Day 4: Biltmore Estate

Tuesday was our Biltmore day. We were on the fence about whether to go, as it was expensive ($300 for our family), but we decided it was something we wanted to see at least once. We had a 9:45 tour time and were on property shortly after 9. It took a while to wind through the estate and make it to the parking lot. It was a short walk to the house and we were inside by 9:35. The house is impressive and the tour was okay. It is self-guided with adult and kid versions. The kid version is told from the perspective of Cedric, the Vanderbilt's St. Bernard. Luke did that one, the rest of us had the regular. I felt like it was missing some basic information, like how long the house took to build, how much it cost, how much time the Vanderbilt's spent there, even the square footage. I think it would have been nice to have a quick movie (like 5 minutes) with that kind of information. The kids were asking similar questions as we were driving to the house and I assured them all their questions would be answered on the tour, but they weren't, so that was a little frustrating.

The tour was almost exactly an hour and we saw several rooms. Everyone's favorite was the library. George Vanderbilt (the Vanderbilt who commissioned the house) was an avid reader and book collector. He had 22,000 books in his collection and the library was beautiful and amazing. The basement was also fun, it had a bowling alley, gym, and a 70,000 gallon swimming pool. It also had several changing rooms (probably 10 for women and the same for men) as it was considered rude to walk through the house without being formally dressed. It was interesting to see the thick rock walls that support the weight of the heavy house. The kitchen area was also interesting, as were the staff living areas. It reminded me of Downton Abbey, although the bedrooms were nicer, they still had the same servant hierarchy. 

Bowling alley

The amazing library (no flash photography)

Jack checking out more books.

One of many staircases.

There was beautiful art throughout the house, including two Renoirs in the formal dining room. There were almost life-sized paintings of Mr. Hunt and Mr. Olmsted, the architect and landscape designer, in one of the living spaces; I thought it was nice that the Vanderbilts chose to honor them in that manner. Overall, I am glad we saw the house. It was beautiful, but ridiculously over-the-top and ostentatious (in my opinion). I can't imagine why anyone would feel the need to build a 175,000 (according to Google) square foot house. But, it was fun to see and it has certainly benefited the Asheville area as a tourist destination.

After the house, we went to the gift shops and then the gardens, which were amazing and beautiful. 

Heading into the garden

I complained to Thomas about how he stands behind me in pictures, so he made sure to be in front on this one.

Inside the greenhouse (little Biltmore in the background)

There were trains going throughout the greenhouse

Another train

Next, we drove to the stable and deerpark and had our picnic lunch. From there, we drove to Antler Village. Luke and the girls played on the playground for a bit and we walked through the barn area. They had a video playing and we stopped and watched for a little while. Antler Village is another collection of restaurant and shops, including the country's most visited winery. They do free tastings, but since we don't drink (and we had the kids) we didn't sign up. However, we asked if we could walk through and they let us. We got to walk through a long underground tunnel with signs that talked about winemaking. I was hoping to see the vineyards, but I am not sure where they were. 

Luke posing with Cedric the St. Bernard

In the pretty tunnel

In all, it took us about 5 hours to complete our visit. We would have liked to hike a bit, but Thomas' toe and the weather (it rained off and on) were deterrents. Even without hiking, we still walked over 5 miles.

Meanwhile, the Wills had gone to a cool "retrocade" in downtown Asheville with old and new pinball machines and arcades. I thought we would join them, but most of the family wanted to go back to the cabin and relax. We got back around 2:30 and it was still drizzly out. I went in the hottub with Luke and Anna. We played games and had a quiet afternoon. The Wills got back around 4 and Kayce and I went to Food Lion. We had pancakes, bacon and fruit for dinner. When the kids went to bed, we tried an escape room game and failed. It was rated as really difficult and it was! Another nice day in the books!

Asheville Day 3: Pisgah National Forest

Before I forget, an administrative note. Right now, some readers get an e-mail when a new post is published. However, that service is no longer being offered by blogger. So, if you currently get an e-mail notification (or would like to) when a new post is published, please e-mail me at klh1977@yahoo.com and I will let you know each time I write a new blog. 

