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Planning a vacation for
our second anniversary(is it already 2 years?!), Raj took
the wrong weekend off and we went on the vacation a whole
week earlier. Though my first choice was Gatlinburg, the
place we went to last year, Raj wanted someplace different
in the mountains, so Asheville it was. The rain spells and
cold summer this year ensured that the leaves would turn
color early this year.
Opting not to stay in hotels
or the Bed & Breakfast inns that are so common in Asheville,
we stayed in a little cabin in Hendersonville, a 20 minute
drive from Asheville. We visited the Biltmore Estate, built
by George Vanderbilt in the late 1800's. Though it is nothing
compared to the grand palaces in India, the decadent luxury
of the place stiffled us. Ugh, how filthy rich the place
was and they still charge $36 for admission! It was paying
to feel envious and sick! The tour of Biltmore house, estate
and the winery took us a whole day!
We drove along the Blue
Ridge Parkway upto Grandfather mountain marvelling at the
beauty around us. The fall colors were in full bloom along
the parkway and we stopped in several places to soak in
the beauty and serenity. We went on top Mt. Mitchel, the
highest peak east of Missisippi in the US, at an elevation
of 6684 ft. The overcast sky and the high winds made it
a surreal experience and it felt like walking in the clouds.
Our visit to Chimney rock was a lovely drive, but I couldn't
do any climbing when my vertigo started playing up. :(
After shopping(yippee!!)
at a local crafts store and walks in the quaint downtown
Asheville, we were on our way back. I drove the entire return
journey(can't still believe he let me); Raj was navigating
with the maps and of course, we lost our way (I am sure
he failed geography in school, he just cannot read maps
:))
Though it rained the entire
time of our stay, that did not stop us from enjoying as
it had done in Jamaica! Here, among the mountains and inside
the car, the rains and clouds only enhanced the mystic beauty
of the mountains.
p.s: The page might take
a while to load. There are a lot of photos in here. The
ratio of the number of Photos of Raj to the number of
photos of me proves either of two things - my love for
him or my fascination with the camera!
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