Author: Michael Glover

Lufty Baptist Church

/ Michael Glover / 29 Comments

Just inside the park boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is a church that up until my last visit, I had never even seen before. Perhaps because of the foliage on the trees during the different times of the year? Maybe. Who knows for sure. On this particular occasion, the trees were bare. I spotted the church to my right way up on the hillside. I had to turn around and come back to a side road that went in that direction. With the church now in front of me, I found a small parking area to stop and get out. As I ascended the hill, the tall building loomed overhead blending very well into the surrounding forest. The small wooden sign next to the pathway stated that this was Lufty Baptist Church. Established in 1836. Reconstructed in 1912. It is in an area of the park known as Smokemont, on the North Carolina side. Although the church was closed in 1939, it is open to park visitors who wish to see the inside.

To enjoy a larger view, please click on the image below!

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and I encourage you to join the conversation by writing your thoughts below as I truly like to hear from all of my visitors! 🙂

 

The Old Homestead

/ Michael Glover / 26 Comments

In the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, there is a place where time has stood still. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a 6 mile one way loop road that will take you on a journey through lush forest and flowing mountain streams. Along the way you will find 2 waterfalls, grist mills, log cabins, and other historic buildings. Your senses of sight and sound will become overloaded. Around every bend there is something to see and rushing water can always be heard. Nature is at peace here. Different types of wildflowers bloom throughout the seasons to add splashes of color here and there.

The subject of this photo is known as “Jim Bales Place.” This charming piece of property has been preserved for future generations to enjoy. It is just one of many stops to get out and stretch your legs and enjoy the surroundings.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and I encourage you to join the conversation by writing your thoughts below as I truly like to hear from all of my visitors! 🙂

 

Linden United Methodist Church

/ Michael Glover / 13 Comments

On my April 18th post I presented a picture of a nice country road I came across in my travels. This time I bring you the church I was headed to. With a peaceful country setting, this is the Linden United Methodist Church in Sumter County, Florida. This one has been on my subject list for awhile and I finally got around to shooting it. The lighting was pretty nice this day and the sky was providing me with lots of clouds. I really love the architectural styling of the older churches. I walked around for a few minutes looking at the different angles trying to decide how I wanted to shoot it. The trees with the flowing moss really seemed to set it off. The sunlight reflecting off of the clouds directly over the church just added to the scene.

I hope you enjoyed viewing today’s post. Please feel free to leave any comments you might have as I really like hearing from my visitors!

Please click on image to view a larger version!

 

Makes Me Wanna Take a Back Road

/ Michael Glover / 14 Comments

While out for a leisurely drive this past Sunday, I encountered this country dirt road. I was actually headed to a church I wanted to photograph just beyond this, but I found this very intriguing.  Draped over the road, the moss covered branches dancing in the wind caught my eye. There was an air of mystery about as to where the road might lead. The Rodney Atkins song “Take A Back Road” came to mind and seemed like a fitting title.

I hope you enjoyed viewing today’s post. Please feel free to leave any comments you might have as I really like hearing from my visitors!

The Falls Behind The Trees

/ Michael Glover / 29 Comments

Today’s post brings a different kind of view of a waterfall. Let me just say that I am a huge fan of waterfalls. I have seen a lot of them, some more than once. And while nothing beats seeing one up close, sometimes it’s interesting to get another perspective. With that said, I present to you Toccoa Falls.

This beautiful waterfall is somewhat hidden in this picture. If you look behind the trees on the left you will see a waterfall that has a vertical drop of 186 feet. This view in particular is from the parking area. The sound of the rushing water leads to the excitement of actually taking in the visual. A short walk up a beautiful pathway is all that is required to get to the base of the falls. The water flowing over the rocks grabbed my attention as I noticed the falls in the background.

Toccoa Falls is located on the campus of Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, Georgia. For some history behind this scenic location you can view this article on wikipedia.