Chimney Rock and Asheville, NC: August 8-10, 2024 - The Mountains

A million years ago, when I first started this blog, I did an entry on the Biltmore House, just a week or so before I was to head off to Louisville for the next nine years.  My family has a timeshare (that we haven't been able to get rid of yet) up in the mountains of Lake Lure, and that was the "home base" for both the Biltmore trip of 11 years ago, and this one, in Current Year!

I was only able to join the Mountains fun for part of the week, and there was a hurricane a-blowin' in the day I arrived!  So, blocked from the outdoor fun of the lake, we spent the 8th in the town of Chimney Rock, although we did not ascend the actual Chimney Rock itself (see above: hurricane)

We got some lunch at an excellent barbecue place:

Before a wine tasting at Burntshirt winery next door:

A quick coffee, then we headed back.  The rain pretty much abated toward the end of the day, and the following day was picture perfect, so we did lake, pool, and mini golf type activities.  Saturday, we got up and vacated the timeshare early to make the drive over to Asheville for Biltmore!

We were meeting the Beth clan there, not only to see the House itself, but because of a special event taking place at that time: a Dale Chihuly exhibit on the Biltmore grounds!

Now, I had pictured like, Chihuly sculptures all throughout the house, but it was really just an exhibit at the museum on the property.  Still, we did the regular house tour:

Plus the outside balcony:

Then back in:

And out to the gardens:

We then went over to the little village for lunch, and following that: at last, the Chihuly exhibit:

And then finally, before heading out - another wine tasting!

Surf City and Wilmington, NC: June 15-17, 2024 - The Beach

My right water shoe belongs to the sea now, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Me n' Leigh took a notion to head out to a beach weekend to enjoy the start of the truly hot part of summer.  Leigh has a separate tradition of going to Surf City each year with her brothers, and so knew this town relatively well and could be our guide through the three days.

She picked out a bungalow right on the sound, tucked away and perfect for our getaway:

weird art though!

The spot couldn't have been more idyllic, and the first evening we were there we decided to try walking to the beach, which was only about 30 minutes, though we broke that trek in two at a coffee shop mid-way.  We swam for a bit, then came back to enjoy the sunset from our porch:

And that beautiful evening light indoors:

And sparklers!

Then we drove back into town to see the pier at night - a must see, says Leigh!

and right she is!

The next day was the big beach day, and we set out early to get a breakfast sandwich from a shop in town, then head to the beach.  Surf City is a small island across a bridge, and is just big enough to have plenty of seaside while also having a charming beach town and shops.

We set up our blankets & big umbrella, then hit the waves.  My favorite activity of course is to walk out just far enough to still touch bottom, then get clobbered by the biggest waves right as they are breaking on their way to shore.  This is great fun!  But it was inevitable when a particularly colossal wave broke at just the precise moment to sweep me forward and backward - via the undertoe - and vacuum the shoe right off of my foot into the abyss.

I knew it was gone for good right when I felt it, but I searched in vain for a bit anyway.  Luckily this was not the day we walked 30 minutes to swim, but I did still have to cross a hot pavement parking lot with one bare foot to get back to the car.

The plan then became: return to the bungalow, have the pre-packed picnic lunch that Leigh had crafted, then come back into town to shop for new water shoes.  It is fortuitous that we were in a beach town with copious places to purchase water-related clothing.  The first place we tried had racks upon racks of good shoes, and a pair was selected in no time.

And so I returned to the afternoon beach session renewed, and with water shoes that had a tightening strap and velcro.  More fun in the sun was had, and more waves were crashed upon us, but no further shoes were eaten by the sea.

We considered coming back for more swimming in the evening, but we were tired out by our day in the sun, and as it turned out, we were both a bit sunburnt (me quite a bit more than Leigh).  We gathered up our paraphernalia, then grabbed dinner at the Maine Lobstah Shack.

Leigh looked up and found a movie in the park at Soundside Park (near the Lobstah), so we strolled around that area until the show started:

The movie was Shrek, which somehow Leigh called:

Sleep was wonderful, yet painful that night, given the aforementioned sunburns.  We packed up early the next morning and headed out for a breakfast stop in Wilmington, which was on the way back to Charlotte.

We had some donuts and sat by the river:

Saw a bookstore:

And just generally poked around til we got to hot to keep going, then returned to the car and headed home.

Luray, VA: June 6-8, 2024 - In Which I Attend the Wedding of My Dear Friend, Clayford

I returned to Shenandoah National Park just a month shy of four years after my first visit in order to attend the wedding of my dear friend, Clayford.

Clay is in the military as you all know, and he and his now wife are both fairly active people.  Thus, the wedding was a smaller, simpler affair in a nature-heavy environment that was a beautiful as it was endearing.

