Our visit to Biltmore Estate

On Sunday, we spent about seven hours at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Ken had never been there, and it had been over 15 years since I had, so it was a very enjoyable stop. You can read his take on it at Bucko's World, and see his slideshow.

It is a remarkable place, designed after 16th century French châteaux...but on a very large scale. It has four acres of floor space, 250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. It required six years to build, and when it opened in 1895, as the private residence of George Vanderbilt (a bachelor at that time), it was the most state-of-the-art home in the country. It is still owned and operated by the family, and George Vanderbilt's vision of a self-sustaining estate has been realized. The Estate relies on no government funding, and generates the money necessary for restoration and maintenance by profits from the winery and from tourism.

Incidentally--and surprisingly--it is the most-visited winery in the country. Having been to Napa Valley, we were skeptical, but it's because so many people visit the house. While they're there, they think they might as well visit the winery, too, even if they aren't oenophiles. (I love getting to use that word!)

The two most interesting things to me about the story of George Vanderbilt and his amazing home are the library and the land. Vanderbilt was quite the scholar, with a reading knowledge of eight languages. He collected 23,000 volumes over his short lifetime, and 10,000 are on display in the home. I took the time to look at a few of the volumes, and there were biographies, art books, philosophy books...the guy was remarkably forward-thinking and intelligent, and apparently very fair to his workers and his servants. (The servants' rooms were bigger than our bedroom!)

As part of his ability to see a grander vision, he hired Frederick Law Olmsted (the guy who laid out Central Park) to do the landscaping. Both Vanderbilt and Olmsted envisioned a way to manage the forest responsibly and sustainably. Instead of the current practices of the time, clearing a forest of all timber (leaving it a barren wasteland), their plan was to harvest timber responsibly and preserve and continue the environment. In fact, the Biltmore land was the first managed forest in the country. (It originally consisted of 125,000 acres, and after George's death, his widow sold over 86,000 acres to the federal government, adding a huge tract of land to the Pisgah National Forest.)

Biltmore strikes me as almost Utopian. It put thousands of people to work--with decent wages and treatment--when it was being built, and still employs thousands to this day. I believe it is truly an American jewel, and the family's love of and dedication to meticulous and accurate restoration is amazing. When restoring four new rooms recently, they found wallpaper remnants under trimming and an inch of original upholstery under subsequent layers. They hired artisans from all over the world to replicate the original furnishings, and the results are gorgeous.

Of course, as with all historic places, my imagination was fired. Biltmore was a country estate where friends and family were welcomed with open arms. What must it have been like to wander through those rooms? Descending the grand staircase on the way to a formal dinner in the cavernous banquet hall (with three fireplaces in which I could stand upright)? To sneak down to the library when you couldn't sleep at night and find a volume to take back to your bedroom? In the Conservatory, there were many arbors with shadowy interiors and benches...did lovers meet there for a clandestine tryst? Did visiting children run and play in the gardens? Biltmore isn't a stale and stuffy museum. Despite the valuable works of art, many of the windows were open, and sheer curtains were billowing in the breeze. On the hottest days, I can imagine sitting out on the wide, covered gallery, taking in the view of the back yard and the mountains in the distance. In fact, I did take a seat there and look out for a while, imagining myself taking in the spectacular view of over a century earlier.

Man, I love stuff like that.

I made a video slideshow for you! Ken made a nice one using Picasa3, and I was able to make one that I think turned out okay, too. I'm still working on the audio, but I hope it will be done soon. Since we couldn't take pictures inside the house, I took several in the gardens. There are a couple of pictures in there that include hummingbirds--can you spot them? I was fascinated by these huge flowering shrubs. The flowers were red or white, and the blooms had to be about three times as big as my hand. I would say 6-8 inches in diameter. Ken finally saw a label saying what they were: Rose Mallow. I looked it up today, and by golly, it's a hibiscus, what we call Rose of Sharon around here! We have a few, and I can see one out the front window even as I type. Ours don't have such huge blooms, though, and I think I'm going to see if I can find a variety that has blooms like that. One of the Rose of Sharons out front is mostly dead, so it would be a good spot to put a new one. I was so excited to see what those were, and to know that I can grow them here!

