I decided to take my son on a photo safari to Grandfather Mountain Park before I deploy again to Afghanistan. We traveled along backroads and byways, taking the time to "stop and smell the roses" and photograph the many wonderful scenes along the way. We traveled along the Blue Ridge Parkway from Grandfather Mountain to Gatlinburg, TN and the Great Smoky Mounains National Park. Then southward to Cherokee, NC stopping along the way to hike a couple of miles to photograph trails, scenery, and water falls. This gallery represents lots of time, and at times some very difficult hiking, so please take your time and browse the images here. Realize the natural beauty of this great country and appreciate the freedom we have to roam through it. These photos were taken using my Nikon D80 camera and a Nikkor 18 - 200mm VR DX lens. I also used a circular polirizing filter and a tripod for almost all of these images. Hope you enjoy them.