Trip Journal: Road Trip to see The Biltmore
Asheville, North Carolina, July 2 – 6, 2015
We kept up the tradition of “kidnapping” Mom and taking her somewhere so that she could get a little time away from wrangling grandkids (OK, maybe we do the getaway thing more so that I don’t have to deal with nieces and nephews, but I digress). Lynn suggested that we checkout the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, and Mom was very pleased with that selection as that was some place that she had wanted to see as well. OK by me, as I also discovered that Asheville has a great craft beer scene. So something for everyone on this trip. The only real logistics to cover for this trip was lodging and I found a very nice rental house within walking distance of downtown, so we were good to go.
Wednesday, 2 July – Marietta for Dinner. We departed work just after 2:00. Lynn had worked late on Monday and Tuesday so we got out a little early which made for a more relaxed trip. We made a quick stop at the house to ditch our work stuff and then swung by Pearl Optical to get our new glasses. We normally would not have worried about that errand but I wanted ot get my new Maui Jim’s sunglasses since Lynn just swears by hers. I reckon we were finally on the road heading south about 3:00.
It was a very nice afternoon, sunny with blue skies, so the Maui Jim’s were getting a good test. Lynn was driving for a change as I was scheduled to have a telecon at 4:00 (technology is a wonderful thing…mostly). However, due to a small turn out on the call, we decided to cancel. Bonus! Lynn is driving so I get chauffeured and can just sit back and enjoy the scenery.
Easy ride down to Marietta (route 3 to I-76 to route 21 then I-77 south to the Ohio River). We made two quick pit stops after leaving Medina, including fueling up the Edge just before getting on I-76 and of course Lynn needed a break somewhere along I-77. We spent most of the time talking about the summer 2016 trip now that Glacier is not a prime option due to the renovations of the Many Glacier Hotel that will be happening during the summer. Granted we will be spending most of the time out on the trails, but we were really looking forward to chilling on the back deck of the hotel with a cold beer after a day of hiking, just enjoying the sunset over Swift Current Lake. Well, that will have to wait for 2017 or later. We tried to switch gears to Yellowstone and Grand Teton but the Frontier Cabins at Roosevelt were already all booked, so that fell out as well. I had checked lodging availability at Crater Lake and Mount Rainier, but bookings for Augsut 2016 do not open until August 1, 2015, so we are in time for those options. It seems that we are both leaning toward a road trip that includes Crater Lake, Redwood and Lassen Volcanic National Parks. My initial posts with a very rough itinerary for this trip found approval on the Trip Advisor Road Trip forum, so I’m starting off in the right direction.
Asheville, North Carolina, July 2 – 6, 2015
We kept up the tradition of “kidnapping” Mom and taking her somewhere so that she could get a little time away from wrangling grandkids (OK, maybe we do the getaway thing more so that I don’t have to deal with nieces and nephews, but I digress). Lynn suggested that we checkout the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, and Mom was very pleased with that selection as that was some place that she had wanted to see as well. OK by me, as I also discovered that Asheville has a great craft beer scene. So something for everyone on this trip. The only real logistics to cover for this trip was lodging and I found a very nice rental house within walking distance of downtown, so we were good to go.
Wednesday, 2 July – Marietta for Dinner. We departed work just after 2:00. Lynn had worked late on Monday and Tuesday so we got out a little early which made for a more relaxed trip. We made a quick stop at the house to ditch our work stuff and then swung by Pearl Optical to get our new glasses. We normally would not have worried about that errand but I wanted ot get my new Maui Jim’s sunglasses since Lynn just swears by hers. I reckon we were finally on the road heading south about 3:00.
It was a very nice afternoon, sunny with blue skies, so the Maui Jim’s were getting a good test. Lynn was driving for a change as I was scheduled to have a telecon at 4:00 (technology is a wonderful thing…mostly). However, due to a small turn out on the call, we decided to cancel. Bonus! Lynn is driving so I get chauffeured and can just sit back and enjoy the scenery.
Easy ride down to Marietta (route 3 to I-76 to route 21 then I-77 south to the Ohio River). We made two quick pit stops after leaving Medina, including fueling up the Edge just before getting on I-76 and of course Lynn needed a break somewhere along I-77. We spent most of the time talking about the summer 2016 trip now that Glacier is not a prime option due to the renovations of the Many Glacier Hotel that will be happening during the summer. Granted we will be spending most of the time out on the trails, but we were really looking forward to chilling on the back deck of the hotel with a cold beer after a day of hiking, just enjoying the sunset over Swift Current Lake. Well, that will have to wait for 2017 or later. We tried to switch gears to Yellowstone and Grand Teton but the Frontier Cabins at Roosevelt were already all booked, so that fell out as well. I had checked lodging availability at Crater Lake and Mount Rainier, but bookings for Augsut 2016 do not open until August 1, 2015, so we are in time for those options. It seems that we are both leaning toward a road trip that includes Crater Lake, Redwood and Lassen Volcanic National Parks. My initial posts with a very rough itinerary for this trip found approval on the Trip Advisor Road Trip forum, so I’m starting off in the right direction.
