On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
BretH
This On The Road doesn’t involve a lot of road, since the Ivy Creek Natural Area is about seven or so minutes from my house in Charlottesville, VA. But I hope you can share the peace and beauty I felt when I took a day off and just wandered there for hours.
From their website (https://ivycreekfoundation.org/overview) :
Scenically shadowed by the Blue Ridge Mountains, this 219-acre preserve bordering the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir is a mix of upland woods, pine stands, open fields, streams, and two miles of shoreline. Its rolling hills and diverse habitats make the Ivy Creek Natural Area an ideal site to learn about the rich natural history characteristic of Central Virginia and has made Ivy Creek a favorite destination for visitors and community alike looking for a peaceful walk in the woods.
It was also a good workout for getting used to my Panasonic G85. I took with me a few lenses but really most of the photos were taken with the kit 12-60mm lens.
The Natural Area drops down into a creek area feeding a reservoir. Although some paths wind around the high areas I chose to follow one down to the creek and beyond. This was during the extended warm period in November and the day was just about perfect, weather-wise.
Ivy Creek runs through the Natural Area and there are numerous places to sit and listen to the quiet trickle of water. This day was special because of the soft leaf carpet and the brilliant light and blue sky.
This was near the farthest point from the entrance, off a short side path that led to this bench overlooking the reservoir as it narrowed at one end. I must have sat for nearly a half-hour, taking in the sun, the light breeze and watching birds fly back and forth.
I finally descended to the reservoir at this narrowed point. It was nearly a visual overload – the autumn colors, the deep blue of the water and the crystal-blue sky. My wife and I are able to paddle board on the reservoir nearer to the dam – we feel extremely fortunate to live and play near a place with such natural beauty.
I love the panorama feature of my iPhone – things have come a long way since manually stitching together a series of carefully framed photos, and dealing with the lines where the exposure differed.
The iPhone panorama feature, used vertically, allowed me to capture the sense of this area leading up from the reservoir as I saw it. I thought about darkening down the top of the photo but that’s really what it felt like: brilliant yet soft light playing in the treetops.
I am always reminded of the photo advice to change the viewpoint from standing up, where 90% of shots are taken. Get down, look up – get a different perspective.
Finally, on the way back out of the area I passed this beech which, like it or not, has become the catcher of various downed trees and branches. The light was getting lower by this point but that made the yellow leaves simply glow all the more. In the canopy of the tree I felt comforted as the day’s sensations were distilled into leaf, tree, and more leaf. A breeze was picking up, and the movement of the leaves along with all the other sensations created an amazing experience.
Van Buren
Lovely photos. It’s great that you appreciate being so close to a place like that.
OzarkHillbilly
Lucky you. Nice shots.
Cermet
I live in Maryland and I am surrounded by this type of environment; never get tried of it despite the hellish commute to work.
raven
Sweet, we drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway from Fancy Gap to Lynchburg quite a bit,
Honus
@raven: Know it well. When I was a kid we used to stop overnight in Fancy Gap every year on the way to Myrtle Beach from West Virginia. Then a few years later there was Stompin’ ‘76…
The Ivy Creek Natural Area is great. It’s a few miles from our house in Free Union.
Honus
Bret, you, me and Geminid should have a meetup this Spring in the Charlottesville. I’m thinking outdoors, maybe at Chisholm Vineyard. Any other BJers in C’ville area?
Wag
Beautiful. And I 100% agree with you about the pano setting on the iPhone. Great shots!
Geminid
@Honus: When I lived in the Valley and traveled to Atlanta I would take I-81 to Wytheville, then I-77 to Charlotte. I always looked forward to the spectacular view of the North Carolina Piedmont, descending from Fancy Gap.
I really want to drive I-40 between Asheville and Knoxville some time. It’s never on my way to anywhere, but mabe I’ll just do it while on vacation. It was the last piece of I-40 to be completed.
Geminid
Thank you Brett for the pictures. Despite living in the area, I don’t think I’ve ever been to the Ivy Creek Area. Isend On the Road entries to some local friends , and they will get a little surprise this morning
Honus
@Geminid: I’ve been over those stretches of 81 and 77 many times for various reasons. And I’ve driven 40 to Asheville, and then turned south to get to Tryon/Columbus NC where my wife’s aunt lives, and listen to WNCW on the radio broadcast hen you get close. Also worth a trip over to Highlands NC from here in Virginia. You can take 81 a lot of the way and I will also take the Parkway for stretches because I’m not in a hurry. Once you get there it’s great to hike in that national forest where they filmed Last of the Mohicans. Pisgah I think. That whole southwest corner of NC is really ice.
HinTN
@Geminid:
I’ve driven it and I would avoid it like the plague. The section west of Asheville is two lanes each way separated by concrete barrier, with very little shoulder. It’s too small for the traffic load and that makes it crazy.
I choose to take the road through the Ocoee River gorge and then up through the Nantahala River gorge. Those are truly scenic
ETA – Thanks for the lovely photographs of what is clearly a nice piece of woods.
BretH
@Honus: a meetup sounds great! I’ve wanted to make it to one of the DC gatherings but the stars never aligned.
susanna
These are lovely. Looking at the photos has an instant-relaxing effect. As you and everyone realizes, they are a near opposite to our Redwoods trails in California, but effect the similar feelings.
And many comments make me want to take a driving vacation to the areas mentioned, especially as I’ve never been to Md, N.Carolina,Ky.
Going to Savannah in March, any suggestions for hiking, or anything else are welcome…
Geminid
@HinTN: Thanks for the heads up! I want to drive that stretch of I-40 for the views, but it sounds like I might not be able to see that much. And like I say, it’s not an efficient route to anywhere I want to go. My current travel plans are to go fishing in eastern Virginia (almost time for the perch run!), and maybe get to the South Carolina coast for some camping.
Geminid
@susanna: Tybee Island is pretty cool. They held off on overbuilding, and there is a lot of nice flat walking through pleasant neighborhoods, plus the beach.
WaterGirl
BretH, I think you need to send in pics of this for every season. And by season I mean late fall, early winter, mid-winter, first 60-degree day, early spring, spring, late spring, early summer, mid-summer, late summer, early fall, and fall.
I just counted and that’s 12. Ha! So maybe you could take photos for us every month, and these can be a regular thing, once a month. I’m up for it if you are!
SkyBluePink
Love the vertical iphone pic. This is my kind of place!
Thanks for sharing.
mvr
I like the creative use of perspective on these. When I see cool stuff and shoot a picture it often does not look nearly as good in the picture. These captured things well.
BigJimSlade
Lovely shots!
Jack the Cold Warrior
@Geminid: Visiting relatives, I drove the I-77 Wytheville to Charlotte (at Statesville, NC, took US 70 to my hometown, Salisbury, NC) many times, and you are right about how Spectacular that is. Another excellent Interstate scenic route is I-26 from Gates City VA south through Kingsport,TN, Johnson City, TN, Asheville, NC, Hendersonville,NC to Todd, NC. The descent between Hendersonville and Todd is amazing, as you come off the Blue Ridge escarpment into the foothill valley. I drove that once in the middle of a lightning storm and it was like the mountain Gods had gone to war!!!
BretH
@susanna: I have another On The Road about Savannah
stinger
This is my idea of perfect scenery — thanks!