I'm back today with more Project Life goodness.
Specifically, I want to share photos + stories from our travels in and around Asheville, North Carolina.
On June 13th, Brian and I were driving from Nashville to Asheville and we stopped off to have lunch with my friend, Noah. I didn't take any photos that day (since much of it was spent in the car), but I did want to include a few thoughts about the day. Therefore, I wrote on two journaling cards and slid them in a plastic flip pocket.
Here's what the right journaling card says: "Noah, Brian, and I were enjoying fried potato slices at a restaurant in Knoxville. As we devoured these tasty appetizers, we discussed delicious (albeit unhealthy) southern foods. Noah, who happens to be a doctor, said something to the effect of, "Ya'll should have had your cholesterol checked before the trip and then afterward." :-)
The following day--June 14th--Brian and I toured the Biltmore House & Gardens. Several of my friends had raved about the estate, and boy were they right. As we toured the enormous house (three White Houses could fit inside of it), we listened to stories about the Vanderbilt family via audio tour.
One of my favorite stories was about a cake that Mrs. Vanderbilt's staff baked for her young daughter, Cornelia's birthday. In the cake, the baker had placed an assortment of tiny objects (buttons, thimbles, dimes) that the children attending the party would presumably discover as they ate their slice of cake. Supposedly, if you were a boy and found a button in your cake, you'd be single for life. If you were a girl and you came upon a thimble, you'd be a spinster. If you were lucky enough to find a dime, you were destined to be rich.
How fun is that?!
The story, though, didn't end there. Turns out, none of the kids actually found a dime, which sent Mrs. Vanderbilt into a panic. She grabbed a knife and started cutting up the remaining pieces of cake looking for the dime. One of the little girls attending the party went home and told her mother how strange it was to see Mrs. Vanderbilt--a very wealthy woman--searching for a mere dime in the cake.
After we toured the house, it was off to the gardens! I had a blast shooting the garden areas and ponds. I love that they plant flowers in suitcases and display vintage bicycles in their indoor gardens.
In the small pockets (measuring 2.75" x 3.75"), I included our Biltmore tickets, restaurant receipts, hotel card key and a few pictures. One of my favorite pictures is the Baptist church sign that says: "If you think it's hot here..."
I wanted to include additional pictures, so I used this American Crafts photo protector page. The page was designed to hold 12 pictures, but I only had eight photos, so I just cut off the bottom third of it with my paper cutter.
The food at Luella's, a barbeque joint in Asheville, was so yummy! I had a brisket sandwich; Brian devoured a rack of ribs. We both tried Cheer Wine (a cherry soda) for the first time and loved it. Too bad it's only available in the south!
On June 15th, we drove to Chimney Rock, which is about 25 miles from Asheville.
After walking up 500 stairs, we were treated to a breathtaking view of the surrounding area. Western North Carolina is so beautiful!
And now it's time for a few movie trivia questions from the Chimney Rock park guide, which I slipped into this page protector.
1) Which 1992 movie was shot in Chimney Rock park?
2) Which 1987 movie was filmed in the nearby Lake Lure area? (Hint, hint: Nobody puts baby in a corner!)
(Answers are at the very end of this post.)
We also drove a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, south of Asheville. During our drive, hail pounded the roof of our car and thunder rumbled in the distance. Summer afternoon thunderstorms are such a common occurrence in the south, but for us west coasters, it's quite a treat!
Later on that day, the severe weather continued. In fact, while dining at Cracker Barrel (for the first time) and devouring our yummy chicken-fried steak/fried okra/fried apples, the lights kept flickering and we could hear the rain and thunder above the chatter. (It was so cool!) After finishing up our meal, we browsed the store, and then sat in the rocking chairs and played a game of checkers on the patio.
In the pockets, I included a map of western North Carolina and two receipts, along with a screen shot from Brian's iPhone showing the severe thunderstorms around Asheville.
I included four additional pictures from our time in Asheville using an American Crafts page protector.
One of them is a photo of the Manual Woodworkers & Weavers Factory Outlet located between Gerton and Bat Cave on US 74. They have a large selection of decorations, gifts, throws, linens, and pillows. I purchased a Christmas table runner, which I can't wait to place on our dining room table in December.
We had a wonderful time in and around Asheville, NC. In fact, I'd love to spend a few more days there in the future.
And now the time has come to reveal the answers to the movie trivia questions.
1) The Last of the Mohicans was shot in Chimney Rock park in 1992.
2) Dirty Dancing was filmed in nearby Lake Lure in 1987.
In my next post, I'll cover more of our trip beginning with our time in Williamsburg, VA.
J
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