Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #157: Getting Away

17Jul
by Oh, the Places We See
Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park

Sometimes you need to get away for a few weeks just to figure out who you are again.

Judd Apatow

We’re honored to have been invited to be guest hosts for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #157 by the four creative photographers who began this project. This week’s topic — Getting Away — is near to our hearts, because in the last 15-20 years or so, we’ve left our comfy nest in Knoxville, Tennessee, to travel near and far — short trips, long stays, cruises, solo drives . . . we’ve loved it all. We hope you’ll share your favorite getaways with us this week as well.

Maybe you, too, are yearning to get away after being quarantined during the pandemic. If the packed hotels and restaurants we’ve seen of late are any indication, we’re all “itching” to get away, even if it’s just to rejoin the people we love and the places once familiar to us.

Sailing the Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis, Maryland
In Annapolis, we captured a shot of this couple anxious for a getaway on the Chesapeake Bay even in the time of COVID.

We don’t always have an absolute getaway strategy. At times, we like to be alone in our thoughts like the traveler in the picture at the top of this post sitting by himself on Cadillac Mountain in Maine’s Acadia National Park contemplating the view and the world we live in.

At other times, we travel in groups, with people — lots of people — just to see some of the world’s famous places. And to find we have more commonalities than differences.

Climbing stairs with people from all over the world to learn more about China and The Great Wall.

Once you get away from where you’re from, you look at it in a different way.

Deana Carter

The reasons for getting away are as varied as the destinations.

One year, we timed a trip to Provence just as lavender plants began showing their colors.

Senanque Abbey near the French town of Gordes

On another getaway, we floated past homes along the famed Mekong River in Cambodia.

Home along the Mekong River, Cambodia
Laundry day in one of many floating villages in the Mekong River.

A getaway to Morocco took us to the tanneries in Fes to watch (and smell) the tedious, yet centuries-old, process of dying leather.

Dying leather in the tannery at Fes.

We’ve tried picking a favorite, all-time, most memorable getaway, but it’s nearly impossible. Perhaps it was the morning we hiked up (alone) to Monhegan Lighthouse in Maine to greet the sun bathing white clapboard buildings with light.

Standing in awe of sunrise at the Monhegan Island Light.

Or maybe it was the time we chartered a plane to catch a glimpse of Mt. Everest, flew closely to the snow-covered peaks, and gripped each other’s hands as we took our turn standing beside the pilot.

Mt. Everest
A much-anticipated getaway to Mt. Everest.

But it wouldn’t be a proper post of ours if we didn’t mention our once-a-year destination for the past 42 years, our go-to getaway that has recharged us every year: Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

Waiting for sunrise on the porch of our rental in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

I’d like to get away from earth awhile. And then come back to it and begin over.

Robert Frost, “Birches”

It may seem that we only yearn to see faraway places. But that’s simply not true. Our all-time best getaway is at home — on our humble, but well-used, screened-in porch!

Screened-in porch at home
No place like home.

So, whether you head to a favorite place each year, or you like to travel to destinations far and wide, show us what “getting away” means to you. We look forward to reading about — and seeing — your favorite spots.

Thanks again to Patti, Amy, Tina, and Ann-Christine for inviting us to be guest hosts this week for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #157: Getting Away. If you join us, include a link to this post and use the Lens-Artists “tag.”

We invite you to join us next week when Beth Smith of Wandering Dawgs leads Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #158. Her theme is “Along Back Country Roads.”

Travel wherever your heart takes you,

Rusha & Bert

134 thoughts on “Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #157: Getting Away”

  2. Pingback: Celebrating 10 years with WordPress! – Oh, the Places We See . . .

  4. Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #159 – Postcards | Leya

  5. Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #159 – Postcards – Anvica's gallery

  6. Pingback: Lens-Artists Challenge #158 – Along Back Country Roads | Leya

  8. Pingback: Away on Island in the Net

  10. Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #157: Getting Away | The Life in My Years

  11. Pingback: Lens-ArtistPC-157-Getting-Away – WoollyMuses

  15. Pingback: An Introvert’s Way of Getting Away – Nes Felicio Photography

  16. Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #157: Getting Away – nowathome

  19. Pingback: Lens Artist Challenge – Getting Away – norasphotos4u

  22. Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Getting Away | The Nature of Things

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much, Sue. It was indeed breathtaking to walk up to that property from where the bus dropped us off. When we saw the lavender, we couldn’t wait to take pictures . . . and shop in the gift shop, of course!