I’m no dead quitty fish!

I have so much that I want to write about...don't worry, not in this post, but I have started a list of the topics that are already catching my attention! I'll stick to one topic today.

The title of this entry comes from Jon Stewart, whose take on Sarah Palin's resignation riffed on her remarks that she wasn't "quitting," and that she wasn't just floating along in the last days--'scuse me, year and a half--of her term because "only dead fish float." Stewart exclaimed, "You're no dead quitty fish!" That remains my favorite quote from the whole thing so far. My biggest laugh, though, came today when I watched William Shatner's poetry reading of Palin's resignation speech on Sunday. It's posted on my Facebook page, and it's hilarious!

Anyhoo, I've been pondering the whole "quitting" thing, not just with the Palin situation, but in a broader sense. Palin strikes me as essentially a bully. Bear with me while I explain. During the campaign, she felt she had the right to get out there and say anything she wanted about their opponent...terrorist, traitor, socialist...even standing there and grinning as people in the crowd shouted "Kill him!" Rather than stopping such hateful rhetoric immediately, she egged it on. I still give McCain great credit for shutting up the ignorant remarks, at least for one brief, shining moment (the woman who said that Obama is an Arab). Sadly, Palin was under no such moral restrictions, and seemed to enjoy fueling the hatred.

As soon as she was called on her behavior, though, both as part of the campaign and part of her governorship, she cried "foul!" and said that the media wasn't being fair. She paraded all of her kids, including her pregnant teenager and her boyfriend, onstage at campaign rallies, then got pissed off when her family got undue attention from the press. If you want to protect your family, you don't bring 'em out onstage and show them off like your prize 4-H ponies, okay?

I've seen such behavior online and in real life, as well. People believe that they can keep poking the snake with a stick, needling and irritating and bullying, all under the penumbra of free speech, or the illusion of truth (at least their version of it). Yet when poked back, like all bullies they duck and run, hide like the cowards they are, and claim that everyone is picking on them. It's ridiculous, typical, and laughable behavior. I have yet to see a bully not wither under the scrutiny of others, or run away and hide from those who dare--DARE!--to poke back. It's like pouring salt on a slug, or water on the Wicked Witch of the West. Works every time. Cat got your tongue?

I'm no dead quitty fish. How about you?

A return to Nutwood

We're back! Wahoo! (Remember the fish?)

After a complimentary breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Corbin, Kentucky, we were on the road at 9:30. We made great time, especially since we didn't have to stop for lunch. (Crazy to have breakfast at the Holiday Inn? Crazy like a fox! It actually hit the spot and was a nice perk. We've also noticed that most hotel chains are now offering free wi-fi. They should--it's not that expensive, and most travelers want it now.)

We hugged the eastern curves of eastern Lexington, kissed the edge of western Cincinnati, and licked the outer rim of Indianapolis. Heh heh. All was smooth sailing, except for the occasional irritating driver, and some flashing lights behind us...those turned out to be for the little Echo that passed us a few minutes before. Ken was only going about 6 mph over the limit, so we would have been very surprised if the cop had been coming after us. It was a very good trip, and I hope you all enjoyed the updates and pictures (a few more to come). I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed your comments and your input on things to do, or when some of you mentioned that you lived in places we'd stayed or driven through. I didn't know until Donna mentioned it that Corbin, Kentucky is the home of the first Kentucky Fried Chicken! I think it's sort of a neat communal experience to talk about places we've been and things we've seen and to find out that we have some of those things in common. Thank you all for joining me on our vacation, at least in virtual form. I enjoyed it, and I hope you did, too!

