Three and a half hours north of me, and perhaps an hour or so east of Birmingham, lies Talledaga National Forest and Cheaha National Park. The above shot is of Pulpit Rock, the apex of the park's most challenging trail. I hastened up today, Black Friday, because I figured the autumn scenery would be gorgeous. I also assumed I'd have the park largely to myself, since everyone else would be out shopping. I was gloriously right about the scenery, and utterly wrong about the crowd. The road was lined with parked cars and campers.
While I took many shots, most of them of the view, and that really doesn't translate into cameraphones very well. Although traveling with a couple of friends, I parked myself on a rock and gazed into the distance for a good while. I haven't seen an expanse that vast since standing atop Carlsbad Caverns, the wind blowing the grass sideways. On the way home I passed through the cozy square of Ashland, Alabama, and spotted a courthouse so lovely it demanded I swerve into a parking lot and take admiring photos.
With Christmas approaching, it may be a month or so before I jet off again. I passed right by the entrance to DeSoto Caverns today, though...
Sounds like you've caught the travel bug... [grin]
ReplyDeletesomehow i always think of that part of the country as flat; impressive views, though...
ReplyDelete@Cyberkitten: Maaaaaa-aaaybe.
ReplyDelete@Mudpuddle: I live in Alabama's coastal plane, which is relatively flat. We have hills and gulleys and such, but they mostly even out. The black belt is on the northern rim of that plain, though; Birmingham is very hilly, even sporting a few places the locals call mountains.
so that would be the foothills of the Appalachians?
DeleteI thought not, but -- after looking up Red Mountain just now -- it looks to fall within the province of the 'ridge and valley Appalachians'.
ReplyDeleteold geology: repeated orogenies due to plate collisions, currently worn down to but a shadow of their former selves... good review on Wiki...
ReplyDelete