We cruised into Marietta at 6:00, so we made pretty good time. We checked-in at the Fairfield Inn and Suites, dumped our stuff and headed out for dinner at one of our favorite places, The Galley in downtown. We found this spot a few years ago, probably on one of our first Marietta stop-overs and we have eaten dinner here each trip since. The setting is nice; it is in an old hotel building and just has a nice feel. The service has always been very good, the menu has a very nice variety and the food is great. But the big draw is the beer. I think they have 16 or so beers on tap so we can always get a flight or two and try out several new brews. A very nice way to start off a road trip! Lynn had a lemon drip martini with her steak salad. Try as I might, I just could not steer away from my old favorite, the Diablo burger. What’s not to love with an all beef burger topped with grilled jalapeños, pepper jack cheese and habañero sauce. Yeah, I worked up a bit of a sweat with this one, but it was worth it! But that’s where the beer comes in. The flight I selected was an interesting mix of mostly IPAs and pale ales, but there was nothing really outstanding (Habanero Sculpin from Ballast Point, Stone Cali-Begique Belgian IPA, Jackie O’s Apartment 223 Double Black IPA, Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues and Brooklyn Brewery’s Brooklyn Blast! ). While the flight did not yield a really stellar brew there was an old standby on the menu that would certainly work well with my Diablo burger, Stone IPA. A great beer and a great way to finish the evening.
Friday, 3 July – Heading South. We wanted to get an early start since there was a long drive to Asheville ahead of us. We grabbed a quick breakfast at the Fairfield (not bad for a complimentary breakfast bar), packed up and were on the road at 7:50. We pulled into Mom’s driveway by 11:00 so we made pretty good time. Mom was ready to roll so we loaded her bags and hit the highway. We did stop to visit Nanny at the rehab center, but it was lunch time there so we went to Subway to grab a bite then went back for our visit. By the time we returned, Nanny was back in her room so we chatted with her for about an hour.
Back on the road about 1:00 under overcast skies. There was an occasional sprinkle as we drove from Princeton down to I-81. That was the good weather. The skies parted and it deluged for the most part until just north of Asheville. Very tough driving. We arrived about 5:00 so longer than expected, primarily because of the slow going due to the weather.
Friday, 3 July – Heading South. We wanted to get an early start since there was a long drive to Asheville ahead of us. We grabbed a quick breakfast at the Fairfield (not bad for a complimentary breakfast bar), packed up and were on the road at 7:50. We pulled into Mom’s driveway by 11:00 so we made pretty good time. Mom was ready to roll so we loaded her bags and hit the highway. We did stop to visit Nanny at the rehab center, but it was lunch time there so we went to Subway to grab a bite then went back for our visit. By the time we returned, Nanny was back in her room so we chatted with her for about an hour.
Back on the road about 1:00 under overcast skies. There was an occasional sprinkle as we drove from Princeton down to I-81. That was the good weather. The skies parted and it deluged for the most part until just north of Asheville. Very tough driving. We arrived about 5:00 so longer than expected, primarily because of the slow going due to the weather.
We quickly unloaded the Edge and did a quick inspection of the rental house. Wow, what a nice place. And it was much larger than we expected (the photos on HomeAway just do not do the place justice!). I read through the restaurant menus the owner left for the renters and found a place within walking distance that sounded interesting so we headed out the door at 5:20 meandering our way toward downtown Asheville.
We had a nice walk to get to town, going through residential areas and checking out the old houses. I took advantage of technology and mapped the route on my phone. That worked well. The only issue was the long (and I mean long) wait for the traffic signals. It seemed to take forever to get the permission to cross a couple of the streets. But that was OK, we were not in a great hurry, well other than hoping to beat the dinner rush.
Our destination was basically in the middle of the town, so we got an opportunity to check out the shops and other restaurants on the way. Salsa’s is a little place, very limited seating, but our timing was perfect as we got the only available table and just before the dinner crowd arrived. This is an eclectic place both in terms of the setting and the menu. This is a Mexican-Jamacian fusion place and the food is excellent. The poppers were very good. Plus I got to sample the first local beers of the trip, the English IPA from Green Man Brewery then the Grey Beard American IPA from Pisgah Brewing. Both were very good, but neither would crack my top ten. The food however, well, I would definitely eat here again. I don’t remember exactly which dish I had, but it was an outstanding mix of chicken, shrimp, veggies and rice over mashed potatoes all with a nice salsa. Great flavor and a little bit of heat. Quite good! (review)
We had a nice walk to get to town, going through residential areas and checking out the old houses. I took advantage of technology and mapped the route on my phone. That worked well. The only issue was the long (and I mean long) wait for the traffic signals. It seemed to take forever to get the permission to cross a couple of the streets. But that was OK, we were not in a great hurry, well other than hoping to beat the dinner rush.
