Tag Archives: Photography/Art

Historic Grove Park Inn

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Karen…the lady I was Couchsurfing with…recommended visiting the Grove Park Inn.  I’m glad I did!  It reminds me of one that I saw at Glacier National Park in Montana.

The entry way is massive…

The views from the back were swept with beauty!

I stood by the stone fireplace to warm my hands.  You could fit a few people in there!

I saved the best for last…my “artsy” photo!

I went down to their spa thinking I may get a massage…wrong…$190!  Meet me in Charleston tomorrow!

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Asheville’s Amazing Architecture

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Asheville, N.C. has it all!  Amazing art, architecture, scenery, four seasons (but winter’s not too long), and friendly people!  A couple of days ago, I took a walking tour of downtown and posted about the street art.  Now…I’d like to highlight some of the architecture.

The Basilica of St. Lawrence has the largest elliptical freestanding dome in North America, unsupported by wood or steel.  An ancient Moorish technique was used to build it!  After photographing it, I crossed the street and a homeless guy said, “If you haven’t been inside you should go…it’s beautiful!”, so I went and he was right.  Plus…it gave me time to warm up and say a prayer!

I don’t always need to know the name of something to like it!

The center structure is the Vance Monument and stands tall as a symbol of tolerance!   The history behind this is truly remarkable and interesting…but lengthy…so if you’d like to read about it…here is an article!

Through the mirror of my mind…Time after time…I see reflections of you and me…

The City Building has a pink roof…how cool is that?

You can’t tell from the photo…but this is like an amphitheater…there’s seating!

I wasn’t able to visit Pack’s Tavern…but I’m sure it’s a favorite of the locals!

The Asheville Art Museum looks very “artsy”!

This building says…I can touch the sky!

I wasn’t planning on going into the Grove Arcade…but I needed a restroom.  I’m glad I did…multi-level…lots of quaint shops!

Like this one…

I spent a couple of days here and really enjoyed exploring the Town!  Tomorrow we’ll take a quick look at the historic Grove Park Inn!

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Downtown Asheville Street Art

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Asheville, North Carolina has some fun and funky street art!  Armed with an Urban Trail/Public Art Map from the Visitor’s Center,  I parked in the Wall Street lot (free for the first hour…75 cents ea additional) around 8:30am and set off to explore.  These photos aren’t in chronological order.

This is a flat iron and reflects the architecture located behind it…

Musicians busy making music…

I love entry ways…

This mural really looks like a street…

Sculpture at the Federal Building…

Sooo whimsical…

This sculpture on Haywood Street is called “Shopping Daze” and represents the time in history when Haywood Street was the region’s fashionable shopping district!

This wasn’t on the map…but it’s quite eclectic!

Richard Sharp Smith, the supervising architect of the Biltmore House, is honored by this bench and sculpture…

The following murals were also not on the map…but they’re lovely!

Last…but certainly not least…nature’s street art!

Asheville definitely has an artsy…hip vibe!  Tomorrow we’ll view some of Asheville’s amazing architecture!

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River Arts District

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The River Arts District in Asheville, North Carolina reminds me a bit of the Pendleton Arts Center in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.  There are studios, galleries and restaurants located near Downtown Asheville, along the French Broad River.  Many of them are in converted warehouses.   After visiting the Biltmore Estate yesterday, I stopped in this area to check it out.

As I wandered through the buildings/studios, I would ask before I took photos.  The artists seemed to appreciate that.

These are some of the paintings that caught my eye…

If you’ve followed my blog for a while…you know I like fire escapes!

Because I’m taking such a long trip…I’m trying to be smart with my money, so I’d like to try to eat out for lunch only.  Lunch is less expensive than dinner when dining out.  Yesterday, I ate lunch at the Clingman Cafe and enjoyed  one of their special sandwiches.  It was yummy!  Then…for dinner it was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I stopped in Downtown Asheville to see the sights and take photos…but I’d only gotten a few streets over before my camera’s battery went dead…so that’s where I’ll head today.

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The Biltmore Estate and Gardens…Simply Gorgeous!

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The Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina surpassed my expectations!  I arrived at 8:30am to take photos of the gardens before the sun was up too high.  It was freezing out…but I was so excited…I forgot my gloves.  The estate is located on 8,000 acres and has 250 rooms!  They employ 1800 employees!  Some of the other offerings are–a winery, restaurants, a hotel and spa, and a variety of outdoor activities.

This is the greenhouse…

Walking through the gardens…snapping photos like a wild woman…I was amazed at the profusion of color!  I had talked with a local the night before and she had said there wouldn’t be much to look at in the gardens…hah!

