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The beach to the east of Bournemouth Pier.
Past the beach huts, towards the East Cliff Lift.
The East Cliff Lift
The East Cliff Lift, also built in 1908, links the Russell Coates Art Gallery & Museum with the beach. The museum and art gallery is free to enter and is open every day except Mondays. The East Cliff Lift features a small heritage display in the top toll house.
- Day Two -
We left the highest point, Clingman's Dome, and continued downwards onto the winding, curving roads. Back onto 441, we followed Oconaluftee River southward. We pulled over along the way to admire (and photograph!) creeks, meadows full of wild flowers, and wildlife. We spotted numerous elks roaming.
We ended up getting "lost" down an odd little road full of small houses, domestic animals, and bizarre decorations; we easily turned back on track. Continuing south towards Cherokee NC, we made our next stop Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
There was a museum, a homestead wonderfully preserved, to show how families lived and survived in the mountains 100 years ago. My Mom was delighted and wonderstruck imaging life on the homestead; I tried my hardest to capture that moment for her!
- Day Three -
Our adventure on day two led us all the way south through the Great Smokies and back. We enjoyed a relaxing night at Berry Springs Lodge and scouted out our adventure for the next day. Day three, we decided to head east, around the National Park instead.
We began in Gatlinburg, stopping at a few overlooks and admiring the town from above. We then followed Little River east, hiked at a few stops (Mom relaxed in her stone chair!), checked out Elkmont Campground, and eventually we made it to a man-made waterfall from the 1800s, "The Sinks".
We headed out of the National Park toward Townsend, a quaint little mountain town and onto Foothills Parkway, which skirted around the Great Smokies. It was a perfect road for bikers and sightseers. There were not many tourists at all but so many beautiful stops and overlooks.
One place in particular was Look Rock Tower, which was too high for Mom, but I had to check it out. I could see the highest peaks of the Smokies and an awesome panoramic view! After I came back down to find her, she had found some cool rocks to climb, lizards, and neat mushrooms for me to photograph.
We drove Foothills Parkway as far as we could, finally ending at Chillhowee Lake.
Trip with coworkers Greg, Travis and Brent.
Flew LAX - Nadi, Fiji, then took boat ferry to two different islands where we stayed multiple nights at each island.
One of the trip highlights was visiting the island Cast Away was filmed.
The last night we stayed at Hilton Fiji Beach Resort.
After Fiji we flew to Hong Kong, China on Fiji Air.
- Day Three -
Our adventure on day two led us all the way south through the Great Smokies and back. We enjoyed a relaxing night at Berry Springs Lodge and scouted out our adventure for the next day. Day three, we decided to head east, around the National Park instead.
We began in Gatlinburg, stopping at a few overlooks and admiring the town from above. We then followed Little River east, hiked at a few stops (Mom relaxed in her stone chair!), checked out Elkmont Campground, and eventually we made it to a man-made waterfall from the 1800s, "The Sinks".
We headed out of the National Park toward Townsend, a quaint little mountain town and onto Foothills Parkway, which skirted around the Great Smokies. It was a perfect road for bikers and sightseers. There were not many tourists at all but so many beautiful stops and overlooks.
One place in particular was Look Rock Tower, which was too high for Mom, but I had to check it out. I could see the highest peaks of the Smokies and an awesome panoramic view! After I came back down to find her, she had found some cool rocks to climb, lizards, and neat mushrooms for me to photograph.
We drove Foothills Parkway as far as we could, finally ending at Chillhowee Lake.
Unlike Delta, that only offers economy/business class, United offers a three class cabin. Luckily, there were no standbys and I got Global First. It's a pretty awesome setup with your own private suite.
Berlin, MD
Mini Series: Frontier Town
2020 was a rough year for me (and many, many others) - This series captures part of a much needed camping trip. Being around family, eating, laughing, and exploring the grounds in our little golf-cart. It was so simple, but a perfect reminder of where I needed to be. It was a long year being away from my family due to Covid. I missed the dogs, my Mom’s cooking, laughing with my sister, hearing stories from my Dad, playing with my nephews, and even the familiar smell of the camper. It was off-season at Frontier Town, so it was pretty quiet, but relaxing. The campground sits right on a cove off of Chincoteague Bay. My family has visited the coasts of Maryland since I was born, so it always felt like a second home: the plants, trees, sound of the bay, sand, ocean breezes. It’s right where I needed to be.
