Do I ever wish I was there now! Hot and sticky in Louisville this week. I was in western NC over the past weekend and as always, it was heaven on earth, with perfect weather thrown in! If y'all ever get a chance to get to this area of NC, it is a treat.
I had my mother, Kate, and Will with me for the annual "Drop Will at Camp" trip. In past years it has been the "Pick Up Will at Camp" trip, but he is attending the longer seesion. Anyhoo, we decided to make a weekend of it and hit our favorite spots for putzing and shopping.
We rolled into Asheville after lunch Friday, so we stuck to our usual stomping grounds, Biltmore Village, which is the shopping area around the Biltmore Estate. The streets are laid out in a fan shape, and the mood is very English village. The highlight this year was going inside the most beautiful little church - Cathedral of All Souls, and talking to a wonderful docent who told us lots of cool facts about the church itself and the Village. Sometimes just the church building makes you feel a holy presence, and this is one of those buildings.
We hit the "old favorite" gallery in Biltmore Village- the New Morning Gallery. My kids love this place- so much to see and admire. We also took the short drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Folk Art Center. In addition to the beautiful arts and crafts (think unbelieveable quilts and woodworking), they have an excellent selection of books about the area- trails, nature, etc. Will is coveting the 3-D topo map of western NC, which I may get him when Bdarg and I head down for a visit at the end of the month.
Brevard is one of the neatest little towns and I could spend lots of time there. Downtown sits on a hill, and there are lots of fun shops, galleries, and restaurants. The bonus? Everyone is NICE. And chatty. Chatty like me, so we chatted our way through town all day! Brevard is the home of the ultimate toy store- O.P. Taylors. Grownups even spend hours here. My kids certainly did- we had to drag them out for lunch. The Red Wolf Gallery is fantastic- they represent just a few interesting artists and I always see a painting that I want (and can't afford!!). There is a stringed instrument store that may have me on my way to getting started on my banjo- very helpful staff. The store itself was in a big old building- one big room, kinda musty dusty with wood floors and banjos, guitars, fiddles and basses (plural spelling?) hanging everywhere. It was funn! Best purchase? A Christmas tree ornament- a little red kayak.
We didn't have much time for Hendersonville other than the big store downtown, Mast General Store. They pretty much have everything, from tents to candy to toys to clothes. It is big and always crowded. A few years back, Hendersonville did one of those deals where they stuck a decorated animal figure (in this case, bears) on every block- they call it Bearfootin'. It is like the cows in Chicago, or the Gallapalooza here in Louisville. Kate loved them and wanted to see and touch every one.
Will's camp is always beautiful and serene. The road in follows a lake, and winds through a hemlock forest. Sunday morning the mist was on the lake, and the hemlocks smelled so wonderful. It is always hard to leave him, but it helps that he is in such paradise! We are looking forward to heading down in 3 weeks for a visit!
I had my mother, Kate, and Will with me for the annual "Drop Will at Camp" trip. In past years it has been the "Pick Up Will at Camp" trip, but he is attending the longer seesion. Anyhoo, we decided to make a weekend of it and hit our favorite spots for putzing and shopping.
We rolled into Asheville after lunch Friday, so we stuck to our usual stomping grounds, Biltmore Village, which is the shopping area around the Biltmore Estate. The streets are laid out in a fan shape, and the mood is very English village. The highlight this year was going inside the most beautiful little church - Cathedral of All Souls, and talking to a wonderful docent who told us lots of cool facts about the church itself and the Village. Sometimes just the church building makes you feel a holy presence, and this is one of those buildings.
We hit the "old favorite" gallery in Biltmore Village- the New Morning Gallery. My kids love this place- so much to see and admire. We also took the short drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Folk Art Center. In addition to the beautiful arts and crafts (think unbelieveable quilts and woodworking), they have an excellent selection of books about the area- trails, nature, etc. Will is coveting the 3-D topo map of western NC, which I may get him when Bdarg and I head down for a visit at the end of the month.
Brevard is one of the neatest little towns and I could spend lots of time there. Downtown sits on a hill, and there are lots of fun shops, galleries, and restaurants. The bonus? Everyone is NICE. And chatty. Chatty like me, so we chatted our way through town all day! Brevard is the home of the ultimate toy store- O.P. Taylors. Grownups even spend hours here. My kids certainly did- we had to drag them out for lunch. The Red Wolf Gallery is fantastic- they represent just a few interesting artists and I always see a painting that I want (and can't afford!!). There is a stringed instrument store that may have me on my way to getting started on my banjo- very helpful staff. The store itself was in a big old building- one big room, kinda musty dusty with wood floors and banjos, guitars, fiddles and basses (plural spelling?) hanging everywhere. It was funn! Best purchase? A Christmas tree ornament- a little red kayak.
We didn't have much time for Hendersonville other than the big store downtown, Mast General Store. They pretty much have everything, from tents to candy to toys to clothes. It is big and always crowded. A few years back, Hendersonville did one of those deals where they stuck a decorated animal figure (in this case, bears) on every block- they call it Bearfootin'. It is like the cows in Chicago, or the Gallapalooza here in Louisville. Kate loved them and wanted to see and touch every one.
Will's camp is always beautiful and serene. The road in follows a lake, and winds through a hemlock forest. Sunday morning the mist was on the lake, and the hemlocks smelled so wonderful. It is always hard to leave him, but it helps that he is in such paradise! We are looking forward to heading down in 3 weeks for a visit!
otherwise I would drive up and meet you...it is only about 2 hours away! Well worth the drive to see you and the other Dargs!!!!! 