Sheeba has been very attentive since we got home, and I was happy to see our kitty! He doesn't stay away from us for very long, but I'm sure it won't be long before he's his usual inattentive self! (I kid..he's actually a very affectionate cat.) A very big thank you to Cousin Shane for taking good care, as always, of Sheeba!

When we started going through the piles of mail (another thanks to Shane for picking it up for us), I found out that I had two packages. The first was a beautifully decorated padded envelope, with my name and address in calligraphy, and red, white, and blue fireworks designs all over it. Inside was an equally beautiful box tied up with a beautiful ribbon, and inside that were several beautiful Bastille Day buttons from Diane and Cristina, friends of our friend David Dust! It was a veritable Russian nesting doll of a present, with multiple levels of beauty! I had won a random drawing on David's site, and the lovely ladies sent me the lovely package. They have an eBay store, so be sure to check it out! (They have postcards, Laurel!) Thank you, David, and thank you Diane and Cristina!

The other package had the return address of P. Coyne. OH BOY!

Do you remember when we went to see the Godfathers in Chicago for their first U.S. St. Valentine's Day Massacre show? Do you remember how disappointed I was that we missed the after-party to which we'd been invited? Do you remember that I had an email from Peter Coyne (the lead singer) saying that he was sorry we missed each other, that he'd looked for me in the SmartBar, and that he'd send me a T-shirt and a signed CD to make it all better? He remembered!

He included a note that says, "Hi Beth, As promised--better late than never. All the best to you and hubby! Peter Coyne X"

He also signed the CD, and I was just thrilled. Honestly, how cool is it that a band is so appreciative to their fans, and so accessible? Peter, you are a peach, and I couldn't be happier. Thank you! The really cool news is that they are working on a NEW ALBUM, and I hope that will result in another visit to the States in the next couple of years. I can hardly wait to hear their new effort. For Peter to take the time out from working on an album to send the shirt and CD to me really means a lot to me, and the Godfathers remain one of my all-time favorites. The fact that Peter is a genuinely nice guy is just the icing on the cake. What a nice welcome home!

One more howdy from the South

This time from Corbin, Kentucky. Which we found out at Applebee's is in a dry county, and they can't serve cool amber beverages--or any other beverage with *gasp* alcohol in it--on Sundays. Noooooo! I'd forgotten that there were still some dry counties in the South. We survived.

A great visit to Biltmore House today, and I'll write more about it when I get some time and some pictures edited. You can't take pictures inside the house, so if you want to see a few, go to Biltmore.com and you can find pictures of the interior there. I took a few of the exterior, and several of the gardens. My favorite room? The library, of course. And I bought a book in the gift shop about the restoration and preservation of the house, so I'll be happy to read that and add it to our collection! George Vanderbilt collected 23,000 volumes, and about 10,000 are on display in the library. I've got a good start, but I still have a long way to go if I want to reach that point. I'd better get busy!

After a wine tasting at the winery, we had a little snack at the wine bar there before we toured the house. What a nice surprise to chat up the lady running the wine bar and find out that she and her husband are from Indianapolis! We had a really nice time talking with her, and they love it in Asheville (despite the higher cost of living). It really is a small world inside a great big one, and you never know what sort of pleasant encounters you'll find when you're out and about in it!

We spent about seven hours at the Estate, and then hit the road and put in about four. This will make for not too bad a day tomorrow, and get us back to Nutwood at a decent hour. I had a great time, as always, with my partner in crime traveling buddy, but I'll be happy to get home and see our kitty.

Happy trails!

Howdy from Asheville!

We had a very pleasant finish to our vegecation, with a final swim in the ocean and one last meal of fresh fish (swordfish steaks). Sadly, Ken was unable to grill them, because a storm blew in and it absolutely poured in the evening! I panfried them, and they turned out well...but not as good as grilled. I think it is kind of funny that it rained the first night we were there, and didn't rain again until the last night. Thank you, weather gods! Oh, and we found out later that tornadoes were in the area and came fairly close to us! The skies definitely looked ominous, but I didn't realize they were that bad. Yikes!