Our destination was basically in the middle of the town, so we got an opportunity to check out the shops and other restaurants on the way. Salsa’s is a little place, very limited seating, but our timing was perfect as we got the only available table and just before the dinner crowd arrived. This is an eclectic place both in terms of the setting and the menu. This is a Mexican-Jamacian fusion place and the food is excellent. The poppers were very good. Plus I got to sample the first local beers of the trip, the English IPA from Green Man Brewery then the Grey Beard American IPA from Pisgah Brewing. Both were very good, but neither would crack my top ten. The food however, well, I would definitely eat here again. I don’t remember exactly which dish I had, but it was an outstanding mix of chicken, shrimp, veggies and rice over mashed potatoes all with a nice salsa. Great flavor and a little bit of heat. Quite good! (review)
Over dinner, we discussed our plans for the next couple of days, including needing to find a grocery store for provisions. We thought we might find something as we walked to dinner, but no luck. Technology to the rescue as a quick Google search revealed that there is a Trader Joe’s more or less on the way home. We picked up breakfast supplies, some trail snacks and of course a selection of local craft beers.
We were back at the rental house about 7:30 and settled in for a relaxed evening. Lynn, as per normal, had control of the TV remote and found a movie that we had not seen, “Rise of the Guardians.” Who knew that Santa Claus was actually a Cossack? Well, it was entertaining enough and the Hi-Pitch IPA made for a nice nightcap.
Saturday, 4 July – Biltmore Estate. The primary reason for planning this trip was to tour the Biltmore Estate, the incredible home of George Washington Vanderbuilt and today is the day for that tour. We had tickets for the first tour of the day at 9:00, so we were up sort of early to get ready for the day. On the road at 8:10 and it was only 10 minutes to the estate entrance, but the gates did not open until 8:30 so we had time to kill in the gift shop just outside the main gate.
Once the gates opened, we cruised right in, following the signage and instructions from the staff. They have quite the operation at the Biltmore and it runs like a well oiled machine. It is apparent that they are used to moving large numbers of people through the facilities. Once through the second gate where the tickets were checked (I had purchased our tickets months in advance) we drove the long, winding drive toward the house. I had learned from the little research that I had done on the estate that Vanderbilt purposely created this long approach to the mansion to better set the stage for the arrival of his guests. The approach was set up such that the house was not visible until the very last moment of the trip.
We parked in Lot A and opted to make the short walk to the house rather than waiting for the shuttle bus. There is still no view of the house along the trail, so the suspense continued to build until we passed through the gates of the main grounds. Then there it was, this monstrously huge and ornate house. We still had a few hundred yards to walk from the gate to the house along the drive; at least a long par five may be more. But this gave us time to take in the size of the estate and start to appreciate the details of the house and grounds.
We were back at the rental house about 7:30 and settled in for a relaxed evening. Lynn, as per normal, had control of the TV remote and found a movie that we had not seen, “Rise of the Guardians.” Who knew that Santa Claus was actually a Cossack? Well, it was entertaining enough and the Hi-Pitch IPA made for a nice nightcap.
Saturday, 4 July – Biltmore Estate. The primary reason for planning this trip was to tour the Biltmore Estate, the incredible home of George Washington Vanderbuilt and today is the day for that tour. We had tickets for the first tour of the day at 9:00, so we were up sort of early to get ready for the day. On the road at 8:10 and it was only 10 minutes to the estate entrance, but the gates did not open until 8:30 so we had time to kill in the gift shop just outside the main gate.
Once the gates opened, we cruised right in, following the signage and instructions from the staff. They have quite the operation at the Biltmore and it runs like a well oiled machine. It is apparent that they are used to moving large numbers of people through the facilities. Once through the second gate where the tickets were checked (I had purchased our tickets months in advance) we drove the long, winding drive toward the house. I had learned from the little research that I had done on the estate that Vanderbilt purposely created this long approach to the mansion to better set the stage for the arrival of his guests. The approach was set up such that the house was not visible until the very last moment of the trip.
We parked in Lot A and opted to make the short walk to the house rather than waiting for the shuttle bus. There is still no view of the house along the trail, so the suspense continued to build until we passed through the gates of the main grounds. Then there it was, this monstrously huge and ornate house. We still had a few hundred yards to walk from the gate to the house along the drive; at least a long par five may be more. But this gave us time to take in the size of the estate and start to appreciate the details of the house and grounds.
Once at the house, we made a quick assessment of the facilities; tour starts here, customer service is over there, shops, dining and restrooms are off to the right in the old stables. We checked in for our 9:00 tour and waited in line with the rest of the tourists. While waiting we starting really studying the details of the house; the stonework all over the exterior, the gargoyles and the grotesques. But we were quickly ushered inside for our self-guided tour. We decided not to rent the audio tour headsets; seems that every time in the past that we have gotten these we end up not suing them as they never tend to go at our pace.
