Lush
The views from the Blue Ridge Parkway are magical. This photograph was captured near the Linn Cove Viaduct on the way to Slopeside.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
Parkway Views
I love it when we can time a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway at sunset. It's usually pretty quiet up there that late in the day as the tourists go home and it becomes more of a way for people to get from town back home in the mountains. This photograph was captured last Friday and it was getting really cold out, too. It was so peaceful. Everything had a cold blue tint to it until the sky turned a brilliant salmon color.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
High Country Sunshine
The sun, sky and clouds are simply better in the mountains. It's hard to believe these views are just a couple of hours from Charlotte. The mountains in North Carolina seem a lifetime away from the urban sprawl of the city. The population of this photograph is probably a dozen.
If you want to come up and experience it for yourself, check out our mountain chalet, Slopeside.
This photograph was captured with a DJI Mavic Pro drone.
Alone on Diamond Peak
It's officially ski season! This photograph is a throw-back from a few years ago on Diamond Peak in Lake Tahoe. The season was off to a slow start so we nearly had the entire mountain to ourselves. It was tremendous! If you are a regular visitor to Lake Tahoe and haven't ever ridden Diamond Peak, you've got to check it out. It's a small, locals-only resort. However, what it lacks in fanfare, it lacks in fanfare... and that's exactly what makes it great!
Living on the East Coast and looking for a ski getaway? Check out Slopeside on Beech Mountain!
Beech Mountain Kite Festival
The Beech Mountain Kite Festival is held every Labor Day weekend and is a great time. They even give out little kites to the kids to decorate and fly. This is our daughter — she dressed herself Punky Brewster-style — taking her kite for a test flight. She spent at least an hour running at top speed from the bottom of the big hill to the top and back. Apologies to anybody she ran over along the way! Today is her fourth birthday so I thought I'd post a photo of her to celebrate!
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
Playa Mujeres
With the weather changing, I could use a little beach time and I think a trip back to Secrets Playa Mujeres would do the trick! It's hard to believe all of this undeveloped beach is just a few minutes outside of Cancún.
This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.
Joyride
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.
Linville Falls
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.