Asheville, NC

The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are gorgeous. I visited here twice before, once in 1981, and then again in 2000 but Bob had never been to this area. Even though the peak of the fall colors is gone, there are still red and yellow trees scattered throughout the hills. There is something I really like about seeing layer after layer of hills in the distance.

We stayed just outside Asheville and spent time in the quaint town of Black Mountain. We also went hiking with a former dolphin trip participant who lives here. The hike she took us on was on the property of a place where I had attended a silent retreat at in 2000. What are the chances of that? It was a lovely warm day with incredible views.

Asheville is a wonderful town with a vibrant and busy downtown scene. It is known for its Art Deco and Gothic architecture. Bob and I were amazed at the number and variety of restaurants in this reasonably small city. We enjoyed the Friday night community drumming circle in a park downtown and found this to be a very livable city.

Asheville is also known for the enormous Grove Park Inn that was built in 1913 out of huge boulders. It was designed to look rustic, but still afford its guests a high scale of luxury. The walls are lined with photos of famous guests such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Ford, actors and actresses, not to mention many presidents and their wives.

By far the most impressive landmark in Asheville is the Biltmore Estate. The 250 room French Renaissance style home was finished in 1895 by George W. Vanderbilt. It is the largest private home in the country and is still owned and managed by the family. The 8,000 acres of the estate (down from the original 125,000 acres) are filled with gardens, trails, a farm, a winery, large inn, restaurants and shops. Bob and I spent an entire day here, touring the house, the grounds, the winery and of course the tasting room. We also visited the house in the evening when its dozens of Christmas trees were lit and the fireplaces burning. The elaborate decorations were really something to see. They said that there was more than a mile of fresh garland in the house, in addition to all the poinsettias, trees, swags, and ornaments. In the grand dining room, the tree was 40 feet tall!

Next stop is Charleston, SC for a few days and then we will be in St Augustine, FL for a MONTH! Looking forward to winding down and relaxing a bit in one place for a while.