Three more days in Asheville

Friday, October 3, 2008. This is the NC Arboretum. This place exceeded expectations. It has long walks on nice trails, beautiful gardens and a really good bonsai exhibit.
This is driving in.


There are lots of pots with lots of plants. We finally figured out what this is and promptly forgot its name.


One of the many bonsai.

After the Arboretum we drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Folk Life Center. Unfortunately, they do not allow photography inside. It's full of locally produced handmade stuff. Some of the woodworking and jewelry is just amazing. But we have the non-acquisition fatwa in force at the moment.

Saturday, October 4, 2008. Off to Mt. Pisgah with us, on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the other direction. It's just beautiful out there. I can't say it enough.
One of the many scenic overlooks.

On this site once stood a hunting lodge on land owned by Mr. Vanderbilt who constructed the Biltmore mansion. When he died, his widow sold 85,000 acres to the Park Service. He owned what became the Pisgah National Forest. He and his buds used it for tramping about through the woods and shooting the little woodland creatures.


There are many rhododendrons in NC. This is a tunnel carved through a forest of rhodies.


While in the Mount Pisgah national forest we got in about a 2.5 mile walk, some of it containing much up. We are slowly and painfully trying to restore ourselves to a fitness level of some sort. It's depressing.
It is possible to bicycle the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are no commercial vehicles allowed, and no one really expects to make good time, so they do not drive like crazy people. However, there are tunnels, and they are not lighted. Some of them are long enough, with enough curve to them, that when you enter, you can not see any light from the other side. We saw a bunch of people riding with lights. Smart bikies.


We had lunch at this overlook sitting on the truck box. Very pleasant in the sun.


On the way back, we dropped in to the NC Botanical gardens on the college campus. The arboretum was better, but this was pleasant enough.


Then a walk through the campus. A soccer game was in progress. The goalie just took one for the team. He got up eventually.


By this time, we were starving. We stopped at the Farmer's Market for real tomatoes with real taste and some smoked gouda. The awning was extended without incident and we had a little nosh with wine, cheese and crackers and a pretty good view over Jim's shoulder.


Today, October 5. The plan was to drive out to Hot Springs NC and pick up the Applachian Trail and hike for a couple of hours. But no, we were about 15 minutes in and we met up with a couple of nice young men who wanted to warn us about the bees. Within 10 minutes or so we would encounter a nest in the ground of yellow jackets, a swarm of angry bees whose nest in a tree had been devastated by a bear, and some cranky hornets that would require a significant detour through the woods. We turned around went the other way.


There was an old road leading up to another trail head so we went that way. It took us out into a meadow that is being used as a turkey and grouse sanctuary. The Park Service plants things for them to eat and leaves them alone. We were talking to a local guy who had just done a 4 mile loop with his dogs, he's trying to get them and himself in shape for bear hunting season. He told us that the area we had left due to bees was also a bear sanctuary. Too much wildlife!


We went home a different route, it was very picturesque. I'm surprised more motorcycles were not out since it was a very up and down swoopy road. There were switchbacks. This is one of them. We're driving up the hill looking at where we just were.


Another swoopy bit.


So, it's been a pretty full day. Tomorrow is Biltmore day. Gotta get up early and wear sensible shoes and a hat. It's warm here, it was almost 80 today. The sun is a lot stronger than in Seattle.