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| The Chimneys, Highway 441 in the Smokies |
George and I took our annual "Fall Colors" Trip to the Smoky Mountains and to the Cherohala Skyway on 10/19 and 10/20/2016. We go every Fall but this was one of our best years for the colors... We just got there at the right time this year... Pictures show the beauty --but in order to 'feel' it --you had to be there... It was almost surreal...
We started out at the Foothills Parkway where we hiked to Look Rock. Then we drove on Little River Road between Townsend and Highway 441... Next it was up the mountain on 441 --with many stops along the way. We also went to Clingman's Dome and hiked to the top (which we haven't done in many years).. The weather was perfect up there (clear as a bell) and the colors were magnificent. After Clingman's Dome --we got back on Highway 441 and headed down the mountain to Cherokee (where we saw the elk) and where we spent the night.
The next day (20th), we headed from Cherokee to Robbinsville, NC ---and then took the Cherohala Skyway to Tellico Plains, TN with a side trip to the Indian Boundary... After lots of stops and tons of pictures, we headed home... It was a wonderful short trip with marvelous Fall Colors everywhere we went.
Since I have been working on my blog headers for November, I just decided to expand that idea for you today... As you can see from all of the places we stopped, I will have many different pictures to show you from all of the different areas. But today, I'm focusing just on the areas around Highway 441 including Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome-- showing you some of the colors we saw... Hope you enjoy seeing the glorious mountains and colors as much as I do.
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| Not far from Clingman's Dome |
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| Beautiful Blue Sky in the background |
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| Late Afternoon sun was shining on the mountains near Newfound Gap |
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| Colors--colors--colors! |
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| Layers and layers of beautiful mountains |
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| More yellows on the top of the mountain --but the reds were evident! |
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| Miles and miles of colorful mountains |
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| See how the mountains were showing off their colors? Awesome. |
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| I love this one with the reds in front! |
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| A beautiful day in a beautiful place! |
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| This is in the area of great overlooks on the North Carolina side ---beyond Newfound Gap. |
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| Two very happy people enjoying the Fall Colors on the Clingman's Dome Road |
Hope you enjoyed seeing 'our' Smokies as much as we enjoyed taking pictures to share...
There are a couple more pictures on my Photo Blog if you want to see them... Click
HERE to see them.
Hope you are enjoying Fall.. As you know, we've had a rough patch here in our area of Tennessee (due to the excessive heat and the drought)... SO--it was wonderful getting to see the beautiful Fall Colors in the Smokies, and just to get away for a couple of days!!!!
Hugs,
37 comments:
Looks lovely!
Hello Betsy, gorgeous views of the fall colors and the Smokies! Looks like a wonderful trip! Happy Tuesday, enjoy your day!
Awesome pics...
Breathtaking beauty. I can see why you love living there but I can still remember how cold it was when we climbed up to Clingman's Dome.
WOWEE !!!!!!!! How beautiful is that! I've never seen photos like yours, no wonder people flock to the mountains or wherever they can see the fall colors.
My husband and I went to Gatlinburg TN for the beginning of our honeymoon in Sept. 1969, but the colors hadn't started yet. I love the Smokies anyway though. Then we were up in the mountains in Highland in the summer of 2006, stayed in a cabin for a week and I fell in love with the beauty all over again.
Thank you for sharing and have a great week and happy fall ~ FlowerLady
Breathtaking! Thanks for stopping by my blog. It was fun "meeting" you! Jackie
Looks like the perfect loop to make for seeing tree color. Great shots as always.
We drove almost the same route on our recent trip! Glad you got to see the elk near Cherokee, did you know one of the bulls from the Cataloochee herd has showed up in northern South Carolina? Biologists say he'll be headed back to NC to mate, but who knows - he might bring a family back our way!
You got some truly great pictures of the mountains and that glorious color. We couldn't have picked a better time to make the trip.
Amazing, Betsy! You truly hit the colors at their peak. We were a tad too late for that, but it was still beautiful for our visit.
Anual trip to that those beautiful mountains? Oh, how I would like to do it sometimes... The color of the trees at this time of the year is something from another wolrd, isn't it?! Your pictures are very beautiful Betsy, so as you!
Have a nice week!!!
Bia
www.biaviagemambiental.blogspot.com
Sure is pretty!!!
Wow and super Wow! You must have hit the prime time for colors. Love all the different bright reds, oranges, and yellows mixed with green.
Wow, just beautiful. How nice to finally see fall colors if only second hand. We are enjoying various shades of brown here with only a few bright specimen trees in someone's yard. Thanks for letting us see what it can be.
Gorgeous! And I do like the small touches of red here and there, a preview of what's to come! You and George must know every mountain, waterfall, cabin, and cave for over a hundred miles around!
Wow! Your photos are stunning, Betsy. The colors are glorious!
Those colors are breathtaking. Would love to see them one day. Hope you are well. It has been busy here and I've been sick so I haven't been on blogger much but I think of you and the George often:) Plus I find myself, like you, on FB more. Hugs from Tucson!
Hi, Sure miss the mtns. But enjoy seeing them through your lenses.
Those colors are amazing! You are so blessed to live close to seeing the colors like that every year. Thank you for sharing with us.
Blessings,
Betsy
Glorious simply glorious.
The colours are amazing and I do like the one you've included of 'two very happy people'
Happy November Wishes
All the best Jan
Hi Betsy. All I can say about these photos is WOW!
Those colours are amazing.As I said on FB,we don't have many trees that show the reds, at least not in the wild.Some yards have shrubs that turn redoubt the mix of red and yellow is just stunning.Love your pictures.
It is obviously spectacular being there during the fall colours!
Wow! The colors changed there before they did in the Virginia mountains. We were on Skyline Drive today and the colors are at their peak in the north section. The central section probably peaked a few days earlier. Autumn is late this year by at least a week, maybe too.
Betsy, your photos are simply awesome! The colors, the scenery...just magnificent! I'd love to see all that sometime. You and George are blessed to live close enough to see so many beautiful and interesting sights. Our color hasn't been the best here this year, either. It's been too warm. I had the a/c on today! Have a nice week, my friend!
The views of the autumn coloring are magnificent. Once again this is been a wonderful trip for you both
WOW! Amazing! All the shots looks beautiful with colorful leaves and plants all around...
MERCY! Betsy!--those are sure some gorgeous pictures! So glad y'all got to go and wow, isn't the scenery just outstanding there? I CANNOT EVEN pick a favorite picture because they are all just stunning. Do you have a favorite? Are y'all planning any more fun trips soon?
The colorful mountains are mesmerizing... the reds in-between enhances the richness of colors. Glad you enjoyed the fall colors in your favorite smokies and checking the place at the right time/season should felt wonderful! Loved all the pics
Betsy, Wow! The fall colors are so much more vivid than they are here...down in the drought stricken south valley. Thanks for the tour! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Always love the beautiful photos you posted here, Betsy. I can have "arm Chair travelling" looking through these :)
Hi Betsy, I have family in TN - as you already know - what a beautiful area. You are a talented photographer. Hope you have a wonderful November! Jackie
Wow…look at that unbelievable color. Just stunning.
Fall colors are the prettiest, don't you think? I just love that warm feeling it gives me every time I look at it.
The colors in your photos are so bright and vivid, it almost looks like they're fake. GORGEOUS!
I love the pic of you and your sweetheart; so glad you had a nice little 'escape'.
Oh my! Such gorgeous colours and scenery.
Oh, my, Betsy. These are too beautiful for words! You know, I still miss being able to look at the mountains during the fall.
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