Biltmore Estate, and Smoky Mountains, sort of...

It was BEASTLY HOT today. And no, I'm not just complaining. It was really hot, and I have pictures of mom to prove it. Only here's the thing: Sharon, I don't have your camera cord, so I'm up a creek on getting pics of my camera. I'm sure it's just as well. We went to the Biltmore this morning (okay it was more like this afternoon), after doing a Hallelujah dance when we found a Starbucks. Yes, we are a product of a caffeinated city. The year we went to Utah, sans coffee was not pretty... We walked around the Biltmore Village a bit and went into a few artsy stores, and then headed for the estate. It is HUGE!!! We went mainly to see the gardens (everyone remembers I'm traveling with a Master Gardner, right?), but we also schlepped in to the mansion itself. The gardens were beautiful, though not in full bloom yet. They were complaining about what a late spring they are having (hmmm....they should take a trip out west!!). We learned a neat trick about planting tulips that I we're looking forward to using next year.

And then we went to the mansion. Is it called a mansion? That may be too gaudy. I'm sure estate is the proper terminology. It's gynormous. We walked through the main floor, and schlepped up to the second floor where we just petered out. Did I mention it was BEASTLY HOT!?? We looked at the stairs going to the 3rd and 4th floors, and stopped in our tracks. And here's where we (or maybe it was I) started milking the giant knee brace mom had on. They took one look at that, and us, and shepherded us out of the roped off area in to our own little room and escape route. Mom drew the line at taking an elevator down, but I was all for it! I didn't realize the power of the knee brace!





Then we hopped in the car and headed to Gatlinburg, via the Blue Ridge Parkway. I got all hopped up on Bonine for the trip, and after missing the entrance once, we were off!! Until the road was closed and we had to turn around. No worries, our faithful leader found her way to the freeway, and...we were off!!! Until there was a lane closure and we were crawling along the freeway. Then they opened it back up, and...we were off!!! Until the rest of the freeway was closed due to a rock slide. Seriously I don't know where the rocks came from. I'm thinking they had to slide off a rock truck, but that's a whole other tangent. So I put my very limited map skills to work and got us a new route. We went south and up through the Smoky Mountains to Gatlinburg. As I was telling mom at dinner, I saw more than I was able to process verbally. I've had 2 pina coladas recently, so I don't trust my sarcasm to describe it. :)

Tomorrow we see the Great Smoky Mountains in the day light!!!