It was nice being on the early tour as the crowd was small, particularly once we were past the first stop or two. While the tour did not cover the entire house (that would have taken days!) it did cover most of the general areas and provided a nice overall of the life and operations of the facility. The house itself is HUGE! Shoot it has 43 bathrooms. All of the rooms are that the family and guests would use were immaculate and extremely ornate (I’m probably going to use this work way too often but it fits so well!). Most of the rooms are very large as well. Lots of dark wood and plenty of intricate carvings. No wonder it took so long to build! The house was also a technological wonder with all the systems needed for efficient operations (kitchen, laundry, communications, heating, swimming pool, and elevator; basically everything a modern home would have except for air conditioning). There were docents stationed around the house to answer questions and there were some signs, so I did not miss the audio tour gizmo at all. The artwork in the house was amazing; statues, tapestries and many paintings. Most of it was not to my taste but it was all still very impressive. The views from the house were also outstanding even though we had a bit of a grey, overcast day. The estate was originally 125,000 acres. I told Lynn this is basically 10,000 times larger than our little ranch! I guess we completed our tour through the house in a little less than an hour and a half and that seemed like a good pace to take it all in. An interesting point that I overheard from one of the docents was that everyone working in the house was an employee; there were no volunteer guides or docents like you might see at a municipal zoo or a National Park.
It was nice being on the early tour as the crowd was small, particularly once we were past the first stop or two. While the tour did not cover the entire house (that would have taken days!) it did cover most of the general areas and provided a nice overall of the life and operations of the facility. The house itself is HUGE! Shoot it has 43 bathrooms. All of the rooms are that the family and guests would use were immaculate and extremely ornate (I’m probably going to use this work way too often but it fits so well!). Most of the rooms are very large as well. Lots of dark wood and plenty of intricate carvings. No wonder it took so long to build! The house was also a technological wonder with all the systems needed for efficient operations (kitchen, laundry, communications, heating, swimming pool, and elevator; basically everything a modern home would have except for air conditioning). There were docents stationed around the house to answer questions and there were some signs, so I did not miss the audio tour gizmo at all. The artwork in the house was amazing; statues, tapestries and many paintings. Most of it was not to my taste but it was all still very impressive. The views from the house were also outstanding even though we had a bit of a grey, overcast day. The estate was originally 125,000 acres. I told Lynn this is basically 10,000 times larger than our little ranch! I guess we completed our tour through the house in a little less than an hour and a half and that seemed like a good pace to take it all in. An interesting point that I overheard from one of the docents was that everyone working in the house was an employee; there were no volunteer guides or docents like you might see at a municipal zoo or a National Park.
During the tour, I had noticed some folks on the outside of the house on upper levels and later learned that they were on the “roof top” tour, one of the additional tours of the facility (there is also a “technology” tour that goes behind the scenes but that one was not being offered when we visited). OK, the rooftop tour looked interesting and was only $17 per person (hey, it’s only money, right?). So I checked at customer service for availability then with Lynn and Mom to ensure they were interested (they were) and signed us up for the 1:00 tour. OK, that gives us time to explore the gardens and get some lunch.
The only issue I had during the day was of a photographic nature. Since no photos are allowed inside the house, and due to the weather being a bit rainy, I opted to leave the SX50 at home and just carried the normally reliable and battery saving SX280. However after I had taken a couple of photos of the exterior of the house, the low battery icon started flashing. WTH! And I had a bit of a “non-Boy Scout” moment as I usually carry a spare battery, but not today. Well, I still had the phone as a back-up and with a little care I can probably make it through the rest of the day on the little juice that is remaining.
We next walked over to the south terrace to take in the views which were lovely. The house and the terrace provide a wonderful vista over the “back yard” of the mansion. We next walked through the Italian garden as a light rain started. It was sort of an on-and-off sprinkle, so it did not deter us from our walk. The Italian garden was very pretty with the ponds and water plants plus a few koi thrown in as well. We walked the trail through the shrub garden and down into the walled garden, but the rain picked up the pace so we decided this would be a good time to grab some lunch and hopefully wait out the weather.
The only issue I had during the day was of a photographic nature. Since no photos are allowed inside the house, and due to the weather being a bit rainy, I opted to leave the SX50 at home and just carried the normally reliable and battery saving SX280. However after I had taken a couple of photos of the exterior of the house, the low battery icon started flashing. WTH! And I had a bit of a “non-Boy Scout” moment as I usually carry a spare battery, but not today. Well, I still had the phone as a back-up and with a little care I can probably make it through the rest of the day on the little juice that is remaining.
We next walked over to the south terrace to take in the views which were lovely. The house and the terrace provide a wonderful vista over the “back yard” of the mansion. We next walked through the Italian garden as a light rain started. It was sort of an on-and-off sprinkle, so it did not deter us from our walk. The Italian garden was very pretty with the ponds and water plants plus a few koi thrown in as well. We walked the trail through the shrub garden and down into the walled garden, but the rain picked up the pace so we decided this would be a good time to grab some lunch and hopefully wait out the weather.
