We're back from a wonderful trip!
We were an hour or so behind when I hoped we would leave because we decided at the last minute to take some food and a house key by my inlaws - no biggie. My husband insisted on driving the entire trip, which made it even better for me since I have a 50 mile commute every weekday and I hate driving. We had fast food on the go for lunch - nothing memorable but not bad, either - and got on the BRP just above Cherokee, NC. It was so much fun!!!! We clearly don't get out much because just being that high up was really, really freaky in a good way. We rolled down our windows so we could let the clouds go ~through~ the car in some spots. LOL We were definitely high on nature's majesty! As expected, the BRP was closed after about halfway on our route, and we took the detour but decided when the time came (to go one way toward Asheville or another way straight to Shelby and our hotel) to go to Shelby and just see Biltmore in one day (the following day). That was a good decision, because although we knew the forecast called for rain (and it did sleet on us very briefly in a place or two way high up) we were in and out of cloudy weather most of the day but no downpours. We figured out later it must have mostly been storming down below us or just ahead of us, because the lady who checked us in at the Hampton Inn said it hailed at her house earlier in the day, so much that it looked like it had snowed.
We somehow missed all the bad weather!
We asked the front desk clerk to recommend a fish place and she gave us directions to Fisherman's Feast in Shelby - kind of an odd place but the food was delicious! We found our way easily there and back, waddled back to our room and turned in early.
The Hampton Inn was just great - clean and good smelling. A little road noise in the night but nothing awful. The hot breakfast was OK, nothing wrong with the taste but not what the hubs wanted so we went elsewhere the next morning. Then we rode into Asheville to Biltmore Estate. I had already been but it was still amazing to see it again, and my husband was awed at the house, naturally. We toured the house, bought some snacks, and made a 5PM reservation for the Bistro. Then we meandered through the gardens and trails, sat in the sun by the lake, and moved our car over to the Antler Hill Farm (or something like that) area. We did the free wine tasting, looked in the shops, looked at the Winery exhibit and the Vanderbilt exhibit, and by then it was time to go eat.
We both had beef - I had the special, which was supposed to be "heart of ribeye" and looked very suspciously like my husband's filet mignon, for a better price, which was cool. We both had different versions of the purple potato - his was hash, mine was simply sliced thick and cooked, both were good and we felt oh-so-sophisticated eating purple potatoes . . .
I had spinach and true baby carrots atop a spring pea (think baby food . . . or poop) mash. I can't remember what else my husband had but I do remember watching him patiently pick out pearl onions and red peppers from the hash.
He had cream brulee and I had chocolate pot de creme for dessert. Everything we had was sublime.
Then it was back to Shelby, because we are old folks and like going to bed early.
My husband said it wasn't a bad drive at all going back and forth between Asheville & Shelby and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
The next day was our departure day and I told the hubs that our route home was his choice. We were very close to the SC border and we could have easily dropped down into SC, caught I-85 and would have made it home in just a few hours, tops. Or we could wander around SC on our way back. He, however, wanted to go back the way we came. Being nature boy, he realized that every trip over those mountains was a different one due to the weather and he wanted to see it under different conditions, because today was a beautiful, sunshiny day. So that's what we did! We just reversed our steps from the first day, stopping at Ihop for breakfast (delicious and a steal at $4.99 each). Just as he said, seeing the mountains on a sunny day was a totally different experience. At one point we saw a small white leader plane and behind it was a gray C-130 Hercules that apparently was dumping/dusting something but it got SO CLOSE to us and the ground for that matter!
That giant plane in such a small space (the valleys/between the mountains) and going so slow was amazing to see!
We ate a very late lunch at Pizza Inn in Cherokee (fantastic, just plain ol' pizza) and got home safely by late afternoon.
My husband was indeed amazed by the time it takes to travel in the mountains. On the BRP on the way home we saw a sign that indicated there were restrooms 7 miles ahead and he said, "Well, that may take a couple of hours!"
Imagine my surprise when we stopped for me to use the facilities and they turned out to be basically very nice brick
outhouses. Just a toilet seat over a hole.
I decided I could wait until we got off the BRP.
We had a blast! Thanks everyone for your helpful hints and suggestions! You guys are the best!
Welcome to the Dis!!!
to the DIS!
