I took the images you see here after pulling over to explore an historic landmark attraction for Pilot Mountain which was situated along U.S. 52 in northwestern North Carolina on the return trip.
A remnant of the ancient Sauritana Mountains, it was revered by the Saura Indians, the region's earliest known inhabitants, who called the landmark Jomeokee, which translated means "Great Guide." It lies in what currently is called the Yadkin Valley, which is rich in local wineries.
Along the pullover were a few interesting landscapes as well -- flowers and, in an area inaccessible by foot, old buildings. You'll see samples from those here, too.
Leading off the post is a tight shot of the mountain, taken with the Tamrom 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens zoomed at maximum focal length. I did bracket this for later high-dynamic range treatment, but the HDR version left a curious and very light halo along the line where the bushes well in the foreground meet the mountain foliage. The single-frame version, which you see, struck me as superior.
In fact, only one image in this post is an HDR treatment. It's the shot of the red-bloomed tree overlooking the highway and row of yellow flowers behind it. The flowers you see in the closeups were along a chain-link fence separating the pullover area from a grassy area where the buildings were situated. I shot the photos of the buildings through the openings in the fence.
The main structure was so rickety, it seemed to warrant monochrome treatment, but I'll include a color version for you to compare ... and decide which is best. The other building was so overwhelmingly covered with foliage that I decided not to include it in the post.
To view a full gallery of images of my shoot of Pilot Mountain from this scenic overlook area, follow the link in this sentence.
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