Day 3 was a trip to the Pisgah National Forest. I read that Sliding Rock is a must when you are in the Asheville area and made the mistake of mentioning it to Luke. It became the thing he most wanted to do on this trip. As I read more, I learned that it has become incredibly popular and very crowded, so you have to get there early. We got there around 10:15 and there was already a substantial line. Thomas couldn't do the slide because of his toe and Trevor didn't want to, so Kayce and I got in line with the interested kids (Jack and Anna thought the water was way too cold).

Based on his sad limp, I think it feels about as good as it looks.

The line took about 20 minutes for the first go around and it was fun. I am happy to say I did it. It is just what it sounds like, you slide down a large, 18 foot rock into a "pool" at the end. It is spring fed and maintains a cool temperature of around 55 degrees. Luke loved it and immediately got in line again, as did the other kids, including Anna. The line was already growing and we timed their wait at 25 minutes. After the second slide, the line was even longer and no one was interested in waiting. The boys, including Jack, played around in the creek for a few minutes and then everyone got changed. 

Waiting patiently

We did videos, so excuse the lousy screen grabs below. I tried a couple of different apps to get pictures from videos, but nothing is working this morning and people are starting to wake up, so I need to get these pictures added. 

Jack and Kolten picked up right where they left off. Good buddies.

Our next destination was the nature center. On the way, we stopped at Looking Glass Falls, which was beautiful.

We got to the Center for Wildlife Education around 1130 and had our picnic lunch before going inside. There was a visitor's center with small exhibits and animals (snakes, spiders, etc) and a nature trail with signs talking about the area. It was a short walk that ended with the fish hatchery. The hatchery was really cool. They grow 600,000 trout/year and distribute them to 85 different area streams. The purpose is two fold, first to aid in the balance of the ecosystem as fishing has become much more popular and second, to keep fisherman happy and coming back (I assume to aid in maintaining their reputation as a tourist destination for good fishing). The fish are unable to breed, as they don't want them to interfere with the natural trout. And, according to one volunteer, they are stupid and easily caught for about 2 weeks. After that, they become smarter and are trickier to catch, like the native trout. They had fish food and we had fun watching them scramble for pellets. It was a really cool stop.

After that, we went to the Ranger Station and Souvenir shop. There were lots of great maps and I grabbed a few to plan a trip back. I would love to go explore more, particularly if we could manage in the off-season. Our final stop was an ice cream place just outside the forest entrance. It was delicious.

Then, it was back to the rental house. The girls decided to have a girls night out. We were looking for a good restaurant and I messaged my friend Kaitlin, who had just visited Asheville. Right after I hit send, Kayce found Tupelo Honey's, as she was saying the name, Kaitlin responded and suggested Tupelo Honey. We took it as a sign and made it our destination. We made a reservation for 6 and left the house around 4:30, with the idea that we would walk around before dinner. There was a cool old Woolworth's (they kept a soda fountain) that was turned into an Art Gallery and Craft Emporium. We had fun walking around and looking at the stuff for sale. Kara found a book she really wanted called the Art of Abandonment. It was a really cool book with pictures of abandoned places. It was $60 and she didn't want to "waste" her money, but would like a copy for Christmas. 

After that, we had a delicious southern meal at Tupelo Honey and then checked out a couple more places. One cool store was Ten Thousand Villages. It is a nonprofit store with a goal to end global hunger. They sell fair trade items made by artisans. There were some really cool items, including jewelry made from bomb casings from Cambodia. Kara collects string dolls and bought an RBG (she has a newfound interest in the Supreme Court) and a Hamilton. She also bought a lucky three legged pig, made from clay from Chile, for her friend Sophia. Anna was the one who discovered the three-legged pig and bought one as well, because it spoke to her.

Pretty girls. Kayce showed Anna how to use a hot brush before we went out. Fancy!

I've missed my friend!

