Asheville Weekend

My Man called from work on Thursday and asked if I was up for winter weekend adventure.

Obviously, yes.

“Leave the planning to me, little lady,” he said.  So I packed an overnight bag and hopped along for the ride.

Oh, the spontaneity. Oh, the romance.

We left early Saturday morning and got our expensive drinks from Starbucks on the way out of town.  Even though we were only two miles from home at that point in our travels, we justified the extravagance with the “because we are on vacation” rationale.  I love that one.

Three point two five hours later we were in Asheville, NC and ready to hunker down for some holiday fun.

Our hotel was in Biltmore village, a totally idyllic place where even the Hardee’s and the Chevron look special.  Here’s a picture of the McDonald’s in the village.  It looks truly majestic in the snow.

Three cheers for strict building codes.

We needed a lunch that would go the distance so we opted for a Mexican fiesta at Neo Cantina.  A great lunch spot with fantastic salsa.

After our meal we went to the Antler Hill Village & Winery to explore some local history of the property and do a little wine tasting.

The wines were just average and we didn’t think that any of the reds we tasted were good enough to buy.  Nevertheless, wine tasting is always fun.

Errbody in da club gettin tipsy.  Note my slanty wine eye.  Lightweight.

Next we cleaned up a bit at the hotel and then headed to the candlelight tour of the Biltmore Estate.

The Biltmore was completed in 1895 by George Vanderbilt and is just massive.  It is a mansion of mansions located on 8,000 acres of North Carolina mountains.  There are over 4 acres of floor space in the house itself, 250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces.  The basement of the home, one of my favorite parts, had a swimming pool, gymnasium and changing rooms, a bowling alley, servants’ quarters and multiple kitchens. It has been completely restored to it’s original grandeur and it is like touring a museum.  The Christmas decorations were beautiful and there were even carolers and musicians adding to the holiday ambiance.

My Man made late dinner reservations at the Corner Kitchen.  Located in a beautiful old home, they serve upscale southern cuisine and their menu rotates weekly based on what’s in season.  We savored every bite, and I have to say that it was one of my best dining out experiences of 2010.  A bold statement, to be sure.

We woke up Sunday morning to freshly fallen snow!  It made the McDonalds look even more beautiful, but we couldn’t settle for a McGriddle knowing that Early Girl Eatery was right down the street.  We ate breakfast at Early Girl Eatery last time we were in Asheville and I highly recommend it.  So fresh, so flavorful, and so many raspy voiced hippies that look like that guy in that band.

My Oneandonly planed every bit of our weekend adventure down to the perfectly timed dinner reservation, but what he didn’t plan was the detour to the J. Crew outlet on the way back to Atlanta.  I hand selected a few Christmas presents.  For myself.  Because I was on vacation.

Last weekend was a good one.

I know I promised not to gush about my Love Life ad nauseum on this little corner of the internet, but let me just say that I’m a lucky girl.