by hankinslawrenceimages | Apr 29, 2009 | Flowers, Liliaceae Family, Wildflowers
I’m just back from a fantastic trip to Tennessee where I spent more than a week photographing the spring wildflowers. The wildflowers are incredible this year. 2009 was the second year in a row that I’ve attended the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage
Last year, I photographed a couple of different types of trillium – the Sweet White Trillium and the Yellow Trillium. This year, I was able to photograph three additional trilliums – Vasey’s Trillium, Catesby’s Trillium and Sweet Betsy Trillium.
Here are some of my photos of the Vasey’s Trillium. These flowers were photographed along the Ash Hopper Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These three Vasey’s Trillium were the only ones I saw all week – and believe me I was looking for them.
Vasey’s Trillium (Trillium vaseyi) are easy to identify. They are the trilliums with the red flowers that hang below the leaves.
The blossoms of the Vasey’s Trillium
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
Side view of the blossom
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
Side view of the Vasey’s Trillium- the leaves on this trillium can grow quite large
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
And finally – a Vasey’s Trillium from above
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
I’ll be posting more wildflower photographs from the Smokies in the next few weeks. I had a wonderful time in TN and took lots (and lots) of photos.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Nov 10, 2008 | Photo Locations
On our trip to the Smoky Mountains last spring, Bill and I spent some time photographing the streams along Newfound Gap Road. We were amazed at the power of the water rushing down the mountains, and how green and lush all the vegetation was.
Here’s one of the streams
Smoky Mountain Stream (c) 2008 Patty Hankins
Further down the mountain, we came across a pair of streams that created a small pair of waterfalls as the streams joined together. We spent almost an hour photographing this one location.
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
At one point, the water created a small waterfall over some tree roots.
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
This was just a few of the streams we photographed last spring. We’re both still processing our photos from the trip – I’m sure as we work our way through the photos, I’ll be posting more photos of some of the streams.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Oct 19, 2008 | Photo Locations
Last spring, Bill and I spent a few days in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on our way home from a trip to Florida. One morning, we planned on photographing sunrise from Clingman’s Dome – the same place I had photographed my Smoky Mountain Sunrise photograph from a few weeks earlier.
Smoky Mountain Sunrise (c) 2008 Patty Hankins
As we drove up Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg, it started to get foggy. The higher up we drove, the foggier it got. By the time we got to Newfound Gap, we could hardly see anything. So much for sunrise.
As we headed back down the mountain, we noticed how the fog and clouds were moving across the mountains. There were constant swirls of white among the mountains, revealing and hiding incredible views. Here are some of the photos we took as we heading back down Newfound Gap Road.
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
Along Newfound Gap Road I (c) 2008 William Lawrence
Along Newfound Gap Road II (c) 2008 William Lawrence
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
by hankinslawrenceimages | Jun 10, 2008 | Flowers, Wildflowers
One of the wildflowers I photographed on my recent trips to the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway was Wood Betony. It’s scientific name is Pedicularis canadensis.
Wood Betony is also known as Common Lousewort. Originally it was believed that livestock could become infected with lice after eating the plant. The plants grow to about 12″ tall and are easily identified by the two-lipped bi-colored flowers. The upper lip of the flower is hooded. It usually blooms from April through June.
In April, I photographed the Wood Betony along Chestnut Top Trail in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I saw a few single plants along the trail.
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
A few weeks later, in early May, we were on the Blue Ridge Parkway south of Asheville and found several large clusters of Wood Betony. The plants were much fuller, with many more leaves than the ones I’d seen in the Smoky Mountains a few weeks earlier.
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
As I was finishing photographing the cluster of Wood Betony, I happened to look down on the plants from directly above, and found a great angle to photograph them from.
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
Wood Betony was one of the more unusual wildflowers I photographed on my trips this spring. Once I knew what to look for, the distinctive hooded flowers were not too difficult to find in shady areas along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
by hankinslawrenceimages | May 15, 2008 | Food Finds
Our first great food find of our recent trip to the Smokies was the Bear Camp Grill in Sevierville, TN. We had lunch there on Mother’s Day. For anyone who has heard our tales of woe about trying to find lunch in Gatlinburg last year on Mother’s Day – you’ll understand how thrilled we were to find a great place to eat this year.
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
We started the morning photographing at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We headed out of the park on Rich Mountain Road. One of the photographic opportunities along the road is a view of the Cades Cove Methodist Church surrounded by trees. The drive is worth it just to see this view. Someday, I hope to get back and take a similar photo with the church surrounded by colorful fall leaves.
Cades Cove Methodist Church (c) 2008 Patty Hankins
After exiting the park, we drove along Rt 321 – and eventually came upon the Bear Camp Grill. Knowing we weren’t far out of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg – we figured it was time for lunch.
(c) 2008 Patty Hankins
The decor of the Bear Camp Grill is an old camp lodge – the type of place hunters would go to eat while bear hunting in the Smokies. The menu is good basic southern cooking.
Bill had the pulled pork BBQ lunch – which was excellent. I had the fried chicken special. The fried chicken was incredible – probably the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. The coating was light, the chicken moist – and not greasy. I couldn’t eat both pieces for lunch, so I took the second piece back to the hotel for supper that night. The fried chicken was just as good cold as it was hot – still moist – not soggy or greasy.
The Bear Camp Grill was a wonderful find on our trip – great food, great service and very reasonable prices (lunch for 2 was under $ 25 including tip). We’ll definitely be eating at the Bear Camp Grill on future trips to the Smokies.
The Bear Camp Grill is located at 3275 Wears Valley Road, Sevierville, TN. Hours are 11 AM – 9 PM Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 9 PM on Saturday and 8 AM – 3 PM on Sunday. Phone number is 865 453 0181. Their full menu and more info can be found on their website.