Most of my photos don’t have any people in them.  That’s another reason to get an early start!

I arrived in Asheville yesterday and stopped at the Visitor’s Center to pick up maps and information.  A representative from the Biltmore was there, so I bought a ticket for $49 ($10 less than at the door) and she talked me into purchasing a ticket for a self-guided audio tour that was $10 extra.  It was worth it.  Most likely I’ll never go back…too many new places to see!

The vistas were beautiful!

After touring the gardens and the “mansion” (where you’re not allowed to take photos), I hopped in my car and kept pulling over on the side of the road to get out and take photos.  There were so many interesting paths and beautiful spots!  Luckily, it wasn’t very crowded because of the weather the day before!

This is the “bass pond”…

I didn’t expect to see a waterfall!!

And finally…a back view of the hotel!

I hope you enjoyed the tour as much as I did!

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Wonders of Winton Woods

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The Park of choice for last night’s hike was Winton Woods on the West side of Cincinnati.  I used to live in that area when I was a single mother 20 years ago.  I haven’t been to that Park in years and it brought back lots of memories!  We walked the loop around the small lake.  I’m not sure how far that is…probably about 2 miles and then walked part of it again and veered off onto another path.

There’s the lumberjack…

I haven’t gotten to swing in a while either.  I asked the lumberjack if he would take photos of me.

He was delighted after he took this photo, because the timing was great for capturing me jumping from the swing…

The colors weren’t as vibrant as at Sharon Woods, but there were some other interesting photo ops.  I purposely stood off-center for this shot under a bridge…thinking that would give it more appeal…

This photo makes me want to go sit on the bench.  But knowing me…it wouldn’t be for long!

Just like Sharon Woods, there is a Boathouse there for rental of paddle boats, pontoons and aluminum canoes.

After using the restrooms, the light streaming in caught my attention.  I couldn’t decide which photo I liked better…so I posted both!

More color!

I enjoyed the stripes in this shot…

I like the kayaks’ bright colors against the muted earth tones!

I hope you’re enjoying a tour of Cincinnati’s finest parks!!

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Funky Yellow Springs, Ohio

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Yellow Springs, Ohio is one of the most eclectic small towns (that I’m aware of) within 100 miles of Cincinnati!  You’ll find Antioch College, founded in 1852, a progressive liberal arts college located in the heart of Yellow Springs.  After hiking at John Bryan State Park yesterday, we stopped here and walked the few blocks that comprise the main area of town.

Here are some of the treats we encountered…

This is the ceiling of the outdoor movie theater awning…

I love to find the unexpected…like the reflection in this glass…

Artists and “hippies” love to frequent this area.  The faint drifting scent of marijuana lingers here and there.  You’ll find hand painted benches…

And most of the shops are painted unusual colors…

Whimsical…colorful…fun…enticing…

Shimmering…..

I love the living tapestry inviting you into this restaurant…

You don’t have to look far to find beauty!

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The Quaint Rivertown of Ripley, Ohio

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I had another adventure yesterday!  My girlfriend Gina texted me in the morning and asked what I was doing.  I told her about my plan to drive to Higginsport, Ohio–along the Ohio River–to look at something I’m thinking of buying.  (I’ll tell you tomorrow what it is!  We all need a little mystery or intrigue in our lives).  Anyway…so I picked her up and we drove an hour to check the mystery item out.  It was another absolutely beautiful day!

This was the view…

Gina brought a picnic lunch for us…so I spread a blanket out by the river and we enjoyed the food and view.

I’ve discovered I can get this effect (sparkling diamonds in the water) when I take the photo towards the sun!

The very cute town of Ripley, Ohio is located 7 miles down the road from Higginsport.  Since it was a weekday, there weren’t many people around.

This is called “Snappers Saloon”.  It has a view of the river and was decorated quite festively!

I love when people paint their businesses or houses unusual colors!

More views of the Ohio River…

It seems every town I’m visiting has a flag on display.  The sun was behind the cloud on this one…

To satisfy the door fetish in me and you…

Life isn’t complete without flowers!

Gina wanted an ice cream, so we went into Rockin’ Robin’s Soda Shoppe.  I was SO excited when I saw the interior!  I loved the 50’s look and the details were amazing!

My “artsy” shot…

In case you’re wondering…I had the Moosetracks flavor and Gina had the Cookies n Cream!

On the drive back, which is along the Ohio River on Route 52, I did a drive by shooting of Ulysses S. Grant’s birthplace in Point Pleasant, Ohio.

We were going to grill steaks and have asparagus, but when we arrived to Gina’s house…decided to get in the hot tub with a glass of wine!  That soaked the motivation right out of us to cook.  She had leftover Chili…so we feasted on that instead.  Another great day in Ohio!!

