Tuesday, March 24, 2009
We were on working stiffs schedule and so we were up by 7:15 because Samantha was coming by for breakfast and to say goodbye to us (and to drop off Leyna). Dwight outdid himself with omelets, bacon (turkey bacon for health reasons), toast, juice, breakfast sausage roll, coffee and milk. We waddled out of Asheville around 9 AM heading up the Shenandoah Valley to get closer to Kyle in DC. We made one sorta long stop at a scenic overview. We walked up and up and up a looong way to the top, huffing and puffing all the way. (all that good food). The weather is getting colder but Harris refused to change out of shorts to long pants. We could see the temperature go down as we traveled north ‘til it finally hit 50 degrees where we pulled up for the night in Madison, Virginia. We’re about 100 miles away from Kyle so when we go, it will be a short drive. Not sure what we’re going to do tomorrow, but we do know that the weather calls for showers and a low tonight of 32 and a high tomorrow of 50. Presently, we have the electric heater on and we’re going to watch Body of Lies when we finish posting this blog. Some miscellaneous Howie info:
-we’ve been averaging between 20 and 21.5 (one 24mpg) going the speed limit (most of the time) of 65-75
-most diesel has been around $2 (1.83 was cheapest and 2.15 in WA the most expensive)
-we’ve been plugging in most every night (only used battery power 1 night)
-Howie has done well with the wind and with big trucks passing or passing big trucks
-Howie is for House on wheels!
Dwight and Leyna
Monday, March 23,2009
Dwight and Sana went to work in the morning, and the retired folk lazed around…it’s great to be the retired ones! In the afternoon, Dwight and Harris went geocaching close to home and found 8 caches! Sana and Judy went to the Folk Art Center to look at lots of craft items. Beautiful work, but too expensive to buy. Sana also took Judy on a tour of the really big homes in Biltmore Forest…and we do mean really big homes! She knew several of the people who owned them, and often remarked how just 1 or 2 people lived in these mansions. They were incredible to see. Dwight and Harris cooked a great halibut dinner. We started packing up the van, ready to move on in the morning, but it’s hard, leaving such great company and hospitality.
Bonsai Tree
Sunday, March 22, 2009
“Harris, how about another bike ride?” With these words and a promise that the ride would be much easier than the Saturday sojourn the guys were off with Leyna and the gals were off on a walk through the nearby Biltmore woods. This is an area that will be developed in the future with some 300 homes but for now remains a wonderful wooded area for our friends to ride bikes or walk and take their dog. For lunch, we took our friends to an area Mexican restaurant that had some of the best rice I’ve had in a long time. Afterwards we went to the Biltmore House for a tour as guests of the Efirds. Originally, the Vanderbilts (of the shipping and railroad fortune) purchased a 125,000 acre chunk of land at a cost per acre of 25 cents to $2. The current size is about 8,000 acres. This house is as enjoyable to visit as Hearst Castle (H.C. is larger). We toured the house and some of the grounds. We went for drinks to the Grove Inn which has a wonderful terrace overlooking the valley. The weather is holding in the 60’s and today was another wonderful spring day (as opposed to the continued bad weather in the Pacific Northwest). Seems like all we’ve written about Asheville is walking/biking and food!
Jelly-legged Harris on Killer Hill
Saturday, March 21, 2009
After our usual slow start, Harris decided to tag along on a bike ride with Dwight to the Ramble Arboretum which was some 8 to 10 miles away. Dwight promised a “mostly downhill” ride. Harris figured “how hard could a 30 minute bike ride be”? He found out as a little while later his legs turned to jelly and his heart was hammering in his throat. He ended up walking the “killer” hill as Dwight coolly pedaled and kept up a constant patter of chit chat and questions. Harris finally stopped, sat on a rock, and tried to imitate a Kyle-like tai chi mental attitude which he, quite frankly, did not accomplish. When we arrived at the arboretum, Sana and Judy joined us on a walk through the wooded grounds. We loved the grassy spaces and decided that this would be another place that they could walk Leyna. We bought steaks for the dinner in honor of seeing Samantha, the Efird’s daughter. We enjoyed our time with her. Just like our kids, it was a quick, Hi and bye, then she was off after dinner to other friends. The old fogies stayed home, watched more tv and talked until our eyes wouldn’t stay open any more.
Four of us at the Ramble Arboretum
Friday March 20, 2009
We were introduced to Leyna a two-year old Great Dane puppy that weighs 120 pounds. She’s officially Samantha’s dog, but spends her days at Dwight’s Monday through Friday. Dwight went to work for the morning, and Sana had already gone. We went for a walk up some long hills, then came back and did some much needed cleaning and laundry. Howie was washed and his front debugged so we could see his paint again. The weather has been in the 60’s with clear skies and morning fog. Not as warm as when we were in the SW but still shorts weather. Dwight took us for a hamburger/sweet potato fries/milkshake lunch…we were stuffed. So when Sana came home for dinner, Harris cooked a light supper of chicken and salad. Our evening consisted of a NCIS marathon that was on TV.
The Biltmore House
Thursday March 19, 2009
It’s 10:15 and we’re almost headed out! It’s a short day today. First stop is Knoxville where Harris needs to pick up a gas heater cover for Howie (our finalized name for the van) that blew off in the winds of Palm Spring a couple of weeks ago. Then we’re off to off to Gatlinburg for Judy to view some crafts while Harris plans to do some geocaching. Later… Well, Harris found out that the place that said it had the cover for the gas heater doesn’t have the “flush mount” that is required but it does have the “hinge mount” that doesn’t do us any good. So for an additional cost of the flush mount plus shipping, they will send one to DC where we will pick it up when we visit Kyle. Harris found 3 caches and Judy found that most stores were closed because it was too early in the season. We then headed into Asheville where we landed on the doorstep of our friends Dwight and Sana Efird. We first became friends with them over 30 years ago in Alaska. They took us out for a pizza dinner and where Harris had some fantastic Calamari dipped in a sweet seasoned light batter with red peppers. We stayed up too late catching up.
Four of us at Grove Inn for drinks
Judy and Harris at Arboretum
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