- Day One -
Our latest adventure: Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains!
Mom and I drove 9 hours to a bed & breakfast, Berry Springs Lodge, in Sevierville. We arrived in the late afternoon and unpacked. We were absolutely amazed by the view from our private balcony and how lovely the lodge was.
After we finished unloading, we rode around the town to scout out some places for the coming days. Back at the lodge, we ate some dinner, relaxed in the hot tub, and got ourselves ready for bed.
Before we fell asleep, Mom wondered what direction our balcony faced, in hopes that we could see the sunrise the next morning, and sure enough - we were facing east!
We woke up early the next morning and sat on the balcony, watching the light shift from a pale peach to a deep orange, spanning across all the clouds in the sky.
- Day Four -
After visiting Two-Medicine Lake, we continued on our little journey with the map we got from the curio shop owner. We found a place to park and hiked up to a secluded place where we found a waterfall unlike I've ever seen - Running Eagle Falls. During the spring time, there are two flowing falls, one from inside (as photographed) and one over top. During the fall, only the inner waterfall is flowing.
Before heading back West to Whitefish, we drove on a winding road with aspen forests surrounding each side. It was beautiful and refreshing, a relaxing way to end our adventure for the day.
"The Story of Running Eagle:
Running Eagle lived many years ago, long before European contact in the early 1700's. She was born here in the heart-land of the Amskapi-Pikuni, next to the shining mountains. Running Eagle was a real mortal person, not mythical.
Running Eagle's life story is an illustrious saga of leadership and many victories that are famous to this day.
The story of her life was told by Pikuni elders in a true oral traditional manner. Running Eagle is the only young woman of the Pikuni people to have gone on a four day fast; to suffer, dream, pray and find her medicine. High above the beautiful falls, her vision was successful. This is a most sacred and respected site, named in her honor by the Pikuni people. In those early days, only young men of certain societies had the special privilege to fast and receive their power.
Running Eagle became a true woman warrior for courage and bravery in all her accomplishments and deeds. Running Eagle was a great horsewoman, a fast runner and excellent hunter. She was kind, thoughtful, and a generous person. With precise perfection, Running Eagle made everything, including her spear, quiver, bows & arrows, all of her horse accouterments of those days. She was out-standing in her warrior-woman attirement of white buck-skin decorated with dyed quill work. She wore a splendid straight up eagle feather war bonnet and carried a shield.
The true exciting stories of her prowess on war parties, raids, adventures, and counting coup unfolded many times in lodges throughout the land. In the time of her teenage years, Running Eagle became the head of her father's painted lodge after his death. It was then she raised her brothers and sisters, and took care of the extended family in accordance with Pikuni laws and traditions.
Running Eagle was a tall and beautiful woman, with long black braids, and walked a straight religious path with grace, pride, and honor. Near her 30th year, Running Eagle went on her last raid across the Continental Divide where she was killed by the Flathead in their territory.
The Pikuni warriors brought her back up to Upper Two Medicine Lake and buried her in a tree on the mountain overlooking the falls. The Pikuni people hold Running Eagle in very high esteem for her knowledge and wisdom, and the inspiring person she became."
- Cynthia (Good Leader) Shildt Kipp
- Day Two -
We left the highest point, Clingman's Dome, and continued downwards onto the winding, curving roads. Back onto 441, we followed Oconaluftee River southward. We pulled over along the way to admire (and photograph!) creeks, meadows full of wild flowers, and wildlife. We spotted numerous elks roaming.
We ended up getting "lost" down an odd little road full of small houses, domestic animals, and bizarre decorations; we easily turned back on track. Continuing south towards Cherokee NC, we made our next stop Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
There was a museum, a homestead wonderfully preserved, to show how families lived and survived in the mountains 100 years ago. My Mom was delighted and wonderstruck imaging life on the homestead; I tried my hardest to capture that moment for her!
After the very short night on the main island of Male, we took a ferry over to our resort island. The ferry was only 40 minutes long.
The resort actually consisted of 3 small islands all within swimming distance of each other (albeit a far swim). This shot was taken while off-loading some other guests on the second island, and this photo overlooks the island we stayed on. The third island was undergoing renovations so there was not much activity. Two of the islands were connected via pedestrian bridge and the other had a boat ferry which left every 3- minutes.