Mark's Photo Travels

It's become a yearly tradition to visit Henderson County, North Carolina to explore the area and return with some apples. This year is no different (duh, or I wouldn't be writing this!). This area is currently in a drought, and recent photos I've seen of low water flow at area waterfalls were discouraging, so this year I chose to visit a few historical sites in the area. I picked some sites from a multi-county historic schools survey report I found during the summer, and some grist mills I found on Panoramio (RIP). I went last Sunday, and considering some of my stops were active schools that day worked out much better than a weekday would have. The first place I visited was the site of Flat Rock High School in Flat Rock, located off highway N.C. 225 and now the mixed use complex recently renamed to  Flat Rock Square . Flat Rock High School was built in 1925 and remained a high school until 1960 when the school became a junior high. On August 18, 1971 a fire set by an ...

It's become a tradition to head up to Hendersonville, NC about this time every year to buy some Granny Smith apples and explore the area. Last year I visited the historic train depot and Little Bradley Falls . This year on a warm October 30th I toured several tourist towns along U.S. 64 and N.C. 9. Tuxedo First stop was Tuxedo, off N.C. 225 (Old U.S. 25) , to visit the former Tuxedo School building. According to a history of the school , the first Tuxedo School building opened in 1926, but burned three years later in 1929. This second school was built in 1930, and closed in 1994. The school is unoccupied right now. Hendersonville For many years I've been going to Sky Top Orchard to buy my apples, but I haven't felt like dealing the crowds the past two years. I just want to get my apples and get on my way. Lately, I've been going to Mountain Fresh Orchards , just off Interstate 26 near Hendersonville. Their apple orchard is beside and behind the store. ...