We hit the road at 10 AM, made our way up to Jacksonville, past Savannah, through South Carolina (Hi Bob!), and on into Asheville, where we're spending the night. It was really interesting to come through all the various ecosystems. I found the channel islands of Georgia fascinating, and loved seeing the large swampy areas with channels and tributaries. The palm trees and swamps of Florida and southern Georgia gave way to hardwood and pine forests in South Carolina, which eventually gave way to rolling hills, and finally the Smoky Mountains. We had sun the whole way until we started our ascent into the mountains and ran into a very intense thunderstorm...which we got through quickly and then had more sun! Ken and I remarked on how interesting it was to come through so many different areas and environments in just the space of several hours. What an amazing and wonderful place we live in, and how cool to get to enjoy so much diversity!

I was also pleased to add South Carolina to my list of states I've visited. As much time as I spent in the South as a kid, we never went through South Carolina, and I never went to Myrtle Beach or other places like that. I would like to come back and visit--it's a lovely place.

It had been some time since I've been to the Smokies, and ohhh, it's still so pretty, and one of my favorite places I've ever been! Asheville is lovely, and I think it would be a neat place to live. I just scoped out Biltmore House and bought tickets online, so that's our plan for tomorrow. The gardens, the winery, a tour of the house, and then a couple more hours on the road. I'm excited to see Biltmore again, and when Ken and I were having dinner tonight, I was talking a little bit about George Vanderbilt. Ken didn't realize that Biltmore was built by a Vanderbilt--I thought I had mentioned it, but perhaps not--so is even more interested in seeing the place. Hmm, wonder if I can find a book about the place in the gift shop? I bet I can!

Oh! We had a scary moment when we first got into town. We were planning on staying right in the area of Biltmore Village, not far from the estate. Several hotels there, so we should have no problem, right? At our first attempt, a Double Tree, Ken learned that there is a major outdoor festival in town this weekend, with three to four hundred thousand people expected in the city. Bruce Hornsby was performing at Biltmore tonight, and every hotel room at that exit was booked. Uh oh. A woman at one of the hotels recommended an exit a few miles down the road, and we were able to book the penultimate (I told Ken I was so excited to be able to use that word!) room at the Holiday Inn. It's a very good thing that we made great time today, and got into town earlier than we expected. If we'd gotten here at 8 PM, we would probably have had to go even further down the road.

Time to relax and get sleepy, so we can get a fairly early start tomorrow. Hopefully more tomorrow night!

All things considered, I prefer Smucker’s

Wow, I missed an entry yesterday! I feel so ashamed. Okay, not really, but it was weird to not update! I intended to, but our friend Lee came down to visit from Jacksonville, and there just wasn't time.

He got here around noon, and after sitting on the balcony and getting caught up a bit, we headed down the beach to one of our yearly stops, Breakers. They make the best burgers I've ever had, and every year, I love them even more. (Debbie L., we had a basket of onion rings, too!) Q: How do you make a cheeseburger better? A: Add more cheese! Ken and I both got the Three Cheese Burger, with American, Swiss, and Provolone. The extra cheese was delicious, and it was great to sit by the open window and look out at the beach as we ate.

After lunch, we went out to the beach and yes, frolicked. Ken and I tried to get one of his stunt kites up and running with limited success. I decided to hop in the water while Ken and Lee worked with the other kite, and had a pleasant time bobbing in the waves. They were those gentle swells that let you just float along and I was thoroughly enjoying myself, even feeling a little brave and taking on some bigger waves. (I can't swim, so I stay in where it's not over my head, but sometimes the waves are big!) It was beautiful and sunny, and I was as happy as a little girl.

