After watching the first half of a lousy football game Sunday, which was plagued by power outages, a lightning delay AND poor play by the now 0-2 Miami Dolphins, I decided to head out of town for the day. I loaded up my camera gear and headed up to the mountains in western North Carolina.

Two years ago in late October, I discovered Cataloochee Valley. I had traveled to Maggie Valley in the hopes of photographing the late-fall leaf change. After 12 years in Florida and 7 years in coastal NC, I had forgotten what fall could actually look like. 

I found out after arriving that there were elk nearby and decided to get up several hours before sunrise to travel into the Great Smoky Mountains to get a look for myself. 

The park has become one of my favorite locations for a daytrip or overnight stay. The recent cooler weather right now is great, and the leaf change can’t get here soon enough. There will definitely be more trips this year.