Monday's Aventure

So here's the new plan, "Plan B" if you will.  Cynthia, my wife, and I went to the Falls of the Ohio (state park) today to scout it out.  What we found was a more interesting area and it doesn't cost a cent to park.  The flood gates are open, as I suspected, so the fossil beds at the FotO are covered with water, as you can see in one of the images below. However, it makes for some pretty dramatic stuff further up river in the park just before you get into the state park. So we'll meet there, weather permitting, by the old rail road bridge in Clarksville.

This is a view looking out beyond where the flood gates are opened at the turbulent river.

I thought this was an interesting combination of man-made and natural surroundings, and it was the entry into the lower part of the area below Riverside Drive.

Ran into an artist, Al Gorman, who assembles the river's refuge into stunning temporary sculptures, many of which are scattered around the area where we'll be drawing.  They are made out of the things he finds washed up, such as styrofoam, old fishing bobbers (see that eye), and interesting pieces of driftwood.

The driftwood gets caught up in the trees and provides very contrasting angles for drawings.

Wandering around the beach/forest area there are lots of drift wood beds, some that are dense in thickness, like layers of bones bleached white by the sun.  Very beautiful and captivating.

The flood gates are open and as the water flows through the spillway, it crashes against the bridge supports, creating very dramatic responses to those obstacles.

The river has such a strong current creating a thunderous sound.  It really sets up some very interesting points of landscape view.

This is one of the scenes of the swollen Ohio River spilling through one of the spillways in the dam, it was a beautiful location.

This is a pathway below Riverside Drive that offers a very different landscape perspective that at Cave Hill.

From IUS, take 65 South, take Exit 0, go straight once you're off the exit ramp, you'll go under the 2nd street bridge, keep going straight, merge onto Riverside Dr, keep going straight.

From Louisville, take 65 North, take Exit 0, when you get to the bottom turn left, make a left right after going under the overpass, make a left at the next turn, make a right at the next turn, merge onto Riverside Drive, keep going straight.

What to bring: Check back with the list for Cave Hill.  Make sure you bring a garbage bag to sit on should you decide to plant yourself in a damp area. There's a little hiking involved, so shoes that will work in sand would be good. If you have some bug repellent, you may want to bring that as well.

I will be parked by the Rail Road Bridge that goes over Riverside Drive. You'll see me, I 'm the one with the hatchback opened.  See you Monday morning.  Questions/comments?