Better late than never right?! Here it is, the long awaited slideshow from our leaf peeking trip to the Smokies: SMNP (remember to click on slideshow to view the full pic and caption). The travelogue is a bit more of an abridged version after Mark's insistence that noone reads it. I have also left out our breakfast plans which weren't anything particularly notable or out of the ordinary (aside from the house made granola and muesli, of which I had a heaping bowl full every morning, at Buckberry Creek).
Saturday, October 25th: We had an extremely early flight into Charlotte, NC this morning. Both babes were pretty confused when we woke them to leave. Pierce was excited nonetheless as he knew we were traveling to the "mount mounts". Much of this day was spent traveling to Asheville and getting settled into our hotel. We did squeeze in a visit to the University of North Carolina's Arboretum. They were hosting their annual flower show with prize winning chrysanthemums. Their scenic gardens were sprawling, and one could easily spend days there. For dinner, we got take out from Tupelo Honey Cafe who prides themselves on homestyle food with an upscale twist. We split a NY Strip and Pork Tenderloin. The accompanying sides, however, were the stars of the show. The sweet potato mashers and cheesy cauliflower were delicious. Oh and the dessert of course, which was a rich fudge brownie topped with frozen custard.
Sunday, October 26th: After a quick breakfast, we checked out of the hotel, and drove to Cherokee, North Carolina. Here we visited the Oconoluftee Visitor Center. We took a relaxing stroll alongside the river. Next we drove through the park with spectacular views of the mountains to Gatlinburg. We checked into the famed Buckberry Creek, where we'd be staying the next 3 nights. We stayed here last year and were elated when we were given the same 4th floor suite coined, "Crow's Nest". Our view here, one word: breathtaking. We simply could not have timed our fall foliage vacation any better. Colors were at their peak. We took a short hike down to the creek on our lodge's property. Once returning, we ordered room service from our lodge's restaurant--all opting for the filet and rosemary mashed potatoes. It was melt in your mouth delish.
Monday, October 27th: We awoke to an exciting surprise this morning---this fall's first snowfall. The misty mountain tops were decorated with a beautiful blanket of white snow. We went on a self guided driving tour of the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. You meander your way up the side of Mt. LeConte amidst remains of an old mountain farming community. We learned much about the early settlers in the Smokies and how their lifestyles helped shape the community into what it is today. After the drive (and realizing the light jackets that we packed simply wouldn't be sufficient), we went into town for some cheesy souvenir sweatshirts. If you've ever been to Gatlinburg, you may recall the town is teeming with these stereotypical tourist traps. On the way back to our lodge for an afternoon nap, Pierce got car sick from the winding drive. Instead of relaxing with us, Mark drove to the nearest Wal Mart (45 minutes away) and bought him a new carseat, a new jacket, (since we didn't have access to a washing machine), and winter hats for both babies. After naps, we met up with Mark's brother Chris and his family. We went to a small local stream side park. It was wonderful to see them. The cousins had a blast playing with each other. For dinner, we ordered take out from Cherokee Grill--chicken strips for P, rotisserie chicken sandwich for Mark, and cheeseburger for me. All were met with sighs of satisfaction.
Tuesday, October 28th: This morning we met up with Chris and family at the Sugarbush Visitor's Center. We watched a short vignette about the history of the Smoky Mountains. Harper, my sister in law Rebecca, and myself visited their small museum while the rest of the crew went on a nearby nature hike. After an afternoon nap, we took a hike to Laurel Falls. We didn't actually make it to Laurel Falls because of the cold temperatures. However, it was nice to get out and breathe the fresh mountain air. For dinner we had take out from Cherokee Grill for a second time. Mark and I split the NY Strip and Prosperity Steak while Pierce enjoyed their chicken strips again. This meal was named, "meal of the trip".
Wednesday, October 29th: After checking out and bidding Buckberry Creek a farewell with plans to return one day, we set out back to Asheville. Before leaving, we stopped and had lunch at the Wild Plum Tea Room. It's a cozy, girly tea room that Mark would be quite embarrassed if I told any of his friends we went here. They make amazing chicken salad spiced with nutmeg and apples and served with vegetarian chili. We also had their specialty wild plum muffins and tea. Mark noted that he and Pierce were the only males under the age of 70 dining here. Once arriving back to Asheville and checking into our hotel, we visited the historic Biltmore Estate. The Biltmore was once the home of old man Vanderbilt's son (responsible for Grand Central Station in Manhattan, NY and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN). It's easily the largest home in the United States. The architecture alone is impressive, let alone the majestic grounds. We visited the farm and petting zoo. For dinner, we picked up some food from Pomodoro's. I won't go into too much detail about this meal as it was met with mixed reviews.
Thursday, October 30th: We knew we would need to drive back to Charlotte for our flight home, so we started our day early. We drove back through the Biltmore Estate, stopping to tour their impeccably manicured gardens. The Biltmore is so unbelievably beautiful and so meticulously cared for, one could easily spend an entire week here. We'd really like to come back with more time to visit. We flew back home to Dallas that afternoon.
We had a fabulous, relaxing vacation filled with great company, fun times, gorgeous scenery, and delicious food. Pierce and Harper were both champion travelers. This was easily the most fall colors Mark or I have ever seen (including on our New England honeymoon). Being from Texas, we don't get to see much fall foliage. They certainly don't make leaves like that here. It was such a pretty sight to behold, and we're so thankful we were able to share it with our babies.
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