Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Nov 2 - we picked up our second batch of foster kittens. There are 6 kittens this time. You can follow their story here.

Abbie had a short Fall Break at school so we went to Blowing Rock, NC. We've never been there. It is less than 2 hours away - up in the mountains - a really beautiful area. We went fishing - something she really wanted to do.

You have to hold you mouth just right to catch a fish! Truthfully, when you go to a trout farm, there is no real skill involved. You put the nightcrawler on the hook (yes, I bait my own hook), cast the line, reel the line in slowly, and you'll catch a fish. They were big ole trout too! We caught 4 and ate some for dinner tonight.

Some of my best advice is this: Some things are worth turning around for. We drove past an inn and I caught a glimpse of some bunnies and insisted that Paul turn around and go back. #1 - the inn was beautiful, and I intend to go back and stay. #2 - they have numerous bunnies to enjoy. The caretaker gave us some carrots to feed them. Despite the ongoing rain, we took our time and enjoyed the experience.

We stayed at the Chetola Resort. There is a lake (large pond?) out front, and there were several swans. This one followed us as we walked around the lake/pond.

A section of Chetola Resort is a Bob Timberlake Lodge. And there is a restaurant. The fog lasted until about 3:00, dissipated for about an hour and then came back in full force.

Even with all the fog, I thought the whole area was very scenic.

We had hoped to enjoy some more fall foliage. But with the fog, that wasn't really possible. But I loved all the fog! I did wear a hat the whole trip b/c my hair and fog are not friends.

This male spent a lot of time grooming his feathers. We stole one - super soft (we stole a feather, not the swan)!

At an inn near downtown Blowing Rock. All in all, we had a good time.

Charleston

Believe it or not, we are heading out of town this weekend for an impromptu trip to the beach. We'll be in the Charleston area. It is only 5 hours from here. I didn't know that until I went in February with a friend to her beach house there. I wish I had known all this time that Charleston was so close. It is one cool little southern beach town!
If you've never been, the historic buildings are pretty awesome. After my February trip, I came home with a thirst for more knowledge about the civil war and slavery. I consumed several books and videos while trying to get answers to my questions. I love research (when it is something I want to know).
We'll be staying on the beach. We'll arrive Friday and leave Sunday - too short for me but better than nothing! Yay - I get my annual beach fix!
The coolest thing is that this was mostly Paul's idea (he's more of the stay-at-home type person). And Abbie gets some credit because she made a special wish on a "wishing fluff" and the wish came true.

Artsy Fartsy

We're not going on a vacation this summer because we are saving for a big trip next year when we will be celebrating our 15th Anniversary.

The first week in June is when we like to go to the beach because it hasn't gotten crowded and so hot yet. Hello, Destin, we miss you!

Early in the year, before we were sure that we would not go to the beach, Paul scheduled himself to be off the first week in June. Once we were sure we were not going to Destin, we decided that we would spend the week at home doing some projects.

Mid week, we decided to go away for one night to Asheville, North Carolina - a favorite close-to-home spot. This is where I am getting to the artsy fartsy part of the story.

Asheville is a really cool town. It is eclectic, artsy fartsy, "granola," small townish, good eats, in the mountains, close to other cool places, and much more.

Here is a small sampling of what we like to do:
Stay at The Grove Park Inn . But we didn't stay there this time because it is pricey. Abbie calls this place "that place I think is heaven." Hands down, it has the best spa anywhere. I have not been to many spas and am certainly no expert, but I really don't think anyone can beat this spa. I'd like to go there for a facial every week. And float in the mineral pool. And sit under the waterfall in the hot tub. And relax with a book in the sitting area. And eat at the buffet (in the hotel, not the spa).
Eat at Salsa's. We never skip this place even though there are plenty of other unique places to try. It is NOT a chain. It is like a mexican/cuban/south american fusion thing. Not really sure. We start with the nachos with mango salsa - FRESH is the word. And I always order fried plantains if they are in season. Yesterday, Paul and I split the Jerk Chicken platter (I usually get the pork platter but I'm off pork now). It's a plate full of yummy stuff - I can't even name some of the ingredients. We just shovel it in. And they don't serve regular sodas, but the drinks are really good too. And the waitresses are tattooed and dreadlocked. And Abbie wanted to know why one of the guy waiter's came out of the women's restroom. And the place is small and there is usually a line to get into the joint. And they feature a different artist all the time so the artwork on the walls changes all the time. I was pretty full, but there was mango salsa left, and I didn't want it to go to waste so I shoveled the rest of that in - I'm pretty sure I hogged most of the salsa.
Shop. There are a lot of little eclectic shops in Asheville. And there are a lot of galleries. One new place we went this time is the Kress Emporium. It is a big place with a bunch of different booths for various artists - there is jewelry, metal sculptures, photography, cards, pottery, acrylic painting, watercolor paintings, funky stuff, cool stuff, stuff you have to touch, etc. I discovered a new artist this time. I didn't buy it......Paul says he will make me one of these. We'll see....I'm not giving up on this. I also found a pretty watercolor that I would like to have for the kitchen, but I didn't buy it either. I wish money grew on trees.
One thing I would really like to collect is art!!! I also found a photographer that had really vivid close ups of animals and nature - he printed them on large squares, maybe 15x15 and then attached it to a square solid black wooden piece, maybe 18x18 - I'm just guessing on size. The black really made the photo POP. I wanted about 3-4 of those. But where would I put them? I'd like to have a room dedicated to all of the art that I love. Eeeee! It makes me happy!
And we eat again. The Tupelo Honey Cafe is just so good, and there is always a huge wait. Everything is fresh and yummy and unique. When they say the sweet potato pancakes are served with peach butter, you are actually going to get butter with chunks of peaches in it. How am I ever going to get to try any new restaurants in Asheville when I keep going back to my favorites?
Then we went to a new town on our way home. We've never been to Black Mountain before, but it is a sweet little town with 2-1/2 streets that are fun to stroll on and shop. We were too full to eat anywhere but there was a restaurant called "My Father's Pasta and Pizza" that we'll probably be sorry that we missed - the smells wafting out of there were unreal!
Now we are home, and I just finished mopping and that is not the least bit artsy fartsy, but I was thinking about all the art I saw!