We had lunch in the Stable Café, which is exactly what it sounds like, a very nice little eatery in the old stables near the main house. We were seated in the upstairs which was the old hay loft. Wow, what a grand barn this was! I bet it would have been a good gig being a horse at Biltmore (sure, you have to work, but care and feeding would have been top-notch). The service was good and the food was very good, but the beer was just average. I had the mac and cheese, Lynn had a salad and Mom had the chicken salad which was more than she could eat so we all got a sample. It was very good. I tried the Cedric’s Pale Ale from Biltmore Brewing; it was OK but nothing special, but still hit the spot.
After lunch we had some time to kill before the rooftop tour, so we checked out the gift store then looked around the gardens some more. Fortunately the skies were clearing a bit which was good news as we would be outside on the upper levels of the house. Just before 1:00 we congregated at the appointed spot (fountain in front of the house) to meet our guide for the rooftop tour. This was a small group, I think only nine tourists, which made for a nice time since it was not crowded and therefore easy to move about and still hear the guide.
The guide started us off with an overview of the tour and filled us in that we’ll be getting some exercise on the stairs. Well sure, we have to get to the roof top somehow. She also gave us the answer to one of the commonly asked questions, how much did the estate cost to construct: they have no idea. Really? No idea. I’m not buying that at all. This is one of the richest families in the United States and they built their empire through good business practices, yet they have no idea of the cost of the house nor do they have records. I think not. Shoot, later in the tour we were shown original drawings of the house and the guide talked about the amount of hours needed, the number of stone carvers employed and their wages…something just does not add up. But I’m not going to do the academic study to create an estimate of a house that was built in the 1890s, so I reckon I’ll just drop it. But I bet they really do know.
Our guide did share with us that the tour that we were taking was very similar to the introduction that George Vanderbilt gave to all his guests when they arrived at Biltmore. The tour took us up to the third floor via the main staircase so we were covering areas not on the standard tour. Here are some of the highlights:
After lunch we had some time to kill before the rooftop tour, so we checked out the gift store then looked around the gardens some more. Fortunately the skies were clearing a bit which was good news as we would be outside on the upper levels of the house. Just before 1:00 we congregated at the appointed spot (fountain in front of the house) to meet our guide for the rooftop tour. This was a small group, I think only nine tourists, which made for a nice time since it was not crowded and therefore easy to move about and still hear the guide.
The guide started us off with an overview of the tour and filled us in that we’ll be getting some exercise on the stairs. Well sure, we have to get to the roof top somehow. She also gave us the answer to one of the commonly asked questions, how much did the estate cost to construct: they have no idea. Really? No idea. I’m not buying that at all. This is one of the richest families in the United States and they built their empire through good business practices, yet they have no idea of the cost of the house nor do they have records. I think not. Shoot, later in the tour we were shown original drawings of the house and the guide talked about the amount of hours needed, the number of stone carvers employed and their wages…something just does not add up. But I’m not going to do the academic study to create an estimate of a house that was built in the 1890s, so I reckon I’ll just drop it. But I bet they really do know.
Our guide did share with us that the tour that we were taking was very similar to the introduction that George Vanderbilt gave to all his guests when they arrived at Biltmore. The tour took us up to the third floor via the main staircase so we were covering areas not on the standard tour. Here are some of the highlights:
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The weather was ideal for the tour. The views could have been better as the low clouds sort of muted things a bit, but overall it was fine. Plus the tour was well worth the time and cost as it was entertaining and educational and provided a more in-depth look at the house and life at the Biltmore. Here's the link to photos of the Biltmore house.
After the tour, we headed back to the garden again and finished looking through this area. The conservatory was very nice and just filled with exotic plants including many amazing orchids. We next took the trail down to the bass pond. This is a short, easy walk. We spotted a couple birds along the way, rufous-sided towhee and a brown thrasher but that was about it for critters along the trail. Once at the lake we walked over to the boat house to get the view over the pond. There were several panfish in the pond, plus a big turtle. Also a few dragonflies buzzing about. We walked around the pond to the dam on the far end. The water over the spillway was billed as a waterfall. I guess it technically was, but to me a waterfall is a natural occurrence. We back-tracked around the pond rather than making the loop as it seemed that part of the return trail was on the road and there was too much traffic to deal with.
After the tour, we headed back to the garden again and finished looking through this area. The conservatory was very nice and just filled with exotic plants including many amazing orchids. We next took the trail down to the bass pond. This is a short, easy walk. We spotted a couple birds along the way, rufous-sided towhee and a brown thrasher but that was about it for critters along the trail. Once at the lake we walked over to the boat house to get the view over the pond. There were several panfish in the pond, plus a big turtle. Also a few dragonflies buzzing about. We walked around the pond to the dam on the far end. The water over the spillway was billed as a waterfall. I guess it technically was, but to me a waterfall is a natural occurrence. We back-tracked around the pond rather than making the loop as it seemed that part of the return trail was on the road and there was too much traffic to deal with.
