Black Mountain NC..."paradise awaits us again".

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These times of self quarantine in homes of small cities reminds me of the days I long for again. The fall colors of our trip to Black Mountain North Carolina bring a smile to my face.

We love photography, so we perfectly timed our trip for the beautiful fall colors of the Bleu Ridge Mountains. You may ask "where is this"? If you are familiar with the area around Asheville NC, then you are very close.

Fall colors were incredible as we took a stroll around a lake. We were so excited with the weather and colors.

We were so excited we decided to do some "hiking". It seemed like a good idea as we took photos along the way.

The small mountain trail was a tad steep but we took our time and enjoyed the fresh air. They had little signs for snakes but I think we were more worried about our legs....lol.

The trails we stopped to explore gave us more interesting landscape photos reflecting the colors and perfect day.

I can imagine the sunshine and smell in the air of the trees and sense of quiet as we continued our hiking.

Getting to the top was more than worth it. There was another ledge if I really want to test my mountain skills...but this was more than "good enough"....just beautiful.

And of course, a little rest for the hiker himself. I don't know what happened, I used to be able to this 20 years ago...what happened?

The way back offered us more little paths we explored and the rush of running water called our names. We were taken aback by the perfect little water stream to test our photography skills.

I remember the water rushing and each of us trying to get the best angle for our shots. This is what vacations is all about. We didn't care about the local bears, we were having fun.

You break into the clear after your hike and you are greeted with the perfect lake mirror effect of the trees and mountains. I still think of these days. I remember it being a bit chilly, but we were more than ok with the cool temps.

You really couldn't take a bad photo. The lake gave us so many opportunities. I was trying to figure out the best composition.

The whole trip was like this. Lakes, hills and trails gave us plenty of opportunities. Today, I look back of this and I think of "freedom" to do as you wanted. Freedom to relax outdoors, eat where and when you wanted, no masks, no worries.

The mountain views were spectacular. Imagine waking up to these colors outside you windows in the fall. You have the beauty of the mountains and the fall foilage.

You never really know how the colors will be before you get there. There is probably a 10-14 day window where it's just "paradise" of the perfect fall colors and above average temperature.

A winding road looks as if it has a story to tell. I think of the people in these parts of the US are probably free to travel this area with no problems. I don't think people are policing people on the trails, remote lakes and small winding roads.

And this is why title this blog "paradise awaits us again". This is what I think of when I you are limited at times of what you could do in the early days of CV19. You long for the freedom of seeing parts of the US again. It doesn't need to be NY or San Francisco. You can find beauty and joy in the most remote areas of the US...especially around the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

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