smoky mountains national park

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! 🙂

 

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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! 🙂

 

Abrams Falls

/ Michael Glover / 17 Comments

Today’s post is of an image I took last year in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Smokies have to be my favorite place to visit. Everywhere you look there is something to photograph! 🙂 If you are a nature lover this is like Heaven. With so many trails to hike on it takes some time to really see it all. And speaking of hiking, to get to this waterfall takes a 5 mile round-trip. But it is so worth it. To get here you first have to enter Cade’s Cove, which is an exciting adventure all by itself. But once you get close to the start of the trail, you just don’t want to turn back. The trail is next to the river in some parts and surrounded by lush forest. The day I chose to go, the fog was really thick. Of course that just made it more enchanting to walk through the woods. When I arrived at the falls, I was awestruck at the beauty before me. While it’s certainly not one of the tallest waterfalls around, it definitely can hold it’s own. The pool at the bottom leads your eyes right to it with the rocky textures all around. This is a place where you can spend a lot of time just enjoying what’s around you. I actually found it a little difficult to concentrate on taking pictures because I didn’t want to miss out on seeing all the beauty in nature that was there. But I was able to divide my time to enjoy the whole experience. This day reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Info from the web: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/waterfalls.htm

Abrams Falls
Although Abrams Falls is only 20 feet high, the large volume of water rushing over falls more than makes up for its lack of height. The long, deep pool at its base is very picturesque. The waterfall and creek are named for Cherokee Chief Abram or Abraham whose village once stood several miles downstream.

The trail to the falls traverses pine-oak forest on the ridges and hemlock and rhododendron forest along the creek. The hike is 5 miles round-trip and considered moderate in difficulty.