Exploring NC

So my last blog post was about my recent storm chase over the weekend in Indiana (https://exploringnc.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/high-risk-storm-chase-111813/).  As a landscape photographer and explorer, I was ecstatic about being able to use this journey to find what beautiful spots Kentucky and Indiana have to offer.

Nic Roberson and I started out our journey after a long drive from NC by camping at Fort Boonesborough State Park in Lexington Kentucky.  I always love camping the night before a big storm chase…the air is usually nice and humid, its not too cold, and well, I just love camping 🙂   Anyways we started our morning at the fort which was interesting but not as photogenic as I hoped.  It was rebuilt and looked too modern, and so we checked it out and then got back on the road!

While driving away from Lexington we stumbled across a nice old barn, and as I looked closer I noticed a bunch of cats!  I have never seen this many stray cats in one  place, so baffled and excited, I knew I had to take a few photographs.  What nice cats!

After about 15 minutes of taking pictures, a neighbor finally drove up to see what I was doing.  She was very nice and told me about how this barn was a local spot for abandoning cats, and her and another neighbor spend $300 a month to try to feed them and keep them alive.  Definitely a place I would love to return to and cover the story better.

Our next stop was in Louisville Kentucky.  As we were driving into the city, we noticed the 5+ large bridges that crossed the Ohio river.  Even though we were on a tight schedule to get to Indiana, I knew we had to pull over to take a picture.  I decided to set the perspective at a low angle, so that the water rushing onto ground in front of me would mix in with the flat water from the Ohio river.  This was a nice spot, and I just wish I had seen a boat come in and anchor.. maybe next time.

After a quick picture, we packed up and headed north to Indiana!  This was my first time in Indiana and the farthest north I have ever driven.  What a beautiful state!  While driving down the highway north toward Indianapolis, we could see state signs leading to caves, parks, and other scenic places that I would love to check out in the future.  Having only a few hours until storm initiation, we had to choose our stops wisely, and so we finally pulled over near Seymour Indiana at the Muscatuck Wildlife Refuge.  This place caught my eye immediately.  Being a person who loves the beauty and stillness of swamps, this place had everything I was looking for…swamps, marshes, and some beautiful gravel roads which made it really feel like we were in Indiana.

We hung out at this Wildlife Refuge for a few hours, while constantly checking radar and waiting to make a move on the storms.  It was actually a little humorous because I kept getting calls from concerned family members and friends asking how the storm chase was going, and I had to tell everyone that I was out chasing swamps.  Here is one of the pictures for the area

After this picture, we jetted Northwest in pursuit of a tornado warned storm, and the rest of the day was out chasing the storms.  This is one of the reasons I love storm chasing, I never know where I will end up or what I will see…but it will always be a new and exciting experience!  Check out www.lightexplored.com for prints and more pictures!