      Reply

  24. Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Getting Away – Journeys with Johnbo

  27. babsje

    Hi Rusha

    Your lead quote is so very true! Your photos are striking, especially the crowded Great Wall and the Senanque Abbey. Is that a lavender field? Does it smell as beautiful as it looks? And I will never again complain anout laundry day after seeing your photo from the Mekong Delta!

    My favorite getaways are to places with Great Blue Herons and Egrets. Here’s one dramatic getaway day about a Heron in need of rescue:

    https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com/2021/07/20/happy-ending-to-beautiful-great-blue-heron-rescue/

    Best, Babsje

    Reply

  28. Pingback: Happy Ending to Beautiful Great Blue Heron Rescue | Babsje Heron

  29. Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #157: Getting Away | The World Is A Book...

  31. Pingback: Getting away… – Geriatri'x' Fotogallery

  32. Pingback: Lens-Artists Challenge #157 – Getting Away Pt. 2 – John's Space …..

  34. Ana

    Wonderful post! Great theme accompanied by beautiful images. I’m sorry I didn’t participate, I got away to the mountain for the weekend and I didn’t have time. I will try it during the week.

    Reply

  35. Pingback: Lens Artist Challenge #157 – Getting Away | Leya

  36. Wind Kisses

    Thank you for hosting. Beautiful images. I have to say I felt like I wanted more from your float by on the Mekong River. That must have been a ‘wow’ the entire way. And I cannot imagine dying leather like in Fes. Oh the Places you HAVE seen. Donna

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks for your comments. I, too, loved the lavender fields and the Mekong, and I need to write more about each. Also, thanks for participating in this week’s challenge. I’m headed to your site now.

      Reply

  38. restlessjo

    The places you’ve seen, alright! I have a particular fondness for a lavender farm in Yorkshire, but I’m sure I would like Maine and I wouldn’t be sorry to call South Carolina home, Rusha. We had a brief getaway last weekend but today’s post focuses mostly on the street art so I haven’t included it. Always nice to travel with you.

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks for your lovely comment. We’d love to see Yorkshire not just for the lavender farm but for the countryside in general. Yes, you’d love Maine — we haven’t met anyone who doesn’t. And we’re headed back to the beach this weekend. Travel is good for getting away, but so are local getaways. Best wishes to your for a good rest of the summer.

      Reply

  39. Leya

    A truly inspiring theme! Thank you for hosting and sending wonderful travel memories to us. The lavender fields…how i would love to see them too! Your sunrise photos are so beautiful and you surely have a cosy home. Everest – we missed out on the flight because of bad weather, but hiked around Anapurna and saw Everest too. Great photography!

    Reply

  42. Pingback: A.J"s WORLD THINGS.

  44. Tobias M. Schiel

    Inspiring post, I love the wooden houses – and I really would like to get awya, but right now my journeys do not take me far from our house, so my interpretation might seem a bit extravagant. (Not sure how this works – do I include the link to my post here?) Cheers!

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Just copy and paste your link here to my site. I’d love to see your getaway. Don’t forget my last image on this post — we really are fairly content to get away on our screened-in porch. It feels good!

      Reply

  45. I. J. Khanewala

    Great to have you as the week’s host. That’s a wonderful photo of Everest. Seeing it from the air must be something! I had to smile at your photo of the Great Wall. Walking on it feels so much like walking in a Beijing metro station. Wonderful sunset and sunrise too, and the photo of flowering lavender brought back pleasant memories.

    I have a different interpretation of getting away this week:
    https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2021/07/19/after-the-rain-me/

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks for your comments. We were surprised at how arduous a climb up the Great Wall would be. Have no idea how the sentinels who ran it every day survived! We even saw people much older than we were at the time bounding upward, much to our surprise! So, the Great Wall holds various memories for us! I’m headed to your site now to see what you have posted. Thanks for joining the challenge this week.

      Reply

  46. Pingback: After the rain, me – Don't hold your breath

  47. Pingback: Calm Crossings | Story Twigs the Imagination!

  49. Greenglobaltrek

    How amazing you have gone back to the same place for forty two years!!! It must be wonderful there! And so many interesting exciting locations in between! Do you always rent the same house?

    It’s always good to come home ~ even though for our home keeps changing. It becomes more about a feeling than an actual place for us!

    Lovely post with wonderful photos.

