Our Life - Travel Guides & Photography » Outdoors & Nature

Dry Falls

admin — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:59:53 +0000

Dry Falls, also known as Upper Cullasaja Falls, is a 65-foot waterfall located in the Nantahala National Forest, northwest of Highlands, North Carolina. Dry Falls flows on the Cullasaja River through the Nantahala National Forest. There is a path which goes behind the waterfall. Visitors can go behind the waterfall without getting wet when the water levels are low. Dry Falls is very popular because of it’s unique walk-behind feature. The path to the waterfalls is a short walk with a few stairs. There is an observation deck (wheelchair accessible) near the parking lot from where visitors can see the waterfall if you do not want to take the steps down to the path which goes behind the waterfall.

Dry Falls is located on US 64 (Mountain Water Scenic Byway) near Highlands, North Carolina. There are numerous waterfalls on this scenic byway.

We visited Dry Falls in the Fall after a rainfall. The Water Volume was higher and mist was sprayed as we walked behind the falls. It was a fun experience. Do not forget to visit the nearby drive-behind Bridal Veil Falls.

Hilton Lake Charlotte

admin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:22:21 +0000

There is a small lake near the University Area in Charlotte known as the Hilton Lake. Hilton University Place Hotel is located on the shores of this lake. There is a boardwalk where people can enjoy views of the tranquil lake setting and a beautiful path goes around the lake. There is a small playground for kids. You can stroll around the lake in the evening enjoying the sight of different birds. Paddle Boats are available for rent. There are many shopping and dining options here. There is a fountain in the middle of the lake. Many people gather at the lake for picnics or for a workout. The lake can get pretty crowded in the Summer.

Here are a few photos of Lake Hilton.

Bridal Veil Falls

admin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:03:58 +0000

Bridal Veil Falls near Highlands, North Carolina is a 45 foot drive-through waterfall. It is located in the Nantahala National Forest on US 64. The waterfall is small but it can look beautiful after a decent rainfall. It is the only drive-behind waterfall in North Carolina. You can park your car behind the falls and take beautiful pictures. There is a parking area on the side of the road, where visitors can park and view the falls as well.

We loved visiting this falls during our trip to Nantahala National Forest. Do not forget to check out the other waterfalls in Nantahala National Forest. Here are some pictures from our trip to Bridal Veil Falls last year.

Triple Falls

admin — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:03:34 +0000

Triple Falls is one of the 3 waterfalls of Little River in DuPont State Forest, North Carolina. It was featured in the movie “Last of the Mohicans“. Triple Falls gets its name from its three different cascades :-

Upper Triple Falls
Middle Triple Falls
Lower Triple Falls

Triple Falls is accessible from the Hooker Falls Parking Area on Staton Road by a trail going upstream along the Little River. You can visit Triple Falls after visiting Hooker Falls which is near the parking lot. From the parking lot, you need to cross the bridge over Staton Road and you will find stairs that go down to the trail head. The trail is roughly half mile long and is moderate in difficulty.

Lower Cascades

Just before the trail begins heading uphill, there is a side path that leads out to the river. If the rocks are not slippery and the water levels are low, you can walk over the rocks and go up to the base of the lower section of the falls. The lower cascades are beautiful and you can enjoy the water sprays.

Upper Viewing Area/Overlook

The main Triple Falls Trail runs parallel to the river and ascends a steep slope leading to a Viewing Area on the left. You can get a complete view of Triple Falls from this Viewing point.

Middle Triple Falls

There is a wooden staircase that leads down to the Middle Section of Triple Falls. The middle section is relatively flat and you can sit back and relax over here. You can walk up to the base of Middle Cascades and view the Upper Cascades from a distance.

Here are some photos from our trip to Dupont State Forest.

Lake Michigan Shoreline Chicago

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:10:00 +0000

The city of Chicago is located on the south western tip of Lake Michigan. The Chicago Lakefront Trail (LFT) is an 18-mile (29 km) multi-use path in Chicago, Illinois along the coast of Lake Michigan. The path connects various beaches and recreational amenities located along the lake front and also serves as an option to bicycle commuters. It is a great place to stroll, jog or bike specially in the Summer. The views of Lake Michigan are breathtaking.

Some of the popular attractions along the path are the Museum of Science and Industry, McCormick Place, Soldier Field, Chicago’s Museum Campus, Monroe Harbor, Navy Pier, Belmont Harbor, the Waveland Clock Tower, and most of the Chicago beaches. Lake Shore Drive runs adjacent to a large portion of Chicago’s lakefront. Some of the parks along the waterfront include Lincoln Park, Grant Park, Burnham Park and Jackson Park. Grant Park holds Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Here are some photos of Chicago Lakefront & Downtown.

Millennium Park Chicago

admin — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 16:06:27 +0000

Millennium Park is a public park and a popular Tourist Attraction located in DownTown Chicago near the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The Park was opened in 2004. It is a part of the larger Grant Park. The Park features attractions like Cloud Gate, Crown Fountain, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Lurie Garden and Nichols Bridgeway. Millennium Park has free admission.

Cloud Gate is a three-story steel sculpture that has more often known as “The Bean” , because of its legume-like shape. The sculpture is the first public artwork in the United States by world-renowned artist Anish Kapoor.

