Moses Cone Memorial Park
Apr 11, 2023 17:11:30 #
Annette and I visit Moses Cone Memorial Park several times a year when we head into North Carolina to take a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s about an hour’s drive from home and one of our favorite attractions on the parkway.
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, preserves the country estate of Moses Cone, a prosperous textile entrepreneur, conservationist and philanthropist of the Gilded Age. In 1901, Cone built Flat Top Manor, the gleaming white 20-room mansion in the grand Colonial Revival style.
Twenty-five miles of carriage trails wind through the fields and forests of the 3,500-acre estate. The trails are available to horse drawn carriages, horseback riding, and hiking. The Craftsman’s Trail is a 20-minute loop walk around the Manor which the Cones are said to have walked together every morning. The estate also contains a family cemetery and a carriage and apple barn.
Moses Cone’s interest in nature and conservation led him to plant extensive white pine forests and hemlock hedges (at the advice of friend and noted conservationist Gifford Pinchot), build several lakes stocked with bass and trout, and plant a 10,000-tree apple orchard.
The Manor is also the home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild which features handmade crafts by hundreds of regional artists. Turned bowls, ceramic tableware, woven garments, and more handmade crafts are displayed throughout the first floor in different rooms. Annette and I enjoy the seasonal craft demonstrations on the front porch while soaking up the views.
Flat Top Manor and The Southern Highland Craft Guild located in the Moses Cone Memorial Park are open seasonally at milepost 294 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
These photos with Topaz Buzz Sim effect were taken in February. I shot in RAW with my Nikon D750 camera and used Corel AfterShot Pro to convert the files. Then I used Topaz Denoise, Corel PaintShop Pro, Luminar AI, and Exposure 6 to further adjust and enhance the files in post processing. Finally, I used the Topaz legacy plugin, Simplify to add the Buzz Sim effect. I hope you enjoy!
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, preserves the country estate of Moses Cone, a prosperous textile entrepreneur, conservationist and philanthropist of the Gilded Age. In 1901, Cone built Flat Top Manor, the gleaming white 20-room mansion in the grand Colonial Revival style.
Twenty-five miles of carriage trails wind through the fields and forests of the 3,500-acre estate. The trails are available to horse drawn carriages, horseback riding, and hiking. The Craftsman’s Trail is a 20-minute loop walk around the Manor which the Cones are said to have walked together every morning. The estate also contains a family cemetery and a carriage and apple barn.
Moses Cone’s interest in nature and conservation led him to plant extensive white pine forests and hemlock hedges (at the advice of friend and noted conservationist Gifford Pinchot), build several lakes stocked with bass and trout, and plant a 10,000-tree apple orchard.
The Manor is also the home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild which features handmade crafts by hundreds of regional artists. Turned bowls, ceramic tableware, woven garments, and more handmade crafts are displayed throughout the first floor in different rooms. Annette and I enjoy the seasonal craft demonstrations on the front porch while soaking up the views.
Flat Top Manor and The Southern Highland Craft Guild located in the Moses Cone Memorial Park are open seasonally at milepost 294 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
These photos with Topaz Buzz Sim effect were taken in February. I shot in RAW with my Nikon D750 camera and used Corel AfterShot Pro to convert the files. Then I used Topaz Denoise, Corel PaintShop Pro, Luminar AI, and Exposure 6 to further adjust and enhance the files in post processing. Finally, I used the Topaz legacy plugin, Simplify to add the Buzz Sim effect. I hope you enjoy!
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Apr 11, 2023 17:24:11 #
stavros wrote:
Annette and I visit Moses Cone Memorial Park sever... (show quote)
Interesting, but way, way overcooked.
Apr 11, 2023 17:49:19 #
Apr 11, 2023 18:41:37 #
Apr 11, 2023 22:30:13 #
look like artful postcards.
Drove from Raleigh to Blowing Rock this Christmas, and being a flatlander made a rookie mistake. Tried to take the Blueridge Pky into B.R. and wasn't sure I was going to get off that "ice rink" with my life. After about 3-5 miles had to do an easy back-and-forth turn-around and get back on the main highway.
Hey, Garmin said it was fine!
Drove from Raleigh to Blowing Rock this Christmas, and being a flatlander made a rookie mistake. Tried to take the Blueridge Pky into B.R. and wasn't sure I was going to get off that "ice rink" with my life. After about 3-5 miles had to do an easy back-and-forth turn-around and get back on the main highway.
Hey, Garmin said it was fine!
Apr 12, 2023 08:11:50 #
Apr 12, 2023 08:28:52 #
Apr 12, 2023 09:39:54 #
StanMac
Loc: Tennessee
Nice images, Stavros. The Simplify process appears to be selective in how it applies its effects. The clouds seem to be significantly less affected than the landscape features (trees and foliage, grass, etc). Also it seems to have almost no effect on the architectural details of the manor house. Just an observation, not a criticism.
Stan
Stan
Apr 13, 2023 20:48:43 #
stavros wrote:
Annette and I visit Moses Cone Memorial Park sever... (show quote)
They appear to have pretty bad wildfires too.
Boris
Apr 15, 2023 14:40:26 #
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