I arrived on Thursday evening, and by sheer chance showed up at the Skyland Lodge barely 15 minutes after Clay & Valerie:

We were the only three staying at the lodge; the other dozen or so guests opted for an AirBnB or the like down off the mountain in the nearby town of Luray.  I remember driving by the lodge on my last trip, and I have to say that after having experienced this park once as a single-day, mad dash kind of visit, it was really great to just be in the park for a stretch and soak it in.  It did add to the cost, though, but hey!  That's fine.

Valerie's parents joined us for a dinner at lodge, then we went out to a short hike that functioned as a kind of preview of the days to come.

See, I have to run you through the schedule.  Friday, which was not the wedding day, was to include several "bigger" hikes for those that wanted to participate, then Saturday, the wedding day, included a sunrise hike with photos, a late morning outdoor ceremony, followed by photos and brunch.  Definitely not the traditional fare, but it was precisely what they both wanted.

The hike we did Thursday evening was the same one that was slated for the Saturday sunrise, but C & V were well aware not everyone would be up for that, so it was nice to have her parents see the overlook where that dawn photoshoot would take place:

I don't know the science behind it, but the sun kept doing this crazy thing as we were taking photos of it where it appeared to be gigantic in the western sky:

Probably just a lens flare.

The next morning, we ate breakfast at the lodge then met up with a few more wedding attendees for the first of two hikes.  We were heading up the trail to Hawksbill, which if you re-read the previous Shenandoah post, you will know is the trail that almost killed me, and that was me four years younger!

Somehow it wasn't nearly as bad this time, and we made it to the summit no worse for wear:

Back at the bottom, near the parking lot, I was informed that hike #2 might be a little more strenuous, and was I sure I wanted to go?  Never one to think deeply or make wise decisions, I of course agreed that yes, I was in!

Two other people who went to Hawksbill bowed out.  I think they made the right choice.

This next trail, which I don't remember the name of, was identified as "Most Strenuous" on the sign next to its entrance, and proceeded to descend what I would later find out was over 2,100 feet from the start, down to a fun little sliding rock area:

That part wasn't bad, of course.  It was the return back up, about an hour and a half of just steady, significant ascent.  I think my brain may have started to shut down my faculties because I actually got something of a second wind halfway back up, and finished the hike feeling pretty good!  But the aches and pains that showed up days later told the true story.

Back at the lodge restaurant, over a gloriously substantial lunch, I asked Clay & Valerie if the hike was that bad for either of them.  Clay shook his head.

"Nah".

"Okay.  Because for me, that like, changed my life."

I went catatonic for most of the afternoon before a journey off the mountain into town for a fancy dinner at the Chophouse:

Those who know me know I love steakhouse mashed potatoes, and these were exquisite.

The next morning, Clay & Valerie got up to begin their hike at 5am, intending to spend the early hours at a photo shoot with the beautiful sunrise backdrop.  Guests could join about an hour later if they wished, so I set out about 6:00.

The scenery proved the genius of this idea; never have I seen such breathtaking views:

Yes, they did this hike in their wedding attire.

Iconic.

There was a short break before the ceremony at Pass Mountain Overlook, which was succinct and beautiful:

Brunch followed, and then everyone was free to head out - no crazy reception or afterparty.  And with a 6-or-so hour drive in front of me, that sounded just fine.

Blowing Rock, NC: December 18-19, 2023 - Wintry Getaway

 A fun wintry getaway for me & Leigh!

Our goal was to spend a snowy, wintry day in a small, mountain town, and we did achieve that!  However, we also planned to see Grandfather Mountain on our way up, and that did not go quite as well.

Apparently there is a wind threshold beyond which they will shutdown the famous swinging bridge, I guess due to excessive swinging.  The wind on that December afternoon was over 50 M.P.H., so no bridge and no hiking, but we did get to check out the science center that's like halfway to the top, and that's nice too!

We also saw some brief overlooks!

Chilly and blustery was to be the name of the game for our cozy overnight at the lodge in Blowing Rock.  We arrived late afternoon, right about at check-in time, and precisely after we did, the first few flakes of snow began to fall!

This was just in time for a short hike on the property of the Chetola Resort, where we were staying, to a small lake just through the woods:

We returned to the room to warm up:

before a journey into town for dinner!

Back at the resort, we intended to take another walk now that there was proper snow cover, but it was just too bitterly cold!  So a quick jot out to the lake and back would have to suffice.

We did take the effort to go to the (indoor!) hot tub, which required briefly going outdoors in our swim suits.  Maybe that's where I got the crazy idea to start doing cold plunges that next January...

We awoke the next day to a pristine morning beauty:

Before heading back into the town of Blowing Rock to just enjoy being in a snowy mountain town:

They had an art museum, which we took a tour of:

And of course, we had to see the Blowing Rock itself:

before heading out of the mountains and back into our normal lives.