Adventures of Ken and Nancy – Part 2

I know you all have been sitting on the edge of your seat, just wondering where Ken and Nancy went on vacation. Well, the answer is beautiful Asheville, North Carolina! I think the pictures of the Biltmore Estate gave it away, that, along with the mountain views. Two things that Asheville is known for.

Here are some pictures from our adventure. Enjoy!

1. The famous Asheville pig.

Asheville was a key stopping point for the Great Appalachian Hog drives. Pigs were raised in the fertile farms of Tennessee and then brought south. Back in the 1800’s, there weren’t a lot of options to transport pigs. The fun fact about this sculpture is that it is pointing in the wrong direction. The pigs were driven the opposite way. Who knew?

2. Grove Park Inn.

A beautiful inn in the heart of Asheville. Here’s the view from the lobby. Pretty nice, huh?

3. The Antique Car Museum at Grove Park.

If asked, I am sure Mr. Ken would say this was his favorite part about our trip to Asheville. He enjoyed this even more than our trip to Dairy Queen. This museum was established in 1966 by Harry Blomberg, founder of the oldest family-owned car dealership in Asheville. He had quite the collection of antique cars.

I especially liked this car because it was turquoise.

4. The Carl Sandburg Estate.

I must admit I had never heard of Carl Sandburg before visiting his home in Flat Rock, North Carolina. He was quite a prolific poet and author. His specialty was Abraham Lincoln. His wife raised prize-winning goats.

His estate is located at the top of a hill. You park at the bottom and walk through some lovely nature trails before arriving at his house. It was a little disconcerting to see this sign at the start of our walk though. who knew that a walk in the woods could be so dangerous. Watch out for poison ivy, ticks, poisonous snakes, and black bears!

5. Ken at Jump Off Rock.

One of the things I loved most about Asheville was all the mountains. It reminded me of Vermont. Jump Off Rock was just one of the lovely vistas we saw.

6. The Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic highway that connects Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive in Virginia, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. It is 469 miles long.

What can I say? This road is a national treasure.

7. Chilling time.

No vacation would be complete without some down time. Here is Mr. Ken chilling in his sweatpants and “clown socks.” We had to make a special trip to the Asheville Walmart for Mr. Ken to buy his sweatpants.

All-in-all, a wonderful and relaxing vacation. I would return to Asheville in a heart beat!

Where have you been lately?