Asheville Day 2: River Float

On Sunday, we started the day with a visit a nearby playground. The plan was to play for an hour and then have a picnic lunch. However, it started raining while were were there. The forecast, radar, and a quick visual of the sky showed that the rain was isolated. So, we opted to drive to our activity and try and have lunch there. It was a good choice, as we were able to avoid the rain. We used Beer City Tubing, which offers "rides" on the French Broad River--the third oldest river in the world. They had a good setup with picnic tables and lawn games. Oh! We have been playing a license plate game in the car for months, maybe even a year. We have checked every state except Wyoming. While we were at the park, Thomas saw a Wyoming plate driving away from the parking lot. He chased after it to verify (possibly confusing the driver, but likely not threatening with the kids running behind him). It was a little outside our rules, since our original rule was you have to be in the van to count it. However, since it was in the same parking lot as our van, we made an exception. Everyone was very excited. As soon as we got back in the van, we checked it off. Then, when we started driving, we saw another Wyoming plate! Our last plate of the old game was Wyoming and the first plate of the new game was Wyoming!

Okay, back to the river. After a 12-minute bus ride, we were dropped off for our 2-3 hour float. At various points, everyone was linked to various people. It was just as amazing and relaxing as I had hoped--a real life lazy river. We played music and occasionally chatted and also just sat back and enjoyed the views. The boys frequently jumped into the water, which was rarely deep. There was one small part where the water sped up a little and was a bit rocky. Unfortunately, at that point one of the kids fell in, lost their tube, and needed to be rescued from the rocks. Thomas was the closest adult and walked to him with a tube. But, with the rocks, the ground was incredibly uneven and he ended up stubbing his big toe really hard. It was starting to bruise pretty badly last night and it is likely either broken or sprained. Hopefully, he will still be able to walk on it today.

The float took almost exactly 3 hours and I loved it. My two goals for the trip were to find a Wyoming license plate and to float down a river. Check and check! The older three kids also loved it. Luke said it was "fine," but a little boring and long. Crazy kid! The other kids all rated it 8 or 9. 

And now, the river float photo dump:

It's a boy party!

Thomas' attempts to avoid the chaos didn't last long.

Poor Kayce stuck in the middle of the boys (and Anna)

The littlest Wills and Wilson with a nice view behind them.

Anna mourning the loss of her sunglasses.

Fun, fun, fun

For the last 45 minutes or so, Kara and Ben linked together. Both were happy with this arrangement.

Living my best life.

Murky, cold water? No problem for Jack.

On the way back to the rental house we stopped at a cute ice cream place that also had little kid-sized zip lines and some other lawn games. The kids loved it. 

After ice cream, we went "home," showered and changed and headed to dinner at the Whistle Hop Brewery. It is a cool venue with tons of lawn games (bocce ball, disc golf, mini bowling, a 6-hold miniature golf course, a large slide, etc). They don't sell food, but had a food truck there called Appalachian Chic. Most of us liked it, but it was pretty expensive for the food we got (mostly sandwiches). Our meal cost $86 and that was with no drinks. But, it was really nice to sit outside with the beautiful views and enjoy the atmosphere and lawn games. And, there was a nice man handing out bags of rocks to the kids. Apparently, he picks up cool rocks during his hikes and then gives them away. 

The kids dinner table

After that, Kayce and Trevor took the boys home and Thomas and I took the girls to Walmart. Kara wanted film for her instant camera and Anna needed to replace the sunglasses she lost in the river. It was nice to shop without Luke. We got back around 8:30. It was another long, but very fun day!

Asheville Drive and Day 1

For our first big vacation since moving to Florida, we opted to spend 6 nights in Asheville. Today, Friday, we made the drive up. It was a long, traffic-laden drive. We didn't expect there to be so many cars on the road and it took us about 45 minutes longer (of driving, not including stops) than the mapping websites projected. The kids were fine, we let them do electronics, and as a first, we brought the Nintendo Switch. They shared it in one-hour increments with little complaining. As always, I am glad that none of the kids inherited my propensity for car-sickness. I am unable to do much in a car; I can read in very short bursts, like plugging in an address, or quickly looking something up. There is no way I could read a book or play a video game. Sometimes, it can get a little lonely. Although, Thomas did all the driving, so he was a captive audience. We had trouble finding good gas stations, which is not usually a problem. At one point, we stopped at a travel center and were going to get food and then decided to get McDonald's, but the line was crazy and we couldn't even get in the parking lot. So, we went across the street to Hardees, but their dining room was closed. Finally, we ended up at the Food Lion deli, which was pretty good. That also added to our drive.

