Back to Carolina and to one of my favorite places with my girlfriend and my dog. There is so much to see and to do here, and wanted to share some of the many sights with you. Main thing we wanted to see was the Candlelight Christmas Tour of the Biltmore Mansion, and we did that (and that will be the next post). Getting into town on the 8th we went downtown and took a walk through the old Grove Arcade which is seen at left. Lots of very cool old buildings and interesting sights in Asheville, and like exploring it though have been there many times. Lots of street musicians were playing, and as I have found in the past lots of good places to eat and drink there. Mountains all around you, it is just a remarkable place to spend the day or even a very good night checking out some of the music. We also went to the Grove Park Inn. I have photos of that and some other sights at my Flickr Photo Page, and there is a link to that on this page. I also have some motorcycle photos on my Racing with the Wind page.
Kaye and I ate at the Moose Cafe, and my advice is to come hungry...you will need the room. Very good food, it is located off of a nearby Farmers Market, and the meals have never been anything short of outstanding.
As for the hotel we stayed at a Best Western on Tunnel Road in Asheville, it was a great place to spend a few nights; very clean and it has been updated. As I told the clerk on leaving, found it well deserved the hype. Really good breakfast also, and it was nearby a whole lot of things. I can recommend that hotel without reservation.
Took this photo on the Blue Ridge Parkway, had to take a drive on that great road. Though we did not take the motorcycles on this trip (my girl also rides, but my dog does not and both came with me) saw a lot of them riding it. Great roads and great views. I liked the visit there, which also included many roadside stops and also visits to the Visitor Center and the Folk Art Center.
The Parkway is one of the great American roads, and I never tire of it. I have ridden a lot of the Parkway in both Asheville and the Blowing Rock area, not so much in Virginia, but I will!
McDonalds near the Biltmore is one hell of a thing. I like this one, most of them are the usual thing, but some of them around the country are very unique. This one is near the top of the list with this scene at left, also a player piano and a fireplace.
Wandered around some of downtown in the Biltmore Village right across from the entrance. Then we went back for dinner, and came back to the hotel. Those photos can be found on the Flickr page, and I will be adding a few here very soon. It was a great time, and a nice look at a bygone era. Hard to believe it is all real to be honest, it is beyond belief.
Finally on the way back to Richmond we stopped at Chimney Rock (seen at left) though did not go up to it this trip. That is a very interesting town, and we also took a walk around nearby Lake Lure which has a beach of all things (but a little chilly for that). A number of movies have been filmed there in whole or in part including part of Dirty Dancing.
It was a remarkable trip and I sure enjoyed it as did my girlfriend and even (I think) my dog who enjoyed the tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway with us.
There is no doubt in my mind, that once again down the road, I will be back!
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