Category Archives: North Carolina

The Majesty of Elk

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🦌 The Majesty of Elk: A Wildlife Dream Fulfilled

For those who’ve followed my adventures for a while, you know that wildlife photography is one of my greatest joys. There’s something magical about spotting animals in their natural habitat—no fences, no enclosures, just raw, untamed beauty. And among the creatures I’ve longed to see, elk have always held a special place in my heart.

lunch of yummy berries

cinnamon colored black bear- but not Elk Wyoming 2017= photo credit Deb Neumann

🌾 The Elusive Elk

My quest to find elk in the wild has taken me across the country. In South Dakota, I encountered prairie dogs, wild horses, and sweeping landscapes that felt like scenes from a nature documentary. Locals assured me elk were nearby, but they always seemed to be just out of reach—like shadows slipping through the trees.

prairie dog with flower- Photo credit Deb Neumann

In 2014, I ventured into the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. There, I finally spotted some elk, but the experience was bittersweet. The herds were tagged and monitored, their movements restricted. They looked subdued, almost domesticated. I had imagined proud, wild creatures echoing their haunting bugle calls through the valleys—but the silence was deafening.

North Carolina 2014- photo credit Deb Neumann

🍁 A Journey to Jackson Hole

I began to think I’d need to travel all the way to Banff National Park in Canada to find the elk I’d dreamed of. But in October 2017, I made my way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming—just in time for the great elk migration.

Elk Migration

Elk Herd Outside Jackson Hole 2017- Photo credit Deb Neumann

Although I missed the rut and the iconic bugling calls, I was in the right place at the right time. The elk were moving south from Yellowstone to the National Elk Refuge near Jackson Hole. And that’s when it happened.

👑 A Vision Realized

I finally saw them—my majestic elk. Towering bulls with massive antlers escorted graceful females across golden meadows. The herds were vast, the energy palpable. These elk were everything I had imagined: wild, proud, and breathtakingly beautiful.

A pair of Bull elk

Elk Bulls Oversee the Herd Wyoming 2017 – photo credit Deb Neumann

It was a moment years in the making, and one I’ll never forget.

Antler Arch in Town Sq. Jackson WY

Elk Horn Arch Jackson Hole- photo credit Deb Neumann

 

Natural Wonders of the USA Part 8

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More Natural Wonders

50 States so 50 wonders. We’re about 1/2 way through the list. Let’s see what we can get to today! 

27. Virginia – Great Falls

At Great Falls, the Potomac River drops 76 feet in less than a mile through a gorge that narrows from 1,000 feet wide to less than 100 feet through Mather Gorge. It is one of the steepest and most dramatic rapids of any eastern river. And there are ghosts near an abandoned canal. Don’t believe me? Check out Expedition X , season 3, episode 4, Ghosts in the Canal. 

Photo- Internet

28. New Jersey- Palisades Cliffs

I’ve been to New Jersey. I had an uncle that lived there plus I’ve been to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty but I’ve never considered Natural Wonders in New Jersey. 

The Palisades | bluffs, New Jersey and New York, United States | Britannica

photo- Encyclopedia Britannica

What’s the best way to view these cliffs?  A search rewarded me with  the suggestion of a scenic drive. I think I’d like to do a river float or boat ride to get the best view. I will have to continue searching.

29. Michigan – Sleeping Bear Dunes

During the Ice Age, continental glaciers spread southward from Canada repeatedly burying the area under ice. Those massive glaciers enlarged river valleys and carved out the wide, deep basins of the Great Lakes. They also created “Perched Dunes” which are dunes formed by glacial sands deposited on plateaus high above the shore. The Sleeping Bear Dunes are an easily accessible, beautiful example of this type of dune.

 

File:Sleeping Bear Dunes + S Manitou Is.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Photo – Wikimedia Commons

30. North Carolina – Pisgah National Forest

North Carolina is a beautiful state. I vacationed there. I stayed for a week in the Sapphire Valley. My explorations took me in and out of Pisgah National Forest. There had been a lot of rain so there were numerous rapids and waterfalls to photograph and enjoy. 

Photo – Internet

31. Georgia – Lookout Mountain

OK this one threw me. I’ve been to Georgia quite a few time both for work and pleasure. I’ve visited the Georgia Aquarium, ridden a Segway, and went to a mountain, just not Lookout Mountain. My visit was to Stone Mountain where we admired Gutzon Borglum’s Robert E. Lee carving. Borglum would then go on to carve Mount Rushmore.

Stone Mountain

Photo- Internet

Lookout Mountain is a different Mountain. 

Photo- Internet

Lookout Mountain features a spectacular view with a waterfall and pool right on the side of the cliff. Although swimming there is not recommended. It does look pretty spectacular.

