NC Mountains

Last October, I took a weekend trip with my son and his wife to see the fall foliage in Asheville, NC.  I'd never been there, and we had such a great time.  We stayed at a little hotel called Country Inn, and it was very nice.  Their customer service was excellent.  We just happened to be there during a meteor shower and wanted to drive onto the parkway to watch.  The great folks let us have several blankets to take with us since it was pretty chilly up there.  The first night was a bust because it was very foggy on the mountain.  But the second night was perfect, no wind, chilly but clear skies.  We had to wait for Orion to rise, but it was well worth it.  I saw some amazing shooting stars and if you're a stargazer like me, there's no better place to see the night sky than on top of the mountains with no smog, fog, or city lights to hinder your sight.  It was amazing.

We also stopped off to see the Biltmore while we were there.  What an absolutely amazing place.  For you Downton Abby fans, it reminded me of Downtown.  The servants quarters had bells hanging from the wall for the master and mistress to ring down if they needed anything.  The Biltmore had its own generator for electricity, and indoor bowling alley, an indoor pool, and several wings for guests.  The original artwork hanging on the walls is amazing.  

Can you even imagine living in a house this size?

 Some of the gounds at the Biltmore.  They have many gift shops and they even have a winery, where we stopped for a tasting.  Some of the family still live on the estate in small homes.

As you can tell from the photos, it was a magical place.  If you want to do extra activities besides touring the home, they have horseback riding, skeet shooting, touring by jeep, just to name a few.  

I also got the chance to meet up with some friends of mine that I know from a dog discussion group, people I've known for years but never met in person.  We met for dinner and had a great time laughing and talking like we'd spent every weekend together for the last 20 years.  I know I've said this before, but if you have a chance to meet an online friend, go for it.  I've never been disappointed.