Asheville, part 3

So we took at trolley tour on our second day (after my early morning walk, see two posts below). We had a knowledgeable guide named James. We saw many beautiful houses. Asheville, nestled in the blue ridge mountains, had its heyday in the early part of the century, therefore there are many beautiful victorian houses.

We started out the tour in the Montford Historic District.

This yellow building is part of an old mental hospital (Highland Mental Hospital) where Zelda Fitzgerald once was treated F. Scott came to visit sometimes. She died in a fire in a building there in 1948.

James Taylor also once stayed here for treatment for heroin addiction.

Downtown, there are many beautiful art deco buildings. This is one of only 58 Roman Catholic basilicas in the United States.

Here is another building, city hall.

Later, we went to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, where the writer grew up.

J commented that he had big shoes to fill, in re Wolfe.

sock-clad feet are J's

A fun time was had by all.

Dinner

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Mrs. Palin

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=XR9V_aOCga0

Trip to Asheville, day 2

I woke up early and took a walk, looking for pipsqueaks. The morning was chilly and I was wearing the wrong shoes. But it was fall and my favorite season and the mountains were all around. The road went along the Swannanoa river. Asheville is west of the eastern continental divide. So I'm assuming this water will eventually end up in the Mississippi and eventually the Gulf of Mexico.









Here is another picture.












As the sun started to come out more, I noticed that the mighty kudzu was seemingly unperturbed by fall's chilly breath.










Unfortunately, I was hard-pressed to find any pip-squeaks this morning. However, I did run into Fredbird and his girlfriend Fredericabird. Only Fredbird is in this picture, however, Fredericabird being more demure.













Later, we took a trolley tour of Asheville . . .

Trip to Asheville, day 1

I am on fall break from school. We went to Asheville, North Carolina

First, We went to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Then we hiked up Mount Pisgah. Pisgah was awash in fall colors.














Here is J en route to the top.













Then we went to a graveyard, Riverside Cemetery in Asheville. The helpful folk at the Asheville Visitor's center pointed us in the right direction and even gave us a map of the cemetery.

We saw Thomas Wolfe's and O. Henry's graves. The following picture is of me standing next to the sign pointing us to O. Henry's grave, whose real name is William Sydney Porter.















I started noticing that there were a lot of pip-squeaks in the graveyard. J, at first scornful of my interest in the furry creatures, became the most intrepid pip-squeak hunter of them all, capturing this one on my camera.

fun facts

http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=emp&employer=Duke+Law+School
http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=emp&employer=duke+university&search=Search

note, dean levi gives to both candidates, (compare links), but $1300 more to Obama

dinner

pork tenderloin

Walk to woofstock

Went to Forest hills park where there was a dog festival and a very large great dane! http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2312007