Small Embellishments

Step Railing, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Curls of ironwork add a touch of charm
 to these brick stairs in a courtyard garden.

Whippersnappers

Tree Line, Mt. Sneffels Wilderness, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In contrast to the worn and rounded peaks of the ancient Smokies,
 Colorado's San Juan Mountains are rocky and rough.
 Geologically speaking they are young whippersnappers.

Live Streaming...

Mountain Stream, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The process of taking photos
 of actual streams in the wild.

Colonial Town

Early Morning on Tradd Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Sunrise illuminates a house in a section of the historic district
 that dates from the 1700's when Charleston thrived as a colonial port city.

Subtlety

Fence Line, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Once you focus on these fence posts mirrored in a rain puddle, you might then notice the more subtle detail of a mountain ridge reflected in the pool as well.
Its soft rounded contour worn down over millions of years is typical of
the ancient mountains that are the Smokies.

An Inclination to List

Leaning Wall, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Some of Charleston's older structures tend to...
1. have a bit of a lean to them.
2. be far from plumb.
3. appear distorted like a fun house mirror.
4. defy gravity.

Boo

Saint Philip's Church, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Ghost tours of Charleston often start near the churchyards
 of the French Quarter, where spirits hide
 beneath the shroud of misty shadows.

Gateway Design

Entry Gates, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Twin gates frame the doorway
 of a mansion near Charleston's High Battery.

Johnson's Row

Johnson's Row on Queen Street, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Morning sun warms early 19th century tenements
 in Charleston's French Quarter.

Blue Mood

Country Lane, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Afternoon showers darken the day
 along a rural lane in the Smokies.

Fall for the Carolinas

Walker, Ravenel Bridge, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Crisp clear autumn days in the Lowcountry are perfect
 for invigorating the spirit with fresh air and sunshine.

Wireless

Rustic Fence, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The old ways are not forgotten in the Smokies.
Pioneer life is on display for visitors to imagine
 the austerities of mountain life in the 19th century.

Treescape in the Park

Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Palmetto trees abound in Charleston's Waterfront Park.
They are ideal for framing this symbol of the city's hospitality,
 the Pineapple Fountain.

Old Guard

Live Oak, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An ancient live oak stands sentinel over a burial plot
 at Charleston's historic Magnolia Cemetery.

Smoothing Out the Wrinkles

Mountain Stream, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A long camera exposure transforms the turmoil
 of a rushing mountain stream into a silky smoothness.

High Art

Mary Shrine on a Corner Facade, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Elaborate styling on this baroque shrine placed above the street
 exemplifies Italian architectural art.

No Hay Required

Street Corner, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In the modern era of Charleston
 bicycles are hitched to posts instead of horses.

Illusion

Side Door of a Rustic Cabin,
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A tight composition of this rustic cabin in Cades Cove
 gives the optical illusion of a split image. Visual depth is created
 with a view through an open door into the woods beyond.

Crescents

Gas Lantern, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A gas lantern sits atop a gate adorned with crescent moons,
a key symbol on the South Carolina state flag.
 The symbol comes from little crescents worn on the caps
 of the Revolutionary soldiers who defended Charleston in 1776.

Grassy Gap

Gap in the Mountains,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Thick grass fills a gap in the mountains
 at an overlook along the scenic
 Foothills Parkway in the Smokies.

Local Haunt

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



By day this hidden 19th century alleyway
 offers a secluded stroll through Charleston's French Quarter.
But by nightfall it is known to be haunted by the whistling ghost,
so beware of strange sounds arising from the shadows.

To the Rescue

Heart Door with Fire Hydrant, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An occurrence of the red-hot heart
may need relief close at hand.

Life Cairns

Stone Cairn Along a Coastal Trail, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



If only life's path could be as easy to know
 as following the markers placed along the trail.

Edgelands

Row of Oak Trees by a Meadow, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Mountain woodlands boarder a large meadow
 where a mix of flora and fauna converge
 to make Cades Cove the most popular point of interest
 in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Adornment

Stonework, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A close-up of this stonework shows the fine craftsmanship
 involved with embellishing tombs at historic Magnolia Cemetery.

Pining

Pines in the Mist, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I imagine these tall pines reaching longingly
 for mists that hover fleetingly above Appalachian ridges.

The Good Ole Days

Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Here are some images I found in my archives to prove
 that Charleston was once a warm sunny place.

Dawn's Glow

Lanterns in a Courtyard, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The warm glow of courtyard lanterns is in contrast
 to the twilight in Charleston's Historic District.

Warm Hues of Autumn

Sourwood, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Vermillion hues caught my eye on this sun-kissed sourwood
 growing along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Rustic Pastureland

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Rustic fence lines recede into pastureland
 at the edge of Cades Cove in the Smokies.

Ancient Echoes

Capital Detail, Randolph Hall, College of Charleston,
Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This Ionic capital could very well be from ancient Greece,
but is actually on the iconic portico of Randolph Hall
 at the modern day College of Charleston.

Prime Real Estate

Perching Heron, James Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A lone heron gazes across a tidal marsh
 from a prime vantage point
during a misty morning on James Island.

Cool Refreshment

Mountain Stream, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Tumbling mountain water twists its way down the photograph
 and rushes around a lichen covered boulder in the Smokies.

Garden City

Courtyard Entry, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Shaded by on old redbud tree, this French Quarter courtyard
befits Charleston's description as a garden city.

Autumn Chill

Rocky Coast in the Mist, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)


Cooler weather means misty mornings are more frequent
 along the coast than in summer,
whether up north in Maine or down south in the Carolinas.

Seek and You Shall Find

Scrollwork, Saint Phillip's Churchyard Gate, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



While walking around town
don't waste time scrolling on your electronic device...
look for scrolls in Charleston's French Quarter instead.

Emergence

Loop Road, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A curve in the road presents a view emerging from the forest.

Autumn Color

Cassia Tree, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Cassia blooms brighten the entry to an old mansion
 near the South Battery in Charleston.

Glacial Remnant

Blue Lakes, Mt. Sneffels Wilderness, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A slab of ice floats on the surface of an alpine lake
 in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

Travel Destination

Unity Alley, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Old Unity Alley is home to McCrady's Restaurant,
rated among the nation's finest dining experiences.
The 18th century long room and tavern hosted a banquet
attended by George Washington while he was
 on tour of the South (being one of Charleston's earliest notable tourists!).



 

Hello

Doors on a Rustic Cabin, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A contemporary greeting scrawled over this doorway
welcomes visitors to a rustic cabin in Cades Cove.

Charleston Style

Ornate Lantern, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An ornate gas lantern provides a stylish accent
 to this blue shuttered house South of Broad.

Tucked Away

Hardwood Cove Cascade, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Tucked among a forest of hemlocks and yellow poplars,
 a small waterfall complements its lush surroundings
 in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Glimpse of a Walled Garden

Garden Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This door offers a window to a courtyard garden
in Charleston's Historic District.

Peace in the Valley

Stream in a Mountain Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Tranquility flows with this mountain stream
 as it tumbles down a lush valley in the Smokies.

Otherworld

Spruce-Fir Forest, Mount Mitchell, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The thick, dark coniferous forest on Mount Mitchell
 appears mystical when the sun beams through the mist.

Row House Display

Row Houses, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Window boxes and flower pots adorn row houses
 along Queen Street in the Historic District.

An Evening Invitation

Tree by the Roadside, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Warm evening light adorns a tree
 that frames an inviting road in the Smokies.

Foggy Friday

Surfer in the Mist, Folly Beach, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)


A lone surfer trudges along the beach
 on a fog shrouded morning at the Folly Pier.