Select Page

Smoky Mountain SunriseSmoky Mountain Sunrise (c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Recently, my friend Dan Williams wrote about Special Places to visit and photograph on his blog. I totally agree with him that there are some magical places that bring you a sense of joy and peace that you find no where else. For me, many of those places are in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. In the past few years, I’ve made several trips to the Smoky Mountains and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. On each trip, I find myself relaxing and feeling more at peace than I do anywhere else. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cherokee National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway are some my absolute favorite places to photograph. I’ve photographed amazing sunrises from Clingman’s Dome, wonderful streams and waterfalls – and all sorts of wildflowers.

Smoky Mountain StreamSmoky Mountain Stream (c) 2008 Patty Hankins

In 2008, I attended my first Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage – and realized just how much I love photographing wildflowers. This year, I’ll have a booth in exhibit hall with my flower photography. The spring wildflowers in the Smoky Mountains are amazing. I don’t have the words to be able to describe just how beautiful it is seeing a hillside of purple and yellow wildflowers.

Yellow Trillium and Purple Phacelia (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

I’m heading back to Tennessee for a couple of weeks of photographing in a few days. I’m hoping to photograph at some familiar locations in the Great Smoky Mountains, in the Cherokee National Forest, and along the Blue Ridge Parkway – as well as discovering some new trails to hike and flowers to photograph. I’m not sure how much I’ll be posting to my blog while I”m gone. I expect to return to my regular blogging schedule when I return home in early May.

Wild Columbine and Purple PHacleiaColumbine and Purple Phacelia (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

The photos in this blog post are some of my favorite photos from my trips to the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. I hope you’ve enjoyed them and that they give you a taste of how wonderful this part of the country is. I’m looking forward to sharing more photos of the area with you when I get back from my trip.