Mountain Mondays
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for some quiet time, lighter foods and the New Year! However, in order to get to 2011, we have yet another holiday this week with the insanity that is New’s Year Eve followed by more food, booze and football on New Year’s Day!
In the meantime, here are some photographs from our trip to the mountains right before Christmas. There was ice everywhere due to the freezing temperatures and not much sunshine. It was, however, peaceful, so I would like to share that with you this Monday morning as you begin the last week of 2010.
Bridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls
Cullasaja River
Cullasaja River
Enjoy your week!
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Gwen Pratesi
Gwen Pratesi is a James Beard Foundation Award Finalist in Journalism and an award-winning travel writer. She is the author and owner of PratesiLiving.com with her husband and a regular contributor to the Travel section of U.S. News & World Report. She also freelances for other publications including The Points Guy, USA TODAY, Cruise Critic, Travel + Leisure, Garden & Gun, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Reader's Digest, Forbes Travel Guide, Smarter Travel, TripAdvisor, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine and World Travel Magazine. Her work has also been featured on MSN, Yahoo!, Business Insider, and SheKnows.
Gwen chronicles her love of international travel and experience as a professional home cook on PratesiLiving.com, where she shares the stories of some of the world's most sought-after destinations and cruise lines, highly regarded chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, wine and spirits producers and culinary artisans.
She and her husband are enjoying the coastal lifestyle in Florida with their Tibetan Terrier, Rhythm.
What a wonderful retreat! I have such fond memories of our years of living in Asheville. We were in Bent Creek so pretty close to the Parkway. There were lots of trips to the mountain tops and waterfalls during our 3 years there. Happy Holidays!
Hi Melissa,
We are very lucky to be able to spend time in the mountains. It really is a different way of life. Hope you have a wonderful New Year’s holiday!
Gwen
Gorgeous! We are snowed in with 12 inches in Asheville! Wish I get get out of my driveway and see some of these scenes in real life!
I love waterfalls so these are perfect for me. Thank you for sharing them.
You are welcome. 🙂 Thank you for taking time to look at the post.
Such beautiful pictures; you know they always make me homesick for North Carolina even though we didn’t live in the mountains. If my plans to come to BlogHer Food come to fruition I expect to make a trek to my beloved NC for some R&R.
Hi Barb,
That’s exactly what you should do! Spend several days in NC before or after BlogHer. I know that would make the trip a very special one for you.
Gwen
So beautiful, Gwen. Thanks for sharing these lovely images. Are the Bridal Veil Falls photos from the waterfall in Yosemite?
Hi Cristina,
Thank you, Cristina. This Bridal Veil Falls is actually on the road between Highlands and Franklin, NC (State Road 64). The road follows the Cullasaja River and passes by the Cullasaja Gorge. I have not been to Yosemite, but hope to make the trip someday!
Gwen
They’re all beautiful, but the photos of Cullasaja River are breathtaking. 🙂 Happy Monday to you – the last one of the year!!!!
[K]
burrrrrrr, those sure do look cold … hope you do get a little rest and have a pleasantly during the remaining ‘insane’ week – keep the food warm, the fire hot and the booze flowing (and the remote nearby)
Your Mountain Mondays are a beautiful respite from the holiday madness and always a peaceful way to start the week. Thanks, Gwen – I’m glad I discovered your website through our mutual friend Kim. Asheville is on my list of places to visit – come spring or fall 🙂 Stay warm and cheers to a happy and healthy 2011! I’ll be spending NYE on the couch, nice and comfy, champagne in hand.
These are such gorgeous photos…stunning!
Wishing you an amazing New Years and a wonderful 2011 🙂
That ice is just stunning. It was wonderful to slow down and to look at these pictures. Life still seems frenzied to me! I hope you are having a lovely week. Thank you for always sharing such great pictures with me.
Great pictures! So pretty! Happy New Years to you! Look forward to seeing you next month!
those are such beautiful images Gwen! Thanks so much for taking us along with you, so we could share in the wonder of nature!
Have a healthy and happy new year!
Dennis
Such breathtaking images! I love the solitary bird in flight! Thank you for sharing them with us.
I hope you have everything you wish for in the New Year, Gwen 🙂