    Peta

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      There’s a part of us that would love doing what you do — moving around to different homes, different countries. But we must be more sedentary than I ever would have imagined. We love going to the same beach, but we’ve rented numerous houses. The one in the photo is next door to a rental we had last December, and I was standing on the upstairs balcony porch. Nice view!
      Home is home, though, and we’ve been in Knoxville since we came to college at Univ. of Tennessee in 1963. Now, that’s a long time! Thanks for your comments and your interest. We appreciate you.

      Reply

  50. SoyBend

    This was a great topic for a challenge! I liked the first photo of the solitary visitor taking in the view. The South Carolina sunset picture looks so serene.

    Reply

  52. Pingback: lens-artists photochallenge dreaming of getting away – photo roberts blog

  53. Pingback: Yellowstone Hot Springs-A great escape!: LAPC - bend branches

  54. Khürt Williams

    Wow! Rusha, that’s a lot of travelling and you have visited some varied venues. We’ve not traveled anywhere since 2017 so we’re way overdue. 2020 plans were put on hold and it seems 2021 plans will be as well. It’s just to darn expensive. Hotel rooms prices near Acadia National Park are nearly double what they would be normally and many of the destinations we had in mind are booked out for months.

    Right now, I number one get away is the couch. 😂

    Reply

      1. Oh, the Places We See

        Thanks so much for your reply to the Getting Away post. We, too, loved our brief time on Monhegan Island. We arrived after almost everything had shut down. Had to bring our own food. But one homeowner allowed us to rent a small apartment from her. That morning, we were all alone to greet the sun. A very lovely getaway and unique experience. Thanks for your comment.

    2. Oh, the Places We See

      You are so right about Maine right now. We were there in early June, and all of the inns we tried to book were quite expensive, if there were any rooms at all. I’m not sure when the influx of tourists will slow down. We’re all trying to get away after the pandemic. Keep trying. You may be able to find something. If not, your couch might be your best bet!

      Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much for commenting and selecting two of my favorite photos and spots to visit. You would love seeing the homes along the Mekong as well as Everest — outstanding in different ways, of course, but eye-catching and endearing. I’m headed to your site to see your contribution. Thanks for taking time to join us!

      Reply

  56. Pingback: Gallery: Getting away, or, there’s a wonderful world out there! ~ Travel with me

  57. Tina Schell

    Well Rusha, you two certainly do get away, don’t you?! Gorgeous images, especially loved the lavender which had unfortunately just finished blooming when we visited Southern France. Timing is everything isn’t it?! Also loved your Maine image – the light is glorious in that one. I chose to feature our just-finished visit to the west coast so for me the timing was perfect on this one!

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much for the comments and for noting two of my favorite events — seeing the lavender in Provence and greeting the day in Monhegan. We’ve loved our travels and looking back through our pictures. Can’t wait to see your shots from the West Coast. You always take the best photos! Thanks, too, for entrusting me with your photo challenge. It was such a good experience!

      Reply

  58. Pingback: Lens-Artists Challenge #157 – Getting Away | Travels and Trifles

  59. photobyjohnbo

    I love your theme this week. I especially like your early morning images.
    For sure there are so many people who are finally having the opportunity to get away again after a year of uncertainty. We aren’t completely out of the woods yet, with outbreaks happening around the world again, but with the relative safety of the vaccine protection, people are again venturing out.
    I am looking forward to sharing my challenge response on Thursday, as usual for me.

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks for the compliments and for noting the early-morning pictures. I’ve developed a habit of getting up before sunrise when I travel — there’s just something about the tender light of day that’s appealing. Can’t do it every day, but sometimes it’s more special if I don’t make it a habit. I look forward to seeing your contribution.

      Reply

  61. Sue

    Oh, wow, you have had some amazing travels, Rusha! Cambodia I never
    ot to as I had to cancel a trip and now don’t have the health to manage it, so I enjoy seeing your images. But the one that strikes a chord with me is Senanque abbey and th lavender – was never there at the right time in Provence to see lavender plants showing their colors.

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Sue, thank you so much for taking time to comment. I, too, had a travel snafu: was supposed to go to Jordan and Egypt last March, but the pandemic shut all trips to those countries (well, the whole world actually), so we didn’t get to go. Now, I’m not sure I ever will. Thanks for taking a look and weighing in on the post. Your involvement — and opinion — is always welcome.

      Reply

  63. Pingback: Lens-Artists Challenge – Getting Away – photographias

  64. Pingback: Weekend 122: Woods in Black & White – mazeepuran (माझे e-पुराण)

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much. We’ve seen a lot, but have so many more places on our wish list. It’s good, however, to be grateful for what we’ve seen and done. And grateful for people like you who say nice things! Thanks!