 

Blue Ridge Parkway

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Blue Ridge Parkway

I’m batting  .500. Got to 1 waterfall and skipped the 2nd and it’s not even noon yet. I decided to use the afternoon to explore the Blue Ridge Parkway. I had passed a sign for the Parkway so I was probably pretty close, right? On vacation. What else do I have to do except explore? With that thought in mind I headed down the mountain to find the turn off to the Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway

 

The Blue Ridge Parkway was the first national rural parkway to be conceived, designed, and constructed for a leisure-type driving experience. The Parkway is the highest and longest continuous route in the Appalachian area. It has a total length of 469 miles! Lots of room to explore

Blue Ridge Parkway

Scenic Drives

I spotted the sign for the Blue Ridge Parkway at the bottom of a long grade. There was a gas station and souvenir shop on the corner. The left turn quickly became a winding, two lane road with deep ditches along the sides. A good sized stream  ran along next to the road. The stream tumbled over rocks and created rapids. I would get a glimpse here and there as the road wound though a series of tight curves and switch backs. It was beautifully scenic but there was no shoulder so no place to pull over for pictures. As I rounded another corner I spotted a pickup truck off the road. The right side was in the ditch, the undercarriage of the truck was on the side of the road and the left side of the truck was on the pavement. It was clear that truck was going no where without a tow!

Blue Ridge Parkway

Clouds and Haze

Blue Ridge Parkway

The drive to the Parkway was much longer than it appeared on the map. Of course if we went “as the crow flies” we could cut the distance in half. By the time I reached the turn off for the Blue Ridge Parkway the sun was hidden behind a layer of clouds. My sunny day had disappeared. Still this is beautiful country. The mountain range seems to go on forever. I grew up in the Adirondacks but there you see a mountain, here you see row after row of mountains. It’s a different perspective and it’s gorgeous even with clouds and rain moving in.  

Blue Ridge Parkway

 

Silver Run Falls

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Storm Damage

Storm Damage

It was quite a week here in SE Massachusetts. We had a Nor’easter blow through leaving thousands without power. Some places had winds over 100 miles per hour. And it’s still raining off and on so it’s slowed the clean up.  

Silver Run Falls

Silver Run FallsSilver Run Falls Trail

But Back to my North Carolina stories. I was not going to be discouraged.  The next morning I limped back to the car to search for the 2nd waterfall on my list- Silver Run Falls. Whitewater Falls was supposed to be in the same area. Maybe I could get a twofer.

I located the trail head to Silver Run Falls. There wasn’t much room to park, just a gravel shoulder at the side of the road. The trail was well marked but it started off down a hill. I knew this was going to hurt. It would hurt my knees going down and then it would be an uphill trek coming back out. I took a deep breath and took the plunge.

It wasn’t long until I could hear the falls but I couldn’t see it through all the foliage. Note to self- make the next trip later in the year after the leaves are off the trees.  
Just about when I was wondering how much longer my knees would hold up I saw a well made bridge ahead.  According to my directions I was getting close.

 

 

Silver Run Falls

The bridge was a brief respite  but then I was climbing the stairs at the end, The trail made a sharp turn to the right and then there were ROCKS! I wanted to cry. I could hear the roar of the falls but I couldn’t see it. There was a mine field of rocks to get over before I would reach a beach/sandy river bank. I’d come this far. I carefully placed my trekking poles and climbed over a couple of rocks. Just enough so I could see the falls. 

About that time a mother and her 4-5 year old came around the corner. The kid didn’t look twice at the rocks and just bounced over them to the sand bank. The young mother gave me a friendly hello as she easily followed her son to the water’s edge. 

I may have just been shown up by a 5 year old but at least I got a glimpse of the falls. 

Silver Run Falls

 

Cashiers

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Cashier'sIngles at Cashier’s

Now that I was checked in it was time to think about food. I’d skipped lunch since I wanted to locate the resort. Now it was dinner time and my stomach made it known that it was time to eat. I hadn’t seen any fast food restaurants since Bevard. I had a list of local restaurants that I was given at check in but I was warned that it was hard to get seating. Most were still only open with limited seating due to COVID and getting help was also an issue. So I decided to check out Ingles, the local supermarket. 

That turned out to be a good choice. The local Ingles was better stocked than my Hannaford in Taunton! I ws able to pick up everything I needed for my dinner and breakfast and some snacks and soft drinks. They had a great salad bar that included cheese stuffed meatballs in sauce. 

Cashier's

Cashier'sLand of 100 Waterfalls

I’m in an area known as the land of 100 waterfalls. I knew what I was going to do this vacation. With  my camera batteries  fully charged I headed out to locate some of these waterfalls. Right away I knew I was going to have a problem. My left knee was pretty swollen and I was limping badly. It must have been because of all the walking in the airports yesterday. I made sure I had my trekking poles and decided to give it my best shot. I had a list of falls they gave me at check in. Each of the falls had directions and a description. 

Cashiers Sliding Rock

My first waterfall was Sliding Rock. The notes describe the falls as having swimming holes above and below the falls. Parking is on the gravel shoulder. I hoped to wade into the lower swimming hole and shoot the falls from  the bottom. The whole walk to the falls was only supposed to be 150 yards. 

The trail was clear but it was rough. I had to step over logs and downed branches. When I got to the falls the stairs down were cement blocks but they had been undercut and didn’t look too stable. From the prints it looked like most visitors went down the muddy bank rather than use the stairs. Unfortunately with my knees that didn’t seem like a good idea. I took my shot from the top of the bank. No matter how I tried the foliage blocked most of the falls.

Cashier's