some photos that are things that he may have seen but that he hasn’t posted (yet!).
Colorful painting in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina
Ashe County Cheese Company, West Jefferson, North Carolina
We don’t get to do it as often as we might like, but Kathy & I enjoy taking day trips to places that are just an hour or two from home. We visited West Jefferson, NC a few weeks ago for the first time in several years, having previously visited to photograph the town for a magazine assignment.
Urban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North CarolinaUrban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North Carolina
West Jefferson is a nice mountain town, just busy enough to not be considered “sleepy,” but not as zoo-crazy as a place like Boone or Blowing Rock. Needless to say, that was one of the things we remembered about West Jefferson, and was one of the reasons we wanted to go back.
Urban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North CarolinaUrban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North Carolina
One of the notable things about West Jefferson is all of the murals on the sides of the buildings. The scenes are varied, but generally reflect the history of the town or are some kind of artistic or humanitarian expression. There are a number of interesting shops and art galleries, and even a photography gallery.
Urban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North CarolinaUrban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North CarolinaUrban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North Carolina
I naturally had my camera with me, and while many of my photos would not be considered “Chamber of Commerce” shots, I had fun finding the things I like to find and capturing them with my camera.
Three Locks Are Better Than One?
We found it an interesting place to spend the day, and ended up coming home via the Blue Ridge Parkway which crosses nearby. It was a nice place to visit and one we hope to return to again soon.
Urban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North CarolinaUrban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North CarolinaImpatient People May Not Park Here?Urban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North CarolinaUrban landscapes in downtown West Jefferson, North Carolina
Sunset on the beach, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
It’s been a little while since I posted, and I am working on getting caught up from a week at the beach. This is a photo from our visit to Hilton Head in February, and I’ll have some current photos from our most recent adventure real soon!
