“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
Hebrews 11:3
Hello sweet friends. Even though autumn doesn’t end until December 21, it always seems that unofficially, it ends the day after Thanksgiving. But before we welcome the Christmas and winter season, we must take a last look at the beauty of autumn. Last Saturday was one of those picture perfect autumn days with warm sunshine, gorgeous blue skies, and nature at its finest. We decided to take in some stunning scenery and do a little leaf peeping. We live in Northeast Alabama in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, a very picturesque part of our state with mountains, rivers, and waterfalls. I have brought along a thermos of coffee and you are invited to jump in the backseat of the hubby’s truck for a short road trip!
The trees are dressed in autumn splendor!
Our first stop is Little River Falls set atop Lookout Mountain. The falls are easily accessed from the parking area via a boardwalk.
Just a short walk, and here is the beautiful forty-five foot waterfall! It is located at the beginning of the amazing Little River Canyon in the Little River Canyon National Preserve. It is one of the deepest canyon systems east of the Mississippi River.
Gold and russet hues are quite prevalent!
The pool into which the waterfall flows is large enough for summertime swimming!
While historians referred to it as the “Journey of Injustice”, the Cherokee people called it “The Trail of Tears.” During the journey, thousands of Native Americans died. There are few reminders across the country of “The Trail of Tears”, but there are several spots in Alabama where you can trace this tragic event.
Leaving Little River falls we are driving a few miles north to another picturesque part of the Little River Canyon National Preserve, DeSoto Falls!
A beautiful lake greets us as we pull onto the parking area. With the morning sun, it is not the best time to photograph the two boathouses. The famous red one that I have shared several times on the blog is in the sun’s glare today, so no photo!
Now let’s walk a few hundred yards down to the railed overlook!
DeSoto Falls, named for the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto, is one of the tallest and most visited in the state. The historic A.A. Miller Dam can barely be seen behind the upper falls!
Situated more than 100 feet above a beautiful gorge is the lower or main waterfall!
Traveling back south to DeSoto State Park we came upon the very popular Talmadge Butler Boardwalk Trail. With a length of only a 1,000 feet, this trail is capable of accommodating individuals of all abilities. It is one of Alabama’s best and easiest boardwalk trails to hike!
Azalea Cascade is a very small and peaceful waterfall! There isn’t much water flowing today.
Gorgeous reflections on this most perfect autumn day!
The trail ends at this octagon deck that overlooks a pool that was formed by Azalea Cascade. The trail is also enjoyed by bird watchers.
Alabama is a hiker’s dream…
…and autumn is the perfect time to enjoy God’s amazing creation!
As we start back home, I see this pretty photo opportunity…
…I am drawn to the autumn leaves!
This is our last stop. Yellow Creek, is a favorite destination for boaters and kayakers. You can see the footers of the Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia Railway trestle. This scenic route ran the length of Lookout Mountain from Chattanooga, TN. to Gadsden, AL.
We didn’t visit our hometown waterfall, but you can read all about here. Thank you for joining us as we have shown you just a small slice of Alabama the Beautiful! We love reading your comments! Wishing you a most wonderful weekend!
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Imparting Grace, Calypso in the Country
Oh Pam, I’m so glad you shared these! We are blanketed in white and so to see this glorious (and that is understating it) color was such a treat. Truly beautiful in every way.
Thank you Jeanie for coming along for the ride!
I would totally enjoy walking the trail especially now that’s its so cold here. You truly live in the garden spot of our country.
Alice, yes we do. NE Alabama is beautiful! Wishing you a warm and cozy day!
What a beautiful ride. The leaves, the streams, the waterfall, the amazing trails-all reminders of this beautiful creation. Like you, I am enjoying every ounce of beauty that this season holds. It has been cold and wintry here for the last two days with frigid temperatures. Thank you for this beautiful trip. Blessings my friend.
Thank you Dianne. I am glad you joined us for the ride! Stay warm and Happy Thursday!
Lovely viewing the fall splendor today with you. I have been to all these places and you captured it very well. Enjoy your day!
Thank you Bonnie and Happy Thursday!
Beautiful, Pam. The leaves are fabulous. And the waterfalls are beyond beautiful. It was a lovely ride and I was so happy to tag along. If I didn’t know better, I would say I would say you were in the hills of West Virginia. The countryside is so similar. Wishing you a wonderful day and I thank you for this lovely post.
Thank you for joining us on the drive! Wishing you a lovely Thursday my friend!
Pam, that was a wonderful Fall tour! You and Butch certainly live in a beautiful part of the country. When I was 8, my mom was quizzing me for a geography test… Who discovered the Mississippi River? No idea. She said “he poured baking soda in the river.” DeSoto!! Even when she was 87, she still asked me who discovered the river, and I never forgot!
Roxanne, what a wonderful story. Thank you my friend!
Such beautiful color! Fall is my favorite season when we can relax after surviving the long, hot summer in Texas.
Thank you Rachel!