The Crown Fountain is an interactive fountain, named in honor of Chicago’s Crown family and designed by Jaume Plensa. The fountain has a pair of transparent glass brick towers and water cascades down the two towers, spouting through a nozzle on each tower’s front face. Digital videos are displayed on the inward faces of the towers. The water appears to be flowing from a person’s mouth. The park and fountain are open to the public daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Weather permitting, the water operates from May to October. Kids can splash in the fountain and have some fun.
The centerpiece of Millennium Park is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion with 4,000 fixed seats, plus additional lawn seating for 7,000. The Pritzker Pavilion is Grant Park’s outdoor performing arts venue for small events.

Here are some photos from our visit to Millennium Park.

Uwharrie Vineyards

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:41:07 +0000

Uwharrie Vineyards & Winery is located 25 miles North-East of Charlotte in Albemarle, North Carolina. It a beautiful 14,000 sq.ft. facility with a spacious visitor’s center, a formal banquet hall, wine tasting bar and a gift shop, surrounded by 50 acres of beautiful grape vines. You can take a Wine Tasting Tour and relax at the Vineyards. The harvest usually begins in late August and can last until mid October, depending on the weather, climate, and season.

Here are some photos from our trip in late Fall 2010.Visit the Official Website for more information regarding the Wine Tasting Tours.

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park

admin — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:59:24 +0000

Moses Cone Memorial Park is a historic attraction on Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. It is located between Mileposts 292 and 295. The Park includes a Manor House called Flat Top Manor and 2 lakes - Bass Lake and Trout lake. Flat Top Manor is a gleaming white 23-room, 13,000 square foot mansion.The manor is now home to the Parkway Craft Center, a craft shop of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, exhibiting works by artisans from nine Appalachian states. Fishing is permitted at both the lakes. The Park also has various trails for hiking and horse back riding. The Park is open year-round. and the Manor House is open spring through fall. The town of Blowing Rock is located 2 miles away from the Park.

Here are some photos taken during our trip.

Pisgah National Forest

admin — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 06:25:47 +0000

Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. The Pisgah National Forest covers 510,119 acres of mountainous terrain in the southern Appalachian Mountains, including parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Balsam Mountains. Elevations reach over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) and include some of the highest mountains in the eastern United States. Mount Mitchell, in Mount Mitchell State Park, is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River and lies just outside the boundary of Pisgah National Forest. The forest also includes tracts surrounding the city of Asheville, the town of Brevard and land in the French Broad River Valley.

The Cradle of Forestry (Biltmore Forest School), located in the southern part of the forest, was the site of the first school of forestry in the United States. There are numerous hiking trails, picnic areas, camping sites, and waterfalls in the forest. There are so many waterfalls in this area that Transylvania county is nicknamed as “Land of the Waterfalls”. Pisgah National Forest is extremely beautiful in Fall.

These are some of the attractions of Pisgah National Forest. You can easily spend a day or 2 enjoying the attractions of Pisgah National Forest.

Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway (NC 276) - Traversing the Pisgah National Forest in Transylvania and Haywood Counties, the 79 mile loop winds its way through areas of outstanding natural beauty rich in forest history. You can read more about this scenic byway here.
Looking Glass Waterfalls – A beautiful 60 foot high waterfall that can be seen from US 276.
Moore Cove Falls – A 50 foot free-fall in front of a deeply recessed rock cliff, that allows you to walk behind the falls.
Sliding Rock – A 60 foot natural Waterfall slide where people can slide down the gentle slope of the smooth rock into the pool below. Bathrooms and showers are open during the summer swimming season.
Cradle of Forestry - A 6500 acre National Forest Historic Site in North Carolina. America’s first school of forestry known as Biltmore Forest School was established over here in 1968.
Sycamore Flats Area – A large picnic area named for the numerous Sycamore trees that grow along the banks of the Davidson River
Pink Beds Area - Picnic area located in a high mountain valley. The valley gets it’s name from the beautiful rhododendron, mountain laurel and azalea that bloom in the spring and summer
Davidson River Campground – A popular campground where you can relax and enjoy the National Forest. There are hiking trails, fishing streams, evening programs and even warm showers.
Looking Glass Rock – A monolithic piece of exposed Whitesides granite that rises from the valley floor in the midst of the Pisgah Ranger District. There are trails which lead to the top of the rock.

Here are some photos taken during our trip to Pisgah National Forest during Fall 2009. We drove the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway stopping at different attractions like waterfalls and picnic areas.

Cradle of Forestry

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:51:37 +0000

Cradle of Forestry is a 6500 acre National Forest Historic Site in North Carolina. It is located within Pisgah National Forest on scenic Highway 276 near Brevard, NC. America’s first school of forestry known as Biltmore Forest School was established over here in 1968. Dr. Carl Schenck, a German Forester, began the first college for forestry in America – the Biltmore Forest School in 1898. The school was opened and operated at the direction of George Washington Vanderbilt II, builder of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville.

The Cradle of Forestry offers a snap shot of life at America’s first school of Forestry. There is a Forest Discovery Center complete with interactive exhibits, movie hall, Gift Shop and a Cafe.You can watch an 18-minute movie on Vanderbilt and ride a fire fighting helicopter simulator.

There are 2 interpretive trails – Biltmore Campus Trail and the Forest Festival Trail, each is 1 mile long and is paved. The Biltmore Campus Trail passes seven historical buildings, including a schoolhouse, commissary, and student quarters. The Forest Festival Trail explores Dr. Schenck’s forestry experiments, a portable saw mill, and a logging locomotive that you can climb aboard.

The admission fee is $5 for adults and free for children. For more details, please visit the official site here.

We visited Cradle of Forestry in Fall 2009 during our visit to Pisgah National Forest. It is a beautiful place to spend at least half a day. The trails are paved which makes it accessible. Here are some photos from our trip. Click on the thumbnails to view larger images.