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Walking Mariemont, Ohio

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If you’re ever in the Cincinnati area, I highly recommend taking a stroll through the Village of Mariemont.  Especially in Autumn!  It’s a small community…about 3,500 residents.  Yesterday, seeing that we had another glorious fall day, I parked in the town square, where a number of upscale restaurants are located and went exploring.  The hiking club I belong to have an urban hike scheduled there on Sunday.  I passed the Quarter Bistro Restaurant and thought their outside seating area looked quaint and a bit European…

As I meandered from street to street…I wasn’t prepared for the spectacular and riotous display of color.  Everywhere I looked there were varying shades of orange, red, yellow and green!  The houses were quaint and most were decorated for Halloween.

I passed by this little park…

If you need motivation to get out and exercise…a place like this will do it!

The lawns were landscaped beautifully…

This was another area with benches to sit and relax and if you stand at the stone wall, there’s a beautiful view of the countryside…

Just when I thought I had seen the most brilliant colors…I walked down this street and was blown away by the beauty!

Here are my two “artsy” photos…

I discovered through the hiking club I belong to that perhaps the world’s largest Serpent Mound is located in Mariemont.  This was reported in August of last year!  So…having just seen the Serpent Mound in Adams County over the weekend, I was excited to hear about this.  A blog called “Goddesschess” has a great post about it–if you’d like to learn more.

The Madisonville Site was–according to the Ohio Historical Society–the location of a large Ft. Ancient population.  I’m learning all kinds of things about Cincinnati!

At one point on my hike–being the explorer that I am–I saw a tunnel and decided to go through it to investigate.  There wasn’t much to see on the other side, but as I was going to return, I heard male voices coming through the tunnel, so I ran up the hill and found a little pathway back to the front of the tunnel.  Whew!  I was a little scared since there was no one else around.  They were probably harmless, but it’s best not to take unnecessary risks!

I had to take this photo of the birds perched on the telephone wire…

A girlfriend met me there after she got off of work and we hiked it again.  I’m glad I went early to get my photos…because she’s a fast walker!  After hiking we went to another restaurant in the square called The Dilly Cafe.  It’s owned by one of our friends Chuck Warinner.  We both had the Seared Ahi Tuna Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries.  It was tasty!  They have wine tastings and outdoor seating.  Lots of fun!

Thanks for coming along and may you find time and motivation to explore your own hometown!!

 

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Ohio Riverfront Walk

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Last week I walked along the Ohio Riverfront in Cincinnati with girlfriends.  It was a beautiful day!  I drove in my friend’s car to the river and forgot my camera in my car.  Although I missed some great shots…I knew it was for the best because it gave us more time to talk.  Normally, when I’m taking photos, I lag behind and then run to catch up…and miss out on the visiting part.  So…yesterday was another beautiful day and I decided to drive the 35 minutes to downtown and retrace our steps.

This was my first view of the waterfront…the Purple People Bridge.  It’s a pedestrian only bridge over to the Kentucky side.

The BB Riverboat hosts weddings in addition to sightseeing and dinner cruises.  It’s strange to me to think that you can take a boat from the Ohio River to the Mississippi River and then all of the way to the ocean!

There are quite a few bridges that span from Cincinnati to Kentucky…

Of course, I tried to get some artsy shots…

At first I thought this was a labyrinth but it’s a squiggly walking path…

The City has been working on sprucing up the area…putting in plants and statutes…

The views of downtown are lovely…

This is called the serpentine wall.  During the summer they have an event called “Party in the Park” that is held on Wednesday evenings and people will spill over from the main level above to this area…to sit and relax.

Here’s the Purple People Bridge on my way back…

Love the flag shots…

I just like the lines on this one…

The contrasting red in the tables-chairs is cool against nature’s vibrant colors…

One last shot of a bridge from a fresh perspective…

The sun was beginning to set and I’m glad I captured it next to the building…

Hope your week is wonderful!

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Serpent Mound

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The Great Serpent Mound is a 1,348-foot-long, three-foot-high prehistoric effigy mound located on a plateau of the Serpent Mound crater along Ohio Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio.

The “Lumberjack” and I visited there on Saturday.  It’s located about one and one-half hours east of northern Cincinnati.

The Ohio Historical Society owns and manages the property.  This is their office at the site…

There is an observation deck…

The observation deck is located at the back of the third hump, near the end of the tail if you’re looking at this drawing…

English: Drawing of the Serpent Mound

I’ve read that there is a special energy here…a spiritual energy that can be tapped into.  I didn’t sense anything, although I was hoping to.

