This past weekend, got a chance to drive by Smokies. As with last minute plans, this needed a few creative ideas to make it happen. One of them was to just drive around and sleep in the car when needed. One of the huge advantage of car camping, is that you are always only a door away from a night full of stars or floating in a mystic fog or waking up to lovely view like this. After trying out some fun light experiments at the Clingmans dome, we decided to head out to NewFound Gap to catch some sleep. The intent was to be able to crash till twilight and be able to enjoy the sunrise from near a view point. But as it is aptly called – Somokies – the view was pretty covered with fog and overcast. After some quick gamble, decided to see if we would have a better luck driving around. As we pulled out of the parking lot and within the next turns, we were greeted with this scene. The sun was just rising behind the mountains lighting up the horizon :)
Hampi, a village in northern Karnataka, India, was one of the richest and largest cities in the world during its prime. It is located within the ruins of the city of Vijayanagara. The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trip to Hampi is incomplete without the trek to Matanga hills. Matunga Hill, being at the center of Hampi, and also the highest point, is the best spot to get an aerial view of Hampi and it's surroundings. One can experience the true essence of any new place much deeper – in the first few moments leading to the sunrise and a few moments after, when the world around us is waking up from a slumber. The rooftop of the Veerabhadra Temple at the summit is the ideal place for a sunrise or sunset. Apart from the Veerabhadra temple, there are lovely views sprinkled around, like these.
Shooting Star … now what would U wish for :) This past weekend the weather was pretty warm and the skies clear providing a right mix for some star gazing. Being around new moon and the Eta Aquarids Meteor at peak was an added bonus. Apart from the over hyped theme parks, Florida has much to offer. Despite what you may know, there are still some spots so remote and light stricken that on a clear summer night like this, the Milky Way glows, like a low lying cloud. Cedar Key, Florida is one of those places nestled on the Gulf of Mexico and provides a truly "Old Florida" rustic experience. I have a feeling this was just first of the many more night trips to come :)
