onward to asheville! it's a little mountain-y from the smokies national park eastward to asheville, and about 15 minutes into our drive, james vomited in the backseat. he had some warning, grabbed one of the pre-made puke bags, and got it all in there. it was a most impressive puke. ramona was empathetic and kind, supporting him through the whole ordeal, speaking from a place of experience and wisdom. the whole thing could have been miserable, but was actually equal parts comical and touching.
pre-puking event, ramona and her baby river otter charlotte, ready for more miles.
anyway, we went to asheville and our first stop was the biltmore. it is a gorgeous vanderbilt estate on the edge of town, and it evoked all my feelings about downton abbey. truthfully, i still can't believe they killed matthew just so he could be the beast for disney grumble grumble grumble.
the biltmore is crazy expensive, but enjoyable. the kids were a little squirrely and bored, but they managed to hold it together. kinda.
the upstairs interiors were opulent and gorgeous and of a time and interesting....
but the basement was by far my favorite place. it's a place that normal folk can feel connected to the estate: a kitchen, laundry, pantry. plus the bowling alley, indoor gym, and indoor pool were nothing short of breathtaking.
i mean, i'd bowl here for sure. but i think i would have had to have been a man.
empty pool, bored kids
big kitchen, squirrely bored kids
outside the sun was hot, the gardens were beautiful and inviting....so some. the kids, however, were hot, hungry, bored, tired, so we saw relatively little of the surrounding grounds. ah well.
next stop: lunch in downtown asheville, followed by walking, turkey riding, and the robert moog museum of synthesizers. one of the best afternoons in recent memory.
we found our cute little apartment in asheville, just a few blocks from the downtown area, dumped our stuff and sat very still in the air conditioning and late afternoon shade,
and then headed back out for the long walk to get some delicious north carolina barbeque. it was a treat.
in the morning, the highly recommended owl bakery did not disappoint these two bread lovers, who filled their bellies with flaky croissants before the long and winding drive along the blue ridge parkway.
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