Then, WHAM! I felt a sharp pain on my back and the underside of my arm. I knew right away that it had to be a jellyfish, and when I looked down, I saw a blob of jelly on my board shorts. I tried to rinse it off in the ocean right away, but it slithered down and stung my leg, too. In all the years we've been coming down here, I've never gotten a jellyfish sting before, and wow, that initial impact is intense! I came up and put Benadryl spray on it, and that really seemed to help. The initial sting wore off quickly, and there were no ill side effects, but those babies pack a wallop. I can now say that I know what a jellyfish sting feels like, and I hope they leave me alone for another eight years! I really don't hate the jellyfish...he was bob-bob-bobbing along just like I was, and the waves smashed him into me. After all, I was invading his space, wasn't I? I also suspect that he perished in the impact. I'm still alive. So I don't hate the little gel guy.

In the evening, Ken cooked spaghetti (Lee has braces, so we tried to make something that he could eat easily) and then we played card games. It's always great to see Lee, and we had a fun time!

Today, we made a stop at the cove where the manatees hang out, and Jamie, we took two bottles of water! As you can see, they came right up to Ken and got a nice drink. It was so cool!

After that, we went to JB's Fish Camp and had lunch. More fresh seafood (we had more raw oysters, and I had steamed rock shrimp--Ken had steamed clams), and all delicious. JB's has a very funky decor, with all kinds of fishing regalia, funny signs, and oddly, a lone snow ski. I noticed something up in the rafters and thought of our friend DB. (Check out the book!) On the way to JB's, I enjoyed looking at all the buildings and homes along the way. There are some impressive beach homes, but my favorite thing to see is the older, 50's-style homes, pastel stucco with flat roofs and louvered windows. I don't think I can describe how I feel when I see such buildings. It gives me a feeling of nostalgia that is almost palpable, and I can almost see and smell the interiors of such homes. The heat, the humidity, the still air in the yard, the sound of the cicadas in the trees, and the Spanish moss hanging from the trees. It reminds me so much of our trips down here when I was a kid, going to visit relatives, picking oranges from their trees, riding my bike down the road at Lemon Bluff and seeing the alligators at the side of the road, seeing the cottonmouths by the river, and the incredible lush verdancy of the countryside. The growth is almost frightening, and Stephen King alluded to that in his novel Duma Key. I understood immediately what he was trying to say, because that strange wild and violent growth seems almost sentient at times.

But I digress.

Then it was back "home," and after Lee left, we went back out to the ocean one last time (at least for this year). Happily, no jellyfish encounters, just a pleasant time enjoying the sun, waves, and sand! A storm rolled in this evening, but we've been so fortunate with having nice weather. Hard to believe that the week has gone by so quickly, and I know I'll feel sad when we leave tomorrow morning...but I'll look forward to next year!

Next stop...Asheville, North Carolina!

Born to be wiii-iiiild!

Oh my God, I'm cracking up right now. The two young men that are staying in the condo below us rented scooters today, and they've been quite busy ferrying around a couple of young ladies. Just now, we heard the scooters start up--putt putt putt--and one of the guys went "wooo-HOOOO!" That's when I sang "born to be wild."

We've been so lucky with weather this week! Ken went golfing again this morning, and I stayed back to do little things like taking out the recycling (Yes, we recycle here, too!) and getting fresh towels. We made a trip to the fresh fish market and got swordfish steaks and the fish with the bestest name ever, wahoo! We had the wahoo tonight, and it was mighty tasty. Ken has mastered the fish grilling thing.

Late in the afternoon, we slathered on the sunscreen and headed out for some extended beach and ocean time. I got some good sun today (With no burn--yay! Or should I say "Wahoo!") and it was fun to spend lots of time in the ocean. The tide was coming in, and those were some powerful waves! I try to turn my back to them, but one caught me right in the gut, and I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. I think I even said, "Oof!"

Howard, ask and ye shall receive. Since we were frolicking today, I made sure that we got pictures of it! Here's one of Ken--he got a boogie board today and was having fun with that.

Here are two of me--am I looking frolickey enough? Wavin' to everyone!

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And here is a cool sand sculpture that a guy made. Shortly after I got the pic, one of them fell, and then the tide got them all. Notice the tiki god...somewhere, Peter Brady is quaking in his boots....