I enjoyed this day trip with you so much Pam! I spent a lot of time in the car this weekend just driving around admiring the beauty! The trees seem especially beautiful this year and I find myself going the long way everywhere I go! Thank goodness our temps are going up though, Tuesday was rough!!
Jenna
Jenna, fall is so full of color…love it! The leaves are mostly gone now.
Beautiful photos, you got a bit more color than we did this year. Much of the foliage is gone before it had a chance to turn into autumn glory. There are bits of color here and there, but it went from too warm to too cold before we had a chance to hike our mountain area.
We only had a small window of beauty this fall!
Thanks for taking me along on your drive. Your area reminds me a lot of the area I live in. The Blue Ridge Mountains of NC.
Thank you Penny!
Thank for sharing Fall with us Floridians. Lovely pictures. I especially love lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Even better than the ocean!😀😬
Thank you dear Nancy! Blessings~
Pam, your autumn photographs are gorgeous! Thank you for sharing these with us. We only saw pretty fall colors for a short time. Our weather has been crazy with lows in the teens. We even saw a little snow on Monday. It already looks like winter. Happy Thursday, sweet friend!!!
Thank you Shannon. I am thrilled that you enjoyed our little ride. Stay warm and cozy my friend!
Thank you. My rest ride this fall!
Thank you Bobbie!
Thank you Pam, for the lovely day trip thru Alabama.
Thank you for joining our scenic tour Mildred!
Hi Pam, the weather begins to show an unpleasant face and I am at home because this afternoon may not be the best time to go out. That has given me the joy of being able to have a serene afternoon and see your beautiful publication.
A very beautiful walk along those roads full of the color of autumn, they look like trees of pure gold … What a beauty!
The United States has beautiful landscapes and everything is great … Thank you for showing them.
a cordial greeting
Dolores
Querida Dolores, parece que tu clima ha cambiado. Fue un placer tenerte unida mientras conducíamos por mucha belleza natural cerca de nuestra casa. ¡Espero que hayas disfrutado de tu tarde en casa, con suerte cálido y acogedor! Siempre espero sus visitas. ¡Te deseo una semana maravillosa!
Con amor,
Pam
Wonderful pictures! You’ve brighten up my day! Blessings!
Thank you Maristella!
Such beauty around every colorful leaf!
I enjoyed the ride and your narrative tour was wonderful! I enjoyed the hot chocolate in the thermos too!
I sure hope you get this!
Thank you dear Nancy and yes it came through!
You and I live about as far apart as we can within the same state. How different and beautiful our home is! Of course, the grass is always greener, and I’d love to trade you a white sandy beach for a colorful waterfall. Thank you so much for the beautiful photos!
Quite a difference between the beach and NE AL. I do love that our state has so much natural beauty!
This is just gorgeous, and yes, I felt like I was along for the ride! Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful photos that so clearly depict the glory of our great God. It is hard for me not to break out into singing, “How Great Thou Art” when I am out in such splendor. He is an awesome God! May He bless you richly!
I will join in as you sing “How Great Thous Art!” Thank you Cheryl.
Pam, Such beautiful fall scenery and so many gorgeous shots of my favorite time of year! We’re a little past our peak for fall color and our recent rain brought a lot of leaves down. Happy Weekend ♥
Thank you Mary, have a wonderful week!
Pam, thank you for sharing your trip through the countryside. What a beautiful gift God has given us. Nature at it’s finest.
My pleasure to share and God pours out the beauty of His creation for us to enjoy! Have a wonderful weekend Della!
When I behold His wonders….. thank you, thank you Pam and Butch for this vicarious journey
through the wonder that is Alabama’s foothill range. Don’t you just wish we could bottle it and
send them off to other non-Autumn states? Here in Tennessee we have Fall-Creek-Falls, a
beauty to behold in our beautiful State Park and I am just around the corner from one of the most beautiful “hidden” lakes of enormous size that beckons Fall hikers to partake. Your photography is outstanding and realistic… what a gift for this day… Bless you.
Thank you dearest Mary for hopping in for the ride! God has created so much beauty for us to get outside and enjoy! Wishing you a most wonderful week!
Well, I could not let this opportunity go by without commenting,,, this blogg was sent to me by a friend in Australia,,, wonderful internet,,, as she knows I love anything to do with wilderness and trees, as a retired lecturer in forestry?woodland management it lifts my heart to see such lovely photos,,,, we have had a good year for color here in ENGLAND but most of the leaves have now fallen, just waiting for the snow, and already looking forward to spring,,, been a very wet start to the winter here with lots of flooding in low laying areas… best wishes to all you over the pond and have a great and safe festivities,,,, Barry
Hello Barry, thank you so much for coming over for a visit. We have had below freezing temperatures for the past several nights, so now most of the beautiful leaves have fallen. But, they were so lovely. My husband would have been interested in your lectures, he loves the forest and woodlands. Once again, thank you for taking time to stop by!
So beautiful and peaceful. Felt my soul relax just looking at God’s workmanship.
Thank you for coming along! Have a most wonderful week!