Back at the house, we made our final stop in the shops, and then started the walk back to the car. We paused for photos at the far end of the lawn and then it was off to see the rest of the estate. Here are the photos from our tour around the gardens and grounds.
Our last stop was at Antler Village. This is truly the tourist-trap part of the enterprise. But at least it is not a junky or cheesy area. It is sort of a mix of living history and higher-end retail. We walked through the shops and grounds, looked at the artifacts and displays, made a quick loop through the winery and then headed out. It was 5:20 by the time we were finally exiting the park so this had been a full 9-hour day. But it was fun and I think that Mom enjoyed the tours. I did post a short review, but there is much more detail here in the journal.
We headed home to dump our loot (well, the ladies had loot anyway) and research dinner options. We opted for Asheville Pizza and Brewery on Merimen. It was not that far, so we probably could have walked it but we’ve been on our feet most all day so we drove. The pizza was excellent. I had two flights of beer just so I could sample more of the options. Some pretty good but there was nothing exceptional. It was a bit loud so Mom did not like the place. (review)
Finally home for the evening. Lynn found “Independence Day” which seemed like an appropriate movie for the 4th of July. Hard to believe that is has been nearly 20 years since that movie came out, but it is still fun to watch. We could hear the fireworks but could not see them from the house. That’s OK, I’m happy sitting here on the couch with a beer for the rest of the evening.
Sunday, 5 July – Craggy Gardens. We were lazy this morning. We were all up fairly early but just not really serious about doing anything until about 10:30. The weather was still questionable and I think we were house-toured-out after our full day at the Biltmore Estate so we were just chillin’ this morning. I did a little research on options for things to do while eating my bagel. Looks like the city tours are not offered on Sunday…go figure. As the morning wore on, the weather seemed to be on the upswing, so we finally decided to head up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craggy Gardens for a couple short hikes.
We let the GPS on my phone provide the best route and we ended up going the back way out of town rather than the Interstate, which made for a very pretty drive with decent vistas even with the low clouds. It took us about an hour to get to the Craggy Garden Visitor Center, arriving about 11:30. It was still overcast but there were hints of blue skies. Plus it was a comfortable day for a hike. The temperature had dropped to 62 F due to the elevation, so jacket weather. But the good news was the expected rain never materialized. I spotted a Junco in the bushes when we arrived so maybe this was going to be a better day for critters, but that never really materialized either.
The plan was to make two short hikes, Craggy Gardens and Craggy Peak. The Craggy gardens trailhead is adjacent to the Visitor Center while the trailhead for Craggy Peak is a mile or so up the road (close enough to walk but there is a tunnel along the road so walking is not an option). These are both short hikes, each just a mile or less round-trip, which was perfect for Mom (hey, she made 11 miles around Cades Cove in the Smokies last year, but we just didn’t want to push it this year.
Our last stop was at Antler Village. This is truly the tourist-trap part of the enterprise. But at least it is not a junky or cheesy area. It is sort of a mix of living history and higher-end retail. We walked through the shops and grounds, looked at the artifacts and displays, made a quick loop through the winery and then headed out. It was 5:20 by the time we were finally exiting the park so this had been a full 9-hour day. But it was fun and I think that Mom enjoyed the tours. I did post a short review, but there is much more detail here in the journal.
We headed home to dump our loot (well, the ladies had loot anyway) and research dinner options. We opted for Asheville Pizza and Brewery on Merimen. It was not that far, so we probably could have walked it but we’ve been on our feet most all day so we drove. The pizza was excellent. I had two flights of beer just so I could sample more of the options. Some pretty good but there was nothing exceptional. It was a bit loud so Mom did not like the place. (review)
Finally home for the evening. Lynn found “Independence Day” which seemed like an appropriate movie for the 4th of July. Hard to believe that is has been nearly 20 years since that movie came out, but it is still fun to watch. We could hear the fireworks but could not see them from the house. That’s OK, I’m happy sitting here on the couch with a beer for the rest of the evening.
Sunday, 5 July – Craggy Gardens. We were lazy this morning. We were all up fairly early but just not really serious about doing anything until about 10:30. The weather was still questionable and I think we were house-toured-out after our full day at the Biltmore Estate so we were just chillin’ this morning. I did a little research on options for things to do while eating my bagel. Looks like the city tours are not offered on Sunday…go figure. As the morning wore on, the weather seemed to be on the upswing, so we finally decided to head up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craggy Gardens for a couple short hikes.
We let the GPS on my phone provide the best route and we ended up going the back way out of town rather than the Interstate, which made for a very pretty drive with decent vistas even with the low clouds. It took us about an hour to get to the Craggy Garden Visitor Center, arriving about 11:30. It was still overcast but there were hints of blue skies. Plus it was a comfortable day for a hike. The temperature had dropped to 62 F due to the elevation, so jacket weather. But the good news was the expected rain never materialized. I spotted a Junco in the bushes when we arrived so maybe this was going to be a better day for critters, but that never really materialized either.
