We went on a trip this spring weekend to Asheville, North Carolina. We toured the Biltmore House and also enjoyed hanging out in our rental house. Although our rental wasn’t quite as big as the Biltmore it was more than adequate for the 7 of us.
We were perched on the side of a mountain with a barfy two mile winding road to get there. We slowed to a snail’s pace and everyone arrived intact. Four bedrooms, fire pit outside, stone fireplace inside, open floorplan, hot tub, gourmet kitchen….the list goes on and on. And don’t forget the view! Fabulous house!!!!
We spent one day in the city of Asheville. It has changed a bit since my last visit. It is a lot more bustling and touristy. Also since my last visit, it appears to be okay to turn your children into panhandlers or should I say street performers. We saw quite a few. Although they were entertaining, I think Saturdays are best left for childhood fun and frolic not for funding your college or paying the cable bill for your parents. You will have plenty of time to work as an adult, believe me.
However with that said, the rule in Asheville is plainly posted and we will adhere to the laws of the town.
One restaurant we went to was The Tupelo Honey Cafe. There is also one in Atlanta if we need another delicious fix.
Gina ordered a chicken biscuit with gravy and ham on top.
We went for dessert to the nearby chocolate shop – The Chocolate Fetish. We arrived on April Fool’s Day and the trick of the day for them was serving what looked like chocolate covered cherries (see in the case bottom left) but actually they were dipped cocktail onions. It was a funny prank and the innocent victim received a regular chocolate medallion for being a good sport.
We hit a few other stores and then back to the house for games and an in-house dinner.
One game we played was Yahtzee.
Now, wouldn’t you think that if you rolled TWO Yahtzees in a game you would be assured to be the winner. Terri did that and was sitting pretty for a while. But not today! Gina the Golden Girl rolled an unprecedented THREE Yahtzees in one game. She also won twice at LCR . If it hadn’t been such a long barfy ride down the mountain, we would have made her go buy some lottery tickets and rub some of her luck onto them.
The Biltmore dazzled as always, even in the rain.
We took a group photo before the docent ushered us off the steps. Smile pretty. You only have one chance to make it look good.
It was hot and crowded but we enjoyed the sights of a life vastly different from our own.
One of my favorite spots at the Biltmore is the view from the balcony. We couldn’t go out there today but you could still enjoy it from the doorway.
We loved the indoor garden/sunroom, too.
After the tour we ate at Cedric’s Tavern near the Winery. This restaurant is named after the Vanderbilt’s pet Saint Bernard, Cedric, so you can imagine how shocked I was to see a photo of Chupa on their wall.
Their delicious meals were served with their namesake sweet dill pickles. This one is about to leap out of the jar and land on my plate. The man behind Terri looks like he wants to join the group with his red shirt.
Next it was wine tasting and souvenir shopping. Then we headed back to the cabin for our last night of fun.
So long from Asheville! Until we meet again!
Recipes from the Trip:
Blueberry Pound Cake
2 tablespoons butter
sugar for coating bundt pan
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
additional 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Use the two tablespoons butter to grease a Bundt pan. Sprinkle with sugar. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. Slowly blend in the flour mixture. Use the remaining 1/4 cup flour to coat the blueberries. Fold blueberries into the batter. Spoon batter into greased Bundt pan. Bake for 70-80 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then turn out cake from pan. Allow to cool before slicing.
