Trip to Wildcat Cove, North Carolina

Day 1: We had a long ~8 hour drive, but since our cute (noisy!) alarm clock wakes up so early we were able to get to Roanoke in the early evening on Sunday. Mina was not too happy being constrained in a car seat the whole way, so we got a toy rotation and nursery rhyme chorus going.

Stretching out her legs

Ona and Roger graciously agreed to host us in their (beautiful!) home in Roanoke.  Unfortunately we didn't get to stay too long, but they did tell us good stories of their lives, played with Mina and fed us some stellar peach cobbler.  

Day 2: We made good time on our drive the next day and nobody 'pooked' despite the windy roads.  We got there early enough to have lunch at "The Sweet Monkey Cafe". Apparently the chef had just won some cooking competition and was preparing for the next iron-chef-like round in Asheville.  I have to say that it was the best pizza I've ever had.

Our sweet monkey at The Sweet Monkey

The picturesque cabin

Picnic with Bob and Leslie's walking tour friends in Asheville. Great picnic area with minimal bugs, lots of shade and great food

Visiting the water with Ian

Hanging with Auntie Lindsey

Day 3: Visit to Biltmore House, a Chateau-esque mansion, that was commissioned by George Vanderbilt back in the late 1800s.  It was the largest bachelor pad in the US, until he added a wife and daughter to his 250 rooms and 8000 acre estate.  Fortunately he had thought ahead and built in a man-cave with two 1 ton billiard tables and a discreet passage for his drunk friends to get into their rooms without creating a ruckus.  His guests and family also had access to their own bowling alley and swimming pool. His own bedroom had gold gilded burlap wallpaper, several of the rooms had 500 old tapestries (!) and the kitchen was enormous.  The coffee grinder was taller than Mina.  He traveled all over the world collecting interesting pieces of furniture, tropical plants, and protected priceless art from destruction during WWII.

Biltmore House

I'm pretty sure we all got our 10,000 steps in just by taking the tour.  Mina traveled the mansion in style though.

Day 4: General hanging out.

Guys making french toast and bacon for breakfast. 

Ladies and gents took separate trips to downtown Asheville, NC, while the kids remained at home.

Highlights: a bluegrass band, the General Store, Folk Art Center, Foggy Mountain Brew Pub, and the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. 

Poor Mina was feeling a bit under the weather and upchucked separately on her mom, dad, and grandpa. 

Taking a picture of 4 wiggly kids.  Utter chaos. 

Hanging with Grandma

Tuckered out

A campfire and smores. 

Day 5: We retraced our steps and set off back to Roanoke.  This time Ona and Roger were on their way to meet up with the rest of the family at the Litwiller Reunion in Indiana.

Lunch at Tupelo Honey in Jackson City

 Lounging at the hotel

Day 6: Since she hadn't slept all night, she slept like a champ on the long trip home.