The plan was to make two short hikes, Craggy Gardens and Craggy Peak. The Craggy gardens trailhead is adjacent to the Visitor Center while the trailhead for Craggy Peak is a mile or so up the road (close enough to walk but there is a tunnel along the road so walking is not an option). These are both short hikes, each just a mile or less round-trip, which was perfect for Mom (hey, she made 11 miles around Cades Cove in the Smokies last year, but we just didn’t want to push it this year.
One of the interesting features of the area the heath balds, details of which were provided on a Park Service sign at outside the Visitor Center. “Heath balds are patches of unforested mountain terrain covered by dense thickets of plants belonging to the heath family. This plant family includes rhododendron, mountain laurel, blueberries and azalea. From a distance, the dense heaths seem to have a “slick” of “bald” appearance compared to the forested mountain top.
Several theories explain how balds were formed. They may be the results of natural fires of the result of early inhabitants burning the land to create pastures for wild game or livestock. Whatever the reason for the formation of the balds, they are shrinking. Tress such as beech, birch and buckeye can now be found among the heaths.” It looks like the Parks Service is mowing some of the areas of the balds, perhaps to keep them passable for hikers but also to maintain the balds themselves.
Several theories explain how balds were formed. They may be the results of natural fires of the result of early inhabitants burning the land to create pastures for wild game or livestock. Whatever the reason for the formation of the balds, they are shrinking. Tress such as beech, birch and buckeye can now be found among the heaths.” It looks like the Parks Service is mowing some of the areas of the balds, perhaps to keep them passable for hikers but also to maintain the balds themselves.
The Craggy Gardens trailhead is at the south end of the Visitor Center parking lot. This is basically a walk in the woods for most of the way, and mostly uphill (elevation gain is only about 240 feet). The trail was a little wet in spots, but not muddy or slick. This was a very green hike with ferns being the main vegetation along with birch trees. The wooded part of the trial was basically like walking through a tunnel. But it made for a very pleasant stroll. The “tunnel” abruptly ends at start of the bald area where there is an open air pavilion (nice place for a picnic). The trail sort of splits at this point. We went up to the balds area on the trail east of the pavilion and returned on the trail that comes out to the west of the pavilion. Not much difference but a little change in perspective on the views. Beyond the pavilion the trail climb just a bit further through the balds are to an overlook just over the crest of the hill which provided a nice view of the ridges to the east. We enjoyed the views for a bit then headed back to the Visitor Center. Photos from the Craggy Garden trail.
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The Visitor Center is small and not well stocked, but we did find some trail mix for sale and a water fountain, so we took a little break before mounting up for the next hike. We could see the folks up on Craggy Peak from the Visitor Center parking lot. They were well above us, so I was hoping for a good view of the surrounding hills and valleys. The drive to the Craggy Peak trailhead parking is short, just up the hill, through the tunnel and around the bend.
The trail to Craggy Peak is also basically wooded, but it is a bit more uphill and a lot more interesting. The first part runs through stands of rhododendron. Unfortunately the flowers were well past their prime but I bet this would have been simply gorgeous when the shrubs were in bloom. The next section of the trail went through birch trees but was interesting for the twisted nature of the exposed roots of the trees. This little display only lasts for about 100 yards or so, but with the right I bet there are some interesting images to be had. The crowds on the trails were light, but there were more folks out on the Craggy Peak trail. Maybe it is the more interesting or just later in the day. But still it was not packed. But this was apparently dog walking day on the way to Craggy Peak as we passed several canines out with their humans. At first it was all little dogs, but we finally saw some big muttlies on our return hike.
The trail to Craggy Peak is also basically wooded, but it is a bit more uphill and a lot more interesting. The first part runs through stands of rhododendron. Unfortunately the flowers were well past their prime but I bet this would have been simply gorgeous when the shrubs were in bloom. The next section of the trail went through birch trees but was interesting for the twisted nature of the exposed roots of the trees. This little display only lasts for about 100 yards or so, but with the right I bet there are some interesting images to be had. The crowds on the trails were light, but there were more folks out on the Craggy Peak trail. Maybe it is the more interesting or just later in the day. But still it was not packed. But this was apparently dog walking day on the way to Craggy Peak as we passed several canines out with their humans. At first it was all little dogs, but we finally saw some big muttlies on our return hike.
The view from the summit was very pretty, but the clouds had rolled back in so the vista was not great. And it was very windy on the exposed viewing area. We stayed long enough to take in the view and grab a few photos, and then headed back down. We opted to not take the side trail to the lower viewing area and just hiked back to the trailhead. The two little hikes total just under 2 miles and each took less than an hour to complete and we were really taking our time. Here are the photos from our hike to Craggy Peak. My short review of the hikes is linked for completeness. I also tracked both hikes on Ramblr.com: Craggy Gardens and Craggy Peak.
