At a mile high, it's fun to watch small airplanes, such as this one, buzz around the top of the mountain. Sometimes, the planes will even fly below you. This one made several runs directly over the top of the mountain, where we were relaxing, before heading off.
This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.
This well-restored Willys USAF Jeep is on display at the Aviation Museum at Robins Air Force Base in Warner-Robins, Georgia. You usually see original Jeeps in their matte Army Olive Drab color but this one looked striking in a glossy USAF blue.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
I never get tired of this sunrise! This is the morning view off the back deck of Slopeside on Beech Mountain. We were up there last weekend and the leaves were just beginning to start changing colors. It's a great time of the year to visit the mountains!
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
This is the intersection of Camden and S. Tryon in South End. It's amazing how this area has grown since we first moved to South End in 1999. It'll be sad to see the block of buildings in the middle — former home to the beloved Common Market — when they get torn down but I guess that's the price of progress.
This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.
Linville Falls is just a short drive from Slopeside on Beech Mountain. The hike takes a bit of time but is moderately easy. For scale, check out the tiny red dot to the right side of the falls, that's a person who is exploring the face of the falls. The park rangers mentioned that somebody was on their way down to ruin their fun and write some tickets. I'm guessing they'll think it was still money well spent... provided that they made it back down in one piece.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
Have plans yet this weekend? If you live in Charlotte, check out Blue Blaze Brewing! The beer is great and the atmosphere is unlike any other brewery in town. I once heard it described as a treehouse, which is exactly how it feels. Did I mention the beer is great?
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
I took this photograph as the captain of our ship, Carnival's Ecstasy, expertly threaded the needle between two storms. That same ship was steaming directly toward Hurricane Matthew earlier this week and was diverted to Mexico to sail around and avoid the storm. My thoughts are with the crew and guests of the Ecstasy this week. I have a feeling the seas won't be nearly as calm as they were on our trip in May.
This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.
When we were in Paris, Invader was all over the place. This one was on the statues leading over the Louvre Seine Bridge. A bit of old world photoshop brush palette meets the Olde World.
This photograph was captured with a Nikon D90.
The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance, remotely-piloted surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft.
The "drone" is piloted remotely by a crew of three and it can remain in the air continuously for up to 34 hours. With an operating ceiling of 60,000 feet and range of 12,300 nautical miles, it can fly half-way around the world without refueling.
Amortizing R&D, each unit costs over $200 million to deliver to the USAF.
This Global Hawk is on display at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base in Warner-Robins, Georgia.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
As the leaves begin changing, biking season comes to an end for another year on Beech Mountain. The Beech crew is now busy making upgrades to the mountain for this winter's ski season! The new terrain park expansion looks great! Come on up and check it out this winter!
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.