Asheville, NC

This weekend my boyfriend Reid and I went to Asheville, NC to ski and visit The Biltmore Estate. It was a picture perfect weekend...no really, check out the pictures below!

Saturday: It was Reid's first time skiing so we couldn't wait to hit the slopes. We drove about 30 minutes west of Asheville to Chataloochee Ski Resort. After we got all of our gear, we went to the bunny slope to give Reid a lesson. Being the boy he is, he decided he didn't need lessons. He said the best way for him to learn would be for him to just go, so we did. I will spare you the gorey details but on average, Reid fell 6 times per run, and he didn't just fall, he wiped out. Let's just say he is having a very difficult time walking today. I have been skiing several times but I am by no means a pro. I will however brag that I did not fall once this trip, besides Reid falling on me getting off the ski lift. Despite his injuries, it was a blast and are already looking forward to our next trip. He claims if he goes two more times he will be a pro. We shall see...

Before dinner we walked around the historic downtown visiting shops. It was so exciting when we discovered Asheville has the same general store as Knoxville, The Mast General Store. Of course we stopped here and Reid even bought Vibrum Five Finger Shoes. I say ew, he says yes! We also stopped at French Broad Chocolates and bought handmade truffles and shortbread cookies. There is something that makes a truffle so good. It is very personal, as if it was made just for you.

For dinner that night we ate at the famous Tupleo Honey Cafe in downtown Asheville. It is named after the appetizer they serve, a made from scratch biscuit with tupelo honey and fresh blueberries. It was to die for. I could have eaten several of them but refrained and just finished my one. Wow, it was really good.

For our main courses we had shrimp and grits and beef tenderloin medalians. Yes, you can call us little piglets, but we enjoyed every minute of it.

Sunday: When we discovered it was impossible to just drive up and look at The Biltmore without a ticket, we decided to purchase them since we were in Asheville and unsure of the next time we would visit. Luckily, I had found two coupons online that basically gave us admission for two for the price of one. We had a 10:45 a.m. appointment and began by taking pictures, lots and lots of pictures. The view pulling up is absolutely breathtaking. This house (better yet castle), is a piece of art. It is way ahead of it's time with technology. This house has heat, refrigerators, electric food waiters and electricity in every room. Remember, this was the late 1800's where this all was very rare. Every aspect of The Biltmore is amazing. From the indoor swimming pool and bowling alley to the grand staircase and servant quarters, everything is perfect.

After the audio guided tour, we ate lunch in the house's old horse stables. It again was delicious. A BLT with fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese and a black and blue burger. Yum again.

After our wonderful lunch we went to the front lawn to take pictures and enjoy this beautiful North Carolina Sunday.

This was the perfect needed vacation for both Reid and I. Sometimes it is just great to escape reality for a little while and that is exactly what we did. It was a weekend of first for both of us and we got to see and experience new and exciting things. Work is predicable and Monday never fails to come around. It is necessary to spice life up and take little trips to shake it up a little bit, after all, that is what life is all about!