Kids on a road trip!

We made it to our cabin around 5. We are alone the first night, but tomorrow, the Wills arrive! I am a little disappointed with the cabin. It is more expensive than our usual rental houses and I expected it to be a nicer. It is okay, just not as big or nice as I expected. The pictures were honest, they were just well-done. Maybe we were spoiled by that amazing house we rented when we went to Boston. That was my dream house (I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this, but I contacted the owner to see if we could rent it again and she had sold it!). 

We unpacked the van and then went to Walmart for supplies. We got stuff for "picnic" lunches and dinner. After we ate, all of us but Jack went in the hot tub, it was a little tight for 5 but I still found it relaxing. It makes me want to get our hot tub up and running. There is a fooseball table in the garage and we played a few games. Everyone went to bed between 9-10, it was a long day.

Saturday, I woke up around 5:30. Thomas woke up at 7:30 and we decided to sit in the hot tub for a bit. The outside temperature was 54, much cooler than mornings in Florida, and it felt nice. Luke joined us a few minutes later and the other kids slowly got up. Everyone was up by 8:30 and they all said they slept fine. We had breakfast; Thomas taught Kara how to play poker; we played fooseball and darts.

We had sandwiches for lunch and left the house around 12 to go our first activity: horseback riding! I found a place called Smoky Mountain Trail Rides. When we were trying to decide whether to stick to our original plan or come to the rental a night early, we wanted to find an activity to make it worthwhile. I had brought up horseback riding to the Wills, but it wasn't something they were interested in doing. So, we decided if we could get a reservation, that would be the plan for Saturday before they arrived. And, we got a 1 o'clock reservation. Perfect! 

We got there just before 1 and learned that the ride before us was delayed. There was a smallish child who spent the whole ride terrified and she slowed everything down. The kids, especially Kara, were really cranky about the wait. But, we had no other plans and while no one likes to wait, the rest of us were more patient about the delay. The previous ride got back around 2 and then had to feed and water the horses and give them a break. Our ride was supposed to be from 1-3 and ended up being from 3-5.

Pre-ride

Horses on their break

Kara really liked this horse and was happy when it was assigned to her. Here she is getting her instructions.

The ride was amazing! The property has been in the owners family since the 1800s, they have over 800 acres and we rode up and around a mountain. We climbed 2100 feet. At times the drop off the trail was really steep, but obviously the horses knew what they were doing (and, the trail was fairly wide--although, they did seem to prefer to stay on the edge). It felt like we were alone in the world exploring in colonial times, we didn't see houses or any signs of other people for the majority of the ride. Thomas said he could imagine he was George Washington, out doing his surveys as a young man. At one point, early in the ride, we came to a view that everyone exclaimed looked as perfect as a painting. It was stunning!

Started to make the climb. I took this picture from above (obviously, I guess)

The view doesn't convey in the picture, but trust me, it was amazing! This was toward the start of the ride, which ended near the path below. 

Anna and Star

Thomas loved his horse (Spider), the oldest one in the barn.

We rode up and around for about an hour. Then, we took a short break and rode down. 

Luke on Charlie

Same view as earlier, only now from near the bottom.

All six of us in row.

Everyone enjoyed the experience and liked the horse they were assigned. Luke's horse was funny. He stopped to eat frequently and a couple of times, he ran to catch up to the horse in front of him. Fortunately, Luke took it in stride and said he loved it. He gave it 8.5/10. Thomas said 10/10. I said 9/10 (it hurt my hips a little); Kara and Jack both said 8/10, Anna said 7 (because of all the bugs). We set the bar high for the rest of our trip!

Last picture is a random barnyard pig. It's stomach dragged on the ground. Maybe pregnant?

We got back to the rental house at 6 and the Wills were waiting for us! Kayce made some amazing tacos (beef and chicken) and spanish rice. Luke was most impressed by her scoop chips and he told her how amazing it was that she made them and how good they were. She took the compliment gracefully! We caught up on all the news. The kids explored a bit and then settled in with video games. Kayce, Kara and I played Love Letters. Kayce had a narrow victory. Then, Kara called it a night and Kayce and I went in the hot tub and chatted some more. It was an amazing day!