Asheville, NC
August 20, 2017
We packed up the car, said our goodbyes' to Echota Mountain and headed towards the Blue Ridge Parkway for a scenic drive to Asheville. Along the way we made a couple of stops for photo ops and for short hikes to take in the scenery. It is one of the most beautiful and scenic drives in The United States. The sea of mountains and trees go on as far as the eye can see. Everything was in full bloom and the weather was perfect.
Along the way we stopped in Spruce Pine, NC for brunch at Knife and Fork. Spruce Pine is a small town with close proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It has a couple of mining outlets, some wonderful art galleries/tours, farmers markets and a quaint downtown. Our table at Knife and Fork was a splintering picnic table out on the patio among wild flowers and bees. We enjoyed a three course meal overlooking a river and train tracks. The Appalachian nod in the cooking style and the mostly locally sourced ingredients were prepared perfectly and we left feeling satisfied and happy. Inside the restaurant was an open kitchen where you could watch the chefs and sous chefs and all others prepare, bake, cook and perfect their dishes. Between courses the kids were able to play corn hole and run around without disturbing anyone because of the laid back atmosphere of the restaurant.
We continued our drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway and made a stop at Mount Mitchell State Park, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. It was a fun hike to the top and the views of the mountains are outstanding. There is a small museum on the mountain that is both informative as well as interesting regarding nature and cultural history. We arrived into Asheville, NC by 2:30pm checked into Renaissance Hotel, not an outstanding hotel, but decent nonetheless. We put the dog in her crate (yes, they are pet friendly) and jumped back in the car to make our ticket reservations at the The Biltmore. I found the parking to be a bit a confusing, but the visit was remarkable. The kids were engaged throughout the entire house tour and enjoyed the indoor pool and bowling alley most. They also couldn't believe the scale of the house and throughout the tour commented on where their rooms would be and fantasied about living in The Biltmore. We skipped the gardens and winery as it was late and the kids were a bit tired and headed back to the hotel for a short rest before dinner.
We strolled into town and headed to dinner at Rhubarb. We sat on the patio with the dog and enjoyed the very laid back atmosphere while listening to street performers play American roots style music. We all shared plates and re-ordered the meatball appetizer a couple of times as we couldn't get enough. My husband and I enjoyed the local beer and the kids sucked down local sodas. It was great to see the kids so entranced by the street performers and also watching the crowd that was surrounding the performers. There were kids dancing, adults tapping feet, it felt good and I just devoured the moment
watching my family enjoy the food, the atmosphere and the adventure.
We continued our drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway and made a stop at Mount Mitchell State Park, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. It was a fun hike to the top and the views of the mountains are outstanding. There is a small museum on the mountain that is both informative as well as interesting regarding nature and cultural history. We arrived into Asheville, NC by 2:30pm checked into Renaissance Hotel, not an outstanding hotel, but decent nonetheless. We put the dog in her crate (yes, they are pet friendly) and jumped back in the car to make our ticket reservations at the The Biltmore. I found the parking to be a bit a confusing, but the visit was remarkable. The kids were engaged throughout the entire house tour and enjoyed the indoor pool and bowling alley most. They also couldn't believe the scale of the house and throughout the tour commented on where their rooms would be and fantasied about living in The Biltmore. We skipped the gardens and winery as it was late and the kids were a bit tired and headed back to the hotel for a short rest before dinner.
We strolled into town and headed to dinner at Rhubarb. We sat on the patio with the dog and enjoyed the very laid back atmosphere while listening to street performers play American roots style music. We all shared plates and re-ordered the meatball appetizer a couple of times as we couldn't get enough. My husband and I enjoyed the local beer and the kids sucked down local sodas. It was great to see the kids so entranced by the street performers and also watching the crowd that was surrounding the performers. There were kids dancing, adults tapping feet, it felt good and I just devoured the moment
watching my family enjoy the food, the atmosphere and the adventure.
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