Ok, Asheville was great. It’s a beautiful city in a beautiful area with beautiful things to see. There was so much that we didn’t see that would have been worthwhile seeing. But what we were able to do was spend time with family, and that was the greatest blessing of all. My nephew Jon Fitzpatrick and his wife Emily have lived in Asheville for a couple of years. They recently bought their first house – a classic 1945 bungalow that was a true handyman’s special. They are delighting in fixing it up, and it was great to see their progress. Jon’s mom, my sister Joie, and her husband Fitz were also in town, so it doubled our fun. Joie & I went to Biltmore together while Jon & Emily were at work, and Gary and Fitz installed a new toilet for them! How’s that for a fun day?! (Joie and I definitely won the “who had the best time” award for that day!). On Sunday we worshiped together, had dinner at our place and then Joie and I went in search of a cousin whom we hadn’t seen in years and years, but who lives outside of Asheville in Burnsville, NC. We had a great visit – meeting her husband (for the first time!) and seeing his glass blowing studio, sharing pictures and snapshots of our lives. It was so good to connect with Wanda again!
Here are (l-r) Joie, Emily, Jon, Fitz

And to document the historic cousin’s meeting -
Me, Wanda, Joie

As we traveled through Western North Carolina in search of a quilt fabric store, we stumbled upon the Carl Sandburg’s Home in Flat Rock. The house is old (built pre-Civil War), but since the Sandburg’s lived there until the 1960’s it has a very comfy lived-in feel. The Sandburgs were savers – keeping every magazine in piles along the walls. The house is decorated to be comfortable and useful. Mrs. Sandburg was an internationally famous goat breeder – she was well known for breeding goats that had increased milk production. The farm still has some token goats, the grounds are beautiful (as is the view) and the house tour ($5.00) was very interesting. It was a far cry from Biltmore, but all in all a great place to visit.
(And yes, we found a couple of fabric stores – My Quilt Shoppe in Flat Rock, Material Things, and Fabric and Foam Outlet. And I managed to find a couple of pieces of fabric that will remind me of our time in Western North Carolina!)

Biltmore, the largest private home in America, was amazing. The house was grounds and gardens (even in the rain) were beautiful, the home was overwhelming and furnishings were exquisite. The estate was decorated for Christmas – and that was truly over the top. I can’t tell you how many trees there were – one in each room, some with two or three! Along with the self-guided tour of the house, there was also the arboretum to visit, along with a winery and an historic barn area. The day was cold and rainy, but that didn’t seem to stop any of the crowds! I took some pictures, but they really don’t capture the majesty of the estate, so if you want to see what this place looks like, please check out their website.
My one complaint – it was a VERY Expensive day. The cost for the self-guided tour is a whopping $39.00. That does include the arboretum, winery and historic barn. It also includes a small pamphlet which very briefly describes each room. There is an audio tour (headset, etc.) that is an additional $7.00. Or there is a hardback guide book that was around $14.00 (and of course there are other guided tours that all involve more $$). So, while it was an amazing place, I did feel like they took advantage a captive audience, not to mention pricing it out of the range of a good many people that would like to see it.

After a brief jaunt to a fabric store and a local orchard, we packed up and headed for Asheville, NC. My nephew and his wife live there, and since my sister and her husband were going to be visiting there this weekend, it seemed like a perfect time to see the sights of Asheville. The route over the mountains into North Carolina was once again breathtaking. As nervous as I still can get when we get into some tight spots with our big vehicle, I must admit the huge windshield does make for some great viewing.

None of the pictures really speak to the majesty of these mountains. Here are just a few of the ones I took. If you can, get to this National Park.
1. It’s free! Small charge for some wonderful guide books, but no entrance fee.
2. It’s has something for everyone – hiking, biking, horses, valleys, mountain peaks, shopping (in nearby Gatlinburg)….
You’ll love it!