Virginia Trip Day 2 (part B) Blue Ridge Parkway

Sun through the trees

View exposure I

Colored clouds

View exposure II

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in motion

Setting sun, clouds and trees

View Irish Creek Valley Sign

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Colored clouds 2

Setting sun, clouds and trees 2

Coyote (Canis latrans) in motion

As promised (if a little late) part B of my 2nd day in Virginia. I went up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and drove from Buena Vista up to Steeles Tavern and came back down Interstate 81. Sunset was nice but I didn’t get quite the same views, though the clouds colored nicely. Encountered some white-tailed deer in a field off the parkway and was able to snap at least one decent picture and some blurry deer in motion. Also a coyote received the blurry cam treatment as well. One more day of pictures to come!

Virginia Trip Day 1

Shenandoah River

View from the Blue Ridge Parkway over Buena Vista, VA 2

View from the Blue Ridge Parkway over Buena Vista, VA 3

Shenandoah River from Harpers Ferry Visitor Center Trail

Dogwood (Cornus florida) and redbud blossoms (Cercis canadensis)

Dogwood blossom (Cornus florida)

View from the Blue Ridge Parkway over Buena Vista, VA

View from the Blue Ridge Parkway over Buena Vista, VA 4

The first leg of my trip began with a stop at Harpers Ferry National Historic Site. I had been there with my family many years ago while I was going to school nearby at Shenandoah University, and passed by going to and from school when taking that route. I’ve always found it to be a beautiful area and one of these days I’ll hike the Appalachian Trail (The non-profit Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters are in Harpers Ferry as well) through the area and hopefully do some kayaking. For now it was kind of an over cast day but the redbuds were in bloom everywhere as well as flowering dogwoods.

Due to rain in Winchester, VA I decided to go ahead and plow ahead to Lexington, VA. It was cloudy but I was determined to get up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, which winds through the mountains east of Interstate 81 before becoming Skyline Drive (which you do have to pay to drive), in order to catch the sunset.

The clouds were a little too heavy but the sun provided some interesting back lighting at least.  Stay tuned for more to come!

Year in Nature Photography – Day 178

Blue Ridge Mountains from 81 in Virginia

Sky from 81 in Virginia

Sunset along 81 in Virginia

Spent the day driving to North Carolina and since I was going to the western part, most of my trip occurs along Interstate 81 (yes this is a Wikipedia link as different states have different information this is more central) which goes down the Shenandoah Valley through the Blue Ridge Highlands in Virginia on into Tennessee.