A hiking trail was located on the grounds.  By the time we walked the paved walkway and I took photos…we didn’t have time to hike.

As you can see, Autumn is a wonderful time to visit.  The colors were spectacular!

The sun was beginning to set when we left and it was a beauty!!

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The Fling Barn in Hillsboro, Ohio

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You’re probably wondering why someone would name their music venue/bar…The Fling Barn.  If your last name is “Fling”…it makes sense.  The owner Bill Fling was there and is very friendly.  My husband…who I’ll nickname “The Lumberjack”…because he is constantly cutting down trees and splitting fire wood…and I went there last night.  Located an hour from Northern Cincinnati, we decided to see Serpent Mound while we were in the area.  I’ll save that for my next post.

The Fling Barn has 10 acres set aside for camping, with port-o-lets and it’s free!  They also have a cabin for rent.

Anyway, here’s a photo of a barn along the way…

The Fling Barn is situated on a 200 acre working horse farm.  In addition to providing live music in a unique setting, they host weddings and other events.  We stopped by for some photos during daylight hours, on our way to Serpent Mound, and returned later around 7pm.  Here’s a side view…

I love this weather vane!

Here is a different perspective…

This barn is in view of The Fling Barn and I loved the linear look of the corn and the colors…

Here are some of the horses…

There was a stand outside selling BBQ…so I had a pulled pork sandwich with mac-n-cheese and baked beans.  The barn itself is two levels with a full bar.  This is the upstairs where the band and dance floor are.

The barn is filled with antiques and Americana items…

The Mark Mays Blues Band was the entertainment for the evening and they were great!  We danced quite a bit!  Bill Fling has a dog that dances with you on the dance floor.  It was fun to watch!  Two other couples met us there.  The music started at 8pm and every table was filled by 8:15pm.

This photo is during their sound check…

If you haven’t listened to live music lately…get out and just do it!!

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Photography while Hiking

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Sometimes I wish I lived somewhere other than Cincinnati, Ohio…. somewhere closer to a beach or mountains…but when I look back through my blog posts and photos, I realize there are lots of things to do in this area, natural beauty abounds, and best of all…I have some wonderful family and friends!

I haven’t been jogging for the past few weeks because my neck and back were hurting.  Since I’ve quit, they’re getting better, so I’m trying to hike more.  We went to East Fork State Park last night and hiked a couple of miles.  It’s only 30 minutes from our house.  First, we stopped at the beach and let our maniac dog…Jake…out.  He took off chasing the geese and I started snapping photos!  That’s him in the center at the water’s edge…

I really enjoyed having the birds so close to me.  It’s magical when you hear their wings flapping as they circle around you!

I enjoy everything about photography.  I love looking at the photos afterwards… deciding which ones are my favorites.  It’s interesting to see how the colors change as you change the angle of your camera.  The sky is so blue in this one…

It was very difficult to take a photo of Jake because he never stopped moving and was quite unpredictable!  His enthusiasm is evident though…

We tried a new trail this time.  It’s a 31 mile perimeter trail…but we only went one mile in and then returned before dark.

We stopped at the dam on the way out to capture the sunset…

Randy thought this photo was “artsy”…

I’ve never tried taking photos while the vehicle was moving.  I like the effect…

Thanks for joining me.  I’ll see you soon!

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Hiking in Autumn

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My dog Jake lives to hike with us!  He knows when we put on our hiking or jogging shoes that soon he’ll be out running in the woods!  He races in and out of the doggie door, unable to contain his excitement.  If we take too long, he’ll stick his head through it to see what we’re doing…

I had to take a picture of some of the trees above the roof of the house before leaving for the woods…

And the front yard.  We live on 5 acres (of which 4 acres is wooded) at the end of a lane and love the seclusion.

This spot is located right around the corner from my house.  Definitely worth a stop!

We stopped along the way for a quick photo of a farm.  I love the texture and color of the drying soy bean crop…

These photos are a combination of two different hikes we’ve taken this week.  I am very grateful to have a park within five minutes of my home that is over 500 acres with hiking trails and that I usually have to myself!

The leaves are glittering like gold…

I couldn’t believe how beautiful the trees and reflection were when we arrived to the lake.  If you’re a photographer, you know that almost giddy feeling of enthusiasm when you see something beautiful.

I recently realized that my camera has enabled me to appreciate and observe more of the beauty that surrounds me in people, nature and things.

This is from a hike a couple of days ago as dusk was settling…

Fog had descended upon us as we finished the hike…just in time for Halloween!

Get out and enjoy the beautiful outdoors!  Some people aren’t able to!

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