Shenandoah National Park - Virginia
March 23, 2009

Overlook view at north end of the park (near Front Royal)
[There is a row of trees along the left and the lower edge of the image. Beyond that is a valley section with sections of trees and sections of what appears to be farm fields. In the distance are several levels of smooth-top mountains covered in trees. The further sections are less distinct due to haze.]

The Blue Ridge Mountains are looking quite blue.
[This view from a high level looks down at a valley floor which had sections of trees removed although most remain. In the far distance are three levels of smooth-top mountain ridges all with varying levels, based on distance, of bluish-grey haze.]

A view of the trees at the same vantage point as the prior image
[The forest is a lot of relatively short gnarly-looking tree trunks and branches, although there are a few trees with straight trunks (probably a different type of tree).]

The Massanutten (A 50-mile-long mountain which begins and end abruptly, and the valley below it.)
[The valley has a lot of open green-grass land with some sections of trees. There are a number of homes scattered across the grassy areas. In the distance is the tree-covered mountain.]

A hazy view of the Shenandoah valley
[Two photos stitched together showing an expanse of valley with some patches of green grass and many other patches of trees. There is a blue haze across much of the image, especially in the distance along the smooth-top mountains. There are a few leafless trees in the foreground which are sharp in color and contrast.]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Driving the Interstate in Virginia.
March 24, 2009

Interstate 81 south at mile marker 126
[View through the windshield of a vehicle looking at two lanes of highway with vehicles in the distance ahead. Along the right side is a hillside full of leafless trees. The highway has a hillside to the left on the divider between the northbound and southbound lanes which blocks at least half of the view of the lanes of opposing traffic. The sky is nearly all blue with a small section of white cloud in the upper left.]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At the edge of the parking lot at the Super 8 in Max Meadows, Virginia
March 25, 2021

Crown vetch
[Very close view of one bloom with its lilac and white colored blooms which radiate from the center stem. Each bloom is two parts with white petals in the center and light purple petals aroundthe white.]

Fleabane
[Flowers with large yellow center mound and a multitide of thin white petals. There are more than a dozen flowers in the image. Some have short white petals while others have longer petals. There are multiple blooms atop each stem. ]

This may be salsify. The bloom is yellow and this is the seedhead after the bloom.
[Two photos spliced together. On the left is the plant with its many stems. At the top of one stem is a spherical seedhead. The rest of the stems are tightly closed blooms with only a bit of yellow showing at the very top. On the right is a close view of a seedhead sphere with the top half missing. There is a round center from which each spoke of the seedhead emanates. At the end of each spoke is a wispy broom-like structure/shape. ]

Queen Anne's Lace
[Two photos spliced together. On the left is an entire branch with a half-sphere of many tiny blooms. On the right is a close view of the tiny five-petaled white flowers with long stamen with a bulb at the end. Some blooms are still tightly curled into a white bulb, but most are fully open.]

Thistle
[Two photos spliced together. On the left is a fully-closed bloom--only green and spikes show. On the right is an open purple bloom. The top has spikes of purple while the under part is green spikes.]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At a rest stop on Interstate 77
October 4, 2023

Interesting bloom on this plant
[A tall red plant with red stems and leaves has a cylindrical bloom with thick spikes of red with green nubs. The spikes maybe tiny flowers bunched together, but the green nubs are like flecks of green in a sea of red.]

Return to top of page.

Return to travel photos index.

All photos © S. M. Garver