      Reply

  67. Pingback: Lens-Artists Challenge #157 – Getting Away – John's Space …..

  68. Prior...

    great theme this week and my favorite image of your getaway post was the laundry day along the Mekong River. Also, that place n South Carolina seems like a nice place to have on the yearly schedule 🙂

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much for selecting one of my all-time photos of a favorite place: the Mekong River. I could have posted several homes and boats along that river. As to the house in South Carolina, we’re headed there this coming week. It’s a great family getaway, and it feels so comfortable since we’ve been going for so long. I appreciate your comments and wish for you many getaways to come.

      Reply

      2. Oh, the Places We See

        Thanks for posting. I’m headed to your site right now. And I’ll think about in SC. It’s lovely on the coast, and that’s where I’ll “park it” for a week!

  70. Marsha

    Hi Rusha, These are lovely images. It’s fun to see selected artists featured as guests for this fabulous challenge. You’ve been to some amazing places. I’ll be sharing a trip long ago to San Antonio in my post tomorrow for #TreeSquare. I’ve also linked it to your post here. 🙂 Nice to connect. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks for your comments and for your praise. It’s been fun searching through my photos to find some great getaways, and I can’t wait to see yours from a San Antonio trip. Thanks for sharing your ideas and photos with us!

      Reply

  71. Terri Webster Schrandt

    Hi Rusha! Found you through Lens-Artists. Glorious photos of your get-aways! I can see why your yearly get-away to North Carolina is your happy place! As happy as we thought we were in Northern California, we made the move to Spokane, WA area and have been here 7 months. A drastic get-away, but we love our rural lifestyle in Nine Mile Falls. You are so right about coming back home (and here we are)! This theme worked for my Sunday Stills theme of evergreen which will post Sunday morning at 7am, and link to your post then. Thanks for hosting!

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks for your kind words and for sharing the information about your move to Spokane. We’ve visited downtown Spokane twice and both times were fascinated by the falls, sculptures, and places for families to gather. There is also an area outside of town where we picked apples, but I can’t remember the name of it. Looking forward to seeing what you share on Sunday.

      Reply

  72. Amy

    I really enjoy your getting away post. I can feel the excitment of your world travels through your beautiful photos, especially love the peacefulness of your home and Pawleys Island you captured. Thank you for this inspiring theme, Rusha!

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much, Amy. It was fun going through old stashes of photos — and getting reminded of why we love getting away but also returning home. Any getaway can be good one — near or far. And hearing from others is just good for the soul!

      Reply

  73. Pingback: Getting Away to an Alpaca Farm – From Hiding to Blogging

  74. kzmcb

    Your narrative and photos took me with you. I love your porch and your Pawleys retreat. I think we’re quite similar in our favourite places.

    Reply

  75. Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #157: Getting Away | This, that and the other thing

  77. Pingback: lens-artist: getting away – A Meditative Journey with Saldage

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      We’ve been very fortunate to have seen some outstanding places. We were building a Habitat for Humanity house in Nepal — and that gave us the opportunity to take that flight up to see Mt. Everest. A special moment in our lives! Thanks for commenting, Anne. Your photography is always wonderful, so it makes me appreciate you even more.

      Reply

  79. sheetalbravon

    Fantastic post Rusha and the photos told a riveting story of their own . I’m so envious of the places you’ve been , the adventures you must have had. A wonderful theme indeed !

    Reply

  80. Pingback: Memories Of The Golden Temple, Amritsar. – Sheetalbravon

  81. pattimoed

    A wonderful post, Rusha! I love your theme and of course, your photos are wonderful. Thanks so much for stepping in and hosting this week. Your world-traveller’s perspective is marvelous. I’m trying to imagine how it feels to take a plane ride around Mt. Everest. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, for sure.

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      We love to get away — but as Frost said, the coming back part is good as well. Thanks for your positive remarks and help along the way. That plane ride was truly a high point for us — never dreamed I would be even that close! Hope you’ll have time to share your thoughts on getting away with us.

      Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      I guess a lot of us are getting away judging from the crowded highways in and around Knoxville. But other parts of the country are experiencing flights of all kinds as well. Hope your getaway is the break you need!

      Reply

  84. Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challange 157: “Getting away” – MyBlog – solaner

It makes our day to hear from you.