Newfound Gap in the GSMNP

Yesterday, I drove US 441 from Gatlinburg, TN through to Cherokee, NC.  This is a popular drive through the Great Smoky Mountains as it traverses the whole park and has some lovely stopping off points along the way.

Traffic was not so bad.  I did not expect to take outstanding pictures as I wanted to do this to orient myself for future trips.  But I will say this - to drive through the Eastern woodlands again, and especially knowing it was now part of my home, moved me.  Despite years living in the West, my heart belongs in the East and the drive brought back memories of childhood summers in upstate New York.

I took this photo at Newfound Gap, which straddles the Tennessee/North Carolina border, in several exposures to process as a HDR picture:

I got to see the other side, in North Carolina.  I stopped for a break in a small town called Sylva - wound up having an hour conversation with Pixie of Pixie's Emporium and Bistro - who knew, she's a New Yorker from Queens! - and the accents came out . . . go figure.

I also did the same shot in black and white, and tritone.  Can't figure out which I like best (though I am partial to tritone . . .)