Catherine Vanderbilt

Side View 

Where do I start?  There is so much to share.  

Key notes...

• Asheville is Amazing
• The Biltmore is breathtaking
• Rental Cars are ALWAYS low points in vacations.  When will I learn my lesson?
• I love Starbucks more and more each day
• I'd like to go back to 1895 and marry a Vanderbilt, or simply be a slave to one in their majestic kitchen.

The Story

I met up with two amazing friends from Louisiana in Ashville, NC.  Asheville is a 5 hour drive from Lewisburg, and well worth the trip.  Being that J and I are a one vehicle family, I rented a car to met my friends and bring us all back to Lburg.  I reserved a compact car, and Alamo upgraded me to a 2013 Altima.  Saying I was a nervous wreck driving a car that felt like a Rolls Royce compared to my Corolla would be an sad understatement.  But the saddest part of all is that I felt so chic driving it.  (this only turned into a low point when I returned the car, and got a lovely $175 fee for a crack in the windshield)

I plugged in my John Kerouac On the Road audiobook, day dreamed of becoming Mrs. Vanderbilt of 1895, and cruised in my Rolls Royce for 5 beautiful hours. This trip was starting off on the right foot.

Megan and Brooke made it to Asheville shortly after I did and we grabbed dinner, turned on Jersey Shore (a first for me), and fell asleep in our quiet, cozy hotel room  (Mamma Megan even put pillows at my feet to keep me warm). That is, until the 10 guys in the room adjacent to us commenced in their loud discussion of "their powder stash" at 2 A.M.  

For a while, I thought I was the only unfortunate sleepy soul that could hear them, but when Brooke frantically shot up out of bed, soldier marched to the door, and slung it open.... I knew I wasn't the only one missing valuable shut eye.

We called the front desk to make a complaint, and then had nightmares that our powder friends were going to come shoot our hotel room up.  Asheville is safe, and our hotel room was nice.  Why all three of us thought we were sleeping under a bridge in Detroit is beyond me.

I have a horrible habit of not being able to fall asleep once I wake up in a panic, and after the powder fiasco... I spent a solid hour staring at the ceiling dreaming of becoming a Vanderbilt.  Despite my desperate need for sleep, I decided to cut my losses and be productive.  I snuck out of bed, got dressed in the dark, and made my way out of our room.  My clock said it was 5:30, which meant I was only 30 minutes away from being the first in line at Starbucks.  EXCEPT one little bitty small issue.  The time changed for my Louisiana friends and the clock I was looking at was wrong. 

I made it to the front desk (bird's nest hair, backwards shirt and all), asked where the nearest Starbucks was, and felt my heart drop when he told me the time.  4:30 A.M.

I pulled out a book, browsed facebook for a while, and people watched until it was time to make my way to soy lattes.  

I don't have the best sense of direction, but for some reason... I can find a Starbucks shop even if it's weighted down in a trash bag at the bottom of the Mississippi River.  

This one was only down the street.  

They played Louis Armstrong, and I loved them all the more for it.

Around 8 A.M. I headed back to the room, and we all got dressed and headed for the Biltmore.  I knew the Biltmore would be amazing, but I had no idea of it's vast acreage and beauty.  It's like a grown up Disney World with green houses.

I've always felt so strange, because when I visit museums or antebellum homes I always picture living there in it's prime.  I love the smells, the breeze that sneaks through the small cracks in old windows, and I love dreaming of how life was like centuries ago.  I thought I was alone in this, but Brooke and Megan proved me wrong.  They were mesmerized by it all just like me, and Brooke let it show.  :)

We drank bloody marys at The Stable Cafe, walked the gardens, picked up truffles from The Sweet Shop, went to a wine tasting, and walked in every shop the Biltmore had to offer.

My lovely friend who always comes to visit me in my many random locations!  :)

The most hilarious girl I've ever met!  She kept us laughing the whole trip!  

Megan blending in with the fall scenery!  

See, I told you!  :)

I cannot express how much fun I had on the this trip!  Thank you Megan and Brooke for making it so special!  :)