Asheville NC: a fun place

Our second stop this summer is Asheville, NC. We had been to Asheville once before but only for five hours. Didn't realize how much we missed. On our first day here we took a highly recommended trolley tour around town. The driver was loaded with information and presented it well and with a good sense of humor. We then used the trolley as a taxi to revisit places we wanted to explore further. The first was the 120 year old Grove Inn and restaurant. Dr. Grove was not a doctor, rather a snake oil salesman by today's standards who sold a variety of elixirs containing quinine among other things. He made millions and made an impressive mark on Asheville's landscape. The Grove Inn was constructed in rock and has a poured cement roof. It is amazing and just as presentable and functional as our best new structures today. We had lunch on the restaurant porch. Take a look at the view.

The second day was devoted to the Biltmore estate built by George Vanderbilt and opened on Christmas day in 1895. It is the largest private home in the USA built on 125,000 acres of land. The tour is excellent and includes service areas such as the laundry and kitchen. We dined in the horse stables and then toured their winery featuring a free wine tasting intro. Picture taking is not allowed inside but I did get a photo of the façade and of a country view through a piece of porch detail.

Pretty artsy, eh?
We also spent a day in Murphy NC where we once had a second home. We still have a lot, actually one of the best view lots in western NC. Funny; it's been on the market for six years with an asking price 60% of our purchase price. We enjoyed seeing our old Murphy haunts.

Yesterday started off with a super plan. We trekked 40 miles to spend a day at an outdoor BBQ and country music festival. Sadie was looking forward to it too. One hundred yards from the entrance stood a sign, "No coolers. No dogs." That triggered a 180 turn and a 40 mile return trip to Asheville to explore the many charms of the downtown area. Asheville is a remarkable city and we think we probably had a better day than the one planned.

Tomorrow we begin a three day trip north to Madison, WI. More about that in later editions. If you are inclined to follow our travels, we plan to add to our blog every 7 to 10 days.