Table Rock, South Carolina

...and here she is, Table Rock in South Carolina. I was to meet at least one more Table Rock in North Carolina. Impressive geology going on here. Very awe inspiring. I wonder if glaciation had anything to do with it?

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

The Road is Long

Wow. This was taken on my second day in the USA. I'd been awake since 2am, and engaging with my first dance with jetlag. A strange sensation. The road seemed very long. And on the wrong side, but hey, I was getting used to it. Though tired, experiences were etching into my mind with an uncanny clarity. I guess courtesy of so many photographs it's hard to forget now.

This was near Table Rock along the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway in South Carolina. I could never have expected it would be so gorgeous, and this was only a starter.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

Pickens 7 Norris 4

...Central 7, Easley 6. Yeah it's just a sign. But when it's a sign in another country, there's a whole different road culture and way of relating to the land going on here. This was actually en route from somewhere in South Carolina to Asheville. I guess someone will eventually tell me exactly where this was taken. It would be easy to extrapolate the location from the distances on the sign, but I hope someone will get in touch and say "Hey!".

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

Happy Easter!

Now I'm not sure what I believe at the moment, but this is good. Communion outside on an Easter Sunday morning. Sunrise. Fire. Perfect. I become aware of God far more easily in places like this than in structures which celebrate and elevate human creativity. Which is amazing and needs celebrating, but if I am to connect with something greater than people, this is the place to do it.

My first Sunday in the USA. I've had a burger, been to Wal*Mart and Waffle House, listened to Garth Brooks. Now I've been to church. I guess my immersion in American culture is well and truly under way.

This is the last time I've taken communion too. Beautiful and special. A group of folk I'd never met before (apart from two) welcomed me, and we had communion at sunrise in this outstandingly beautiful place. Thankyou Pendleton Presbyterian Church.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

American Dawn

Still at Lake Hartwell, South Carolina. Dawn grows. It went on for what seemed hours. Whisps of mist, subtle changes in hue. Moments you couldn't get out of. Not that you'd want to, either. New day, new country. Easter Sunday too. Lots of symbolism going on here.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

American Moonlight

This was my first taste of American Moonlight. Yeah, yeah I know it's the same moon as in England - BUT - the moon in The South here seemed to shine more brightly, more magically. Amazing.

This is down at Lake Hartwell, South Carolina. As we entered the area a racoon cleared the road. Waiting at this shoreline near dawn, coyotes could be heard. Well, that's what I was told they were. So magic. Unforgettable moments here. The feelings and vibes still tingle on my skin.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

I am English. Tea should be hot!

Now, new country, new ways. When in Rome etc etc. So I'd asked to sample some typical American dishes and drinks, and was told that this was a good ol' Southern Drink. Sweet tea. Cold. Sugary, and stacks of ice. Well, I tried, you know. A couple sips was enough for me to recoil in horror and realise that being English (well, yes, personal taste too) had conditioned me to feel that tea should be hot, usually with milk, and drank from ceramic cups / mugs.

This was at a 'Cracker Barrell'. I'd never heard of it, but was told it was an American institution of sorts. Taken in South Carolina, and if I recall correctly there was a huge apple or pear nearby unintentionally (or maybe not) resembling a gargantuan naked ass (or arse, if you're English).

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

Evening Light near Blacksburg and Rock Hill

Evening light on a sunny day. There's nothing like it. Nothing like it at all. The blue sky, the deep greens. Add in a country you've never been to before, and it's amazing, stimulating vibe. Even a motorway (is it a freeway, interstate or what, here?) can have a mellow aesthetic vibe going on. Just a short distance from Blacksburg and Rock Hill at this rest area, it was magic. Roads and rest areas can be magic, you know.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.

South Carolina in the Spring

I'm not entirely sure exactly where we went after leaving Charlotte airport, but we ended up at this rest area on the Blue Star Memorial Highway. The evening light was amazing. Maybe the beginnings of jetlag and my body telling me that 6pm should be 11pm added to the experience and vivid perceptions. This photo shows the intensity of light and just a token of how beautiful South Carolina is in the spring.

Photos, Words and Memories from 2 trips and 3 months in the USA. Based mainly near Asheville in North Carolina.