After descending from Craggy Peak, we loaded up and retraced our route back to Asheville. We were back at the house about 2:15 and on the front porch enjoying a Lost Cove APA from Highland Brewing shortly thereafter. The weather was nearly perfect now, with sunny skies and 75 F temperatures, warmer in part since we had lost some elevation after leaving the park. There was also more wildlife in the front yard that we had seen just about anywhere else with song birds, some butterflies and even a squirrel. We sat out on the porch until nearly 4:00, just enjoying the peace and quiet of a Sunday afternoon.
It was getting time to think about dinner, so I did some studying of the suggestion book and Trip Advisor. It was still early but what the heck we could beat the dinner crowd. We decided to try Nine Mile on Haywood Road as the menu sounded interesting and there was a nice selection of craft brews on tap and in bottles (not all local, but that’s fine by me). What a great find! We were early enough that there was no crowd at all (maybe Sunday is not a big day for dining out in Asheville). I was enjoying a Hoppyum IPA from Foothills Brewing by 4:20. The menu was filled with a variety of eclectic dishes, many of which had a Caribbean spin to them (I think they advertise as Jamaican). But the best news in terms of the food was the spice and head. Their spice scale was listed as mild, medium, hot, “melt your face off” and Boo-ya! I asked our server (who was very pleasant, helpful and expedient, BTW) if there really was that much heat in the food. I don’t remember her exact words, but she seemed very sincere in stating that once you get to “hot” and above that the food had serious heat. I believed her and opted to go with the “melt your face off” on the one of their jerked chicken dishes (maybe the Jamaican Me Thirsty?). It was awesome and the heat was plenty. I was sweating for sure. But the flavor really went well with the IPA they had on tap. Lynn had sweet dish which was a perfect complement to my spicy one. We ordered dessert to take with us and were home by 5:00 so an early day. (review)
It was getting time to think about dinner, so I did some studying of the suggestion book and Trip Advisor. It was still early but what the heck we could beat the dinner crowd. We decided to try Nine Mile on Haywood Road as the menu sounded interesting and there was a nice selection of craft brews on tap and in bottles (not all local, but that’s fine by me). What a great find! We were early enough that there was no crowd at all (maybe Sunday is not a big day for dining out in Asheville). I was enjoying a Hoppyum IPA from Foothills Brewing by 4:20. The menu was filled with a variety of eclectic dishes, many of which had a Caribbean spin to them (I think they advertise as Jamaican). But the best news in terms of the food was the spice and head. Their spice scale was listed as mild, medium, hot, “melt your face off” and Boo-ya! I asked our server (who was very pleasant, helpful and expedient, BTW) if there really was that much heat in the food. I don’t remember her exact words, but she seemed very sincere in stating that once you get to “hot” and above that the food had serious heat. I believed her and opted to go with the “melt your face off” on the one of their jerked chicken dishes (maybe the Jamaican Me Thirsty?). It was awesome and the heat was plenty. I was sweating for sure. But the flavor really went well with the IPA they had on tap. Lynn had sweet dish which was a perfect complement to my spicy one. We ordered dessert to take with us and were home by 5:00 so an early day. (review)
We just relaxed at the house this evening for the most part, but did do some packing and straightening-up so that we could get on the road early tomorrow. We finally settled in to enjoy our desserts and a movie. “The African Queen” was on tonight. Perfect. It is hard to argue with these classics. I like how the old movies just come to the climax an end, no messing around.
Mon, 6 July – Homeward Bound. Just a long day of driving on tap. We were all up about 0600 and amazingly on the road at 0740. We grabbed breakfast on the road and were at Mom’s about 11:15. We did not stick around in Princeton and were on the Interstate heading north by 11:30. Just a couple quick stops and another telecon enroute and we were home by 5:00. We made great time, aided by the excellent weather conditions (so unlike the trip south). Wrap-up…. Short, but a nice little road trip with Mom. I think that visit to Biltmore was a winner with both Lynn and Mom (hey, I enjoyed it as well for that matter). Then a day exploring a bit of the National Forest and along the Blue Ridge Parkway made a nice compliment. Not a lot of critter sightings. I figured there would have been more birds and butterflies in the Biltmore Gardens or along the Parkway but we had fun looking. It would have been nice to been able to explore Asheville a bit more, but we can save that for another trip. While we did get to try several local beers, which we very good for the most part, we did not really get to try out the beer scene. The breweries and tap houses focused on beer and most did not serve food although they some did partner with local food trucks. Lynn and I did not think this would be to Mom’s liking so we went with the standard restaurant settings. And we did great with dining. Nine Mile was probably the best but I enjoyed dinner out all three nights. Overall a very nice trip and the little house we rented was perfect for our base of operations in Asheville. Here's a few extra random images from the trip (mostly beer and food!). We cruised through five states and covered over 1200 miles on our way from Ohio to North Carolina and back. A nice little road trip! |