Shenandoah Waterfalls and Recharging the Muse

Rose River Falls

Sometimes a writer needs to recharge her muse. So last Thursday, we loaded the car with camping gear and drove up to Shenandoah National Park for a long weekend getaway. One of our favorite places to unwind.

We did a bit of walking. The first day out, we hiked the Rose River Loop trail. For most of the trail, we enjoyed the pleasant sound of running water along the river, cascades, and falls.

Upper Section of the South River Falls

While camping at Lewis Mountain we heard an interesting presentation from Ranger Mike on the origins of the campground and met several thru-hikers making the trek along the AT from Georgia to Maine. Wish I had that kind of stamina.

On the second day of hiking we traveled along the South River Falls trail, stopping at the oberservation point to take this photo of the upper section of the 83' waterfalls, returning to our car via the South River fire road. We were exhausted when we reached the parking lot, but it was a good kind of tired.

How do you reenergize?


Now that we're home, I'm back on virtual tour with Just Beyond the Garden Gate. Here is where I'll be for the rest of the month.

06/11/13 Romance Junkies - Guest Post

06/12/13 Nancy Lee Badger’s Blog - Guest Post

06/13/13 Books ‘a la Mode - Interview
06/14/13 Star Crossed Romance - Guest Post
06/18/13 Anne Lange's Blog - Guest Post and Recipe

06/19/13 House Millar - Interview

06/21/13 Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas – Soulful quotes by Renee Vincent
06/23/13 Dawn Marie Hamilton Writes - Full Moon Book Giveaway

06/24/13 Fresh Fiction - Guest Post

06/27/13 Melissa Limoges's Blog - Guest Post

I'll also be visiting the Firebirds blog on June 26th as a 2013 Golden Heart® Finalist.

~Dawn Marie

The Waterfalls of The Last of the Mohicans

Dawn Marie at High Falls

I've always loved waterfalls. Standing near the spray brings a sense of balance—peace and tranquility.





 



During a recent visit to the Asheville NC area, hiking to waterfalls was number one on my to-do list.

Blue Ridge Mountains

Driving south from Asheville, we tooled along theBlue Ridge Parkway taking in scenic vistas of rolling mountains.



Looking Glass Falls

Dropping off the parkway, we headed for Looking Glass Falls within the Pisgah National Forest. Although not filmed for the movie, the falls are lovely.

From there, we drove to Dupont State Forest, just north of the South Carolina border.

We put on our hiking boots and walked…

Hooker Falls

Triple Falls

 

High Falls

Hooker Falls, Triple Falls and High Falls—sites for several scenes in the movie, The Last of the Mohicans.

Having not seen the movie, I visited the library after returning home and checked out the DVD. Based on the American literary classic by James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans, staring Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe, is a love story destined by fate and tested by the ravishes of the French-Indian War. I loved the movie as much as visiting the falls. It was such fun to see the locations we visited in the forest as settings for the movie.

If you are ever in the Asheville area, I recommend visiting the falls.

I've had a Native American paranormal romance brewing in the back of my mind for a while. After visiting the falls and watching the movie, I'm itching to start plotting.

Have you been inspired by a place you visited or a movie you've seen?

~Dawn Marie

btw: For more adventurous pictures of Triple Falls, check out my blog post, Adventurous Characters -- Daredevil Kayakers

Jura Mountains in France

I would like to share with you some of the lovely places I visited recently when I vacationed in the Jura Mountains in France. The Jura is a department in the East of France that runs right up to the Swiss border. It is part of the Region of France known as Franche Comte and is renowned for its rivers, waterfalls, caves and the mountainous (or I would say hilly) landscape. There are also many sunny slopes covered in grape vines. (Immediately to the West of the region lies Burgundy.)

Historically the area is important for salt production from underground deposits and I visited the salt work at Salins Le Bains a few miles from where I stayed. Not the most fascinating subject you might think, but it was surprisingly interesting.


I also visited the Royal Salt Works 20 kilometers away. From Salins, they piped the salty water in pipes made of hollowed out trees to this impressive Victorian edifice.



The region has been dry recently, so the waterfalls were not at their best, but this one near where we stayed was pretty.




We also visited some the source of the River Loue and the River Lison. These rivers emerge fully formed from caves in the rock and are very impressive. This came as a surprise to me as the river sources I’ve seen near my home in England are springs that bubble up in boggy ground and start with a trickle of water, gathering strength as they flow toward the sea.





The Jura Mountains are not really mountains but big hills, and at the top are wonderful areas of high wild flower meadows full of butterflys and birds. Throughout the area are ancient picturesque villages. A truly beautiful part of the world!

Positive Energy For The Muse

By Dawn Marie Hamilton

You know it's a bad day when the page in front of you remains blank. The more you try to think, the more your head pounds, the more frustrated you get. The thought of cleaning the bathroom all of a sudden seems like a fun thing to do.

What do you do when your muse refuses to whisper to you?

Chocolate? Helps for a short while. Take a walk? Gets you through the rest of the day.

When I'm really stressed, and the words won't flow onto the page, I need to get away and clear my mind.

Where to go? So many choices to choose from. How about an escape to nature, a hike to a waterfall? Perfect.

I'm not sure what it is about waterfalls that refresh the spirit. All I can say is when I hear the roar through the trees as I approach, I tingle with excitement and when the cooling mist teases my skin, I feel eased.

Some of my favorite falls are near the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Where are yours?

Dark Hollow Falls, Lewis Falls, Rose River Falls are within a hike from the Byrd Visitor Center and Big Meadows. The trailhead for Whiteoak Canyon Falls is located near Skyline Lodge. These are but a few options.

On weekends during the peak of the season, Shenandoah's trails can be crowded, especially the most popular falls trails. When I visit, I try to stay for a few days. Though there are lodges and cabins, my husband and I like to camp. We wake to chirping birds. Eat a camp breakfast while butterflies flutter by. And if we are lucky, we might catch a glimpse of a bear and her cubs as they lumber through nearby woods.

When I return home, my muse is energized, and I'm ready to write the next scene.

The park will celebrate its seventy-fifth anniversary in 2011. To learn more about the waterfalls within Shenandoah National Park visit Shenandoah Online.