Friday, August 14, 2009
I met Nick’s Dad, Steve, at the airport at 5:20am for our early morning flight to Asheville to pick up the boys. Our goal was to get up there and back before the typical afternoon thunderstorms began raging in Florida. I love before-dawn departures: We enjoyed a smooth ride, hushed radio’s, direct routing, and a beautiful sunrise as we made our way north. There was quite a bit of bad weather northwest of Tampa over the Gulf of Mexico and more to the northeast over the Atlantic near Daytona. Luckily, most of Florida remained clear…for now…
Fog was forecast for Asheville through 10am, so it was no surprise to see low ceilings and visibility when I checked in on our destination weather periodically during the flight –we could only hope the sun would burn it off before we arrived. The weather was clear at our “Plan B” airport, Greenville, SC, about 50 miles to the south. As we neared our destination, we got the weather one more time and it wasn’t good: 100’ ceilings and ¼ mile visibility. We decided to shoot the ILS instrument approach –we didn’t have high hopes, but you never know; sometimes fog is patchy. When we got down to 200’ above the runway, we couldn’t see a thing. It was as if there were a white blanket covering the windshield. I executed the missed approach and requested to fly a holding pattern while waiting for the weather to improve. There were several other aircraft in the hold waiting to get into Asheville as we flew a big, slow racetrack-pattern in the sky.
After 15 – 20 minutes, the controller advised that the visibility was improving and shortly thereafter another airplane was able to land. I requested another approach and we were soon on our way back down to 200’. I stayed on the instruments while Steve kept his eyes out the window scanning for the runway lights. Just as I was getting ready to add power and execute another missed approach, Steve called runway in sight. What a welcome sight! We touched down around 9am, jumped in our rental car, and headed to camp to pick up the boys.
Upon arriving at camp, the counselors loaded up the boys trunks in our SUV, then directed us to parking. As we stepped out of the car, we spotted Justin & Nick running toward us from across the parking area. I’m not sure who was happier to see who! There was a lot of hugging and even a few moist eyes. We walked with Justin & Nick to their cabin to pick up their backpacks and then headed back toward the car. Soon, we were on our way to the airport for our return flight to Tampa. During the drive, the boys told us all about their adventures. They both were homesick a few times, but generally seemed to have fun.
We took off again around 11am and headed south while I pulled up the latest radar for our route. The storms in Florida were converging, but there was still a clear route down the center of the state. I thought for sure we’d ending up landing in GA or northern FL to wait it out, but we were really lucky: We had a narrow, clear corridor all the way to Tampa –we didn’t even get wet! Steve said I must be living right. We got back home around 2pm, just in time to meet up with the family at Kent’s pool party.
Fog was forecast for Asheville through 10am, so it was no surprise to see low ceilings and visibility when I checked in on our destination weather periodically during the flight –we could only hope the sun would burn it off before we arrived. The weather was clear at our “Plan B” airport, Greenville, SC, about 50 miles to the south. As we neared our destination, we got the weather one more time and it wasn’t good: 100’ ceilings and ¼ mile visibility. We decided to shoot the ILS instrument approach –we didn’t have high hopes, but you never know; sometimes fog is patchy. When we got down to 200’ above the runway, we couldn’t see a thing. It was as if there were a white blanket covering the windshield. I executed the missed approach and requested to fly a holding pattern while waiting for the weather to improve. There were several other aircraft in the hold waiting to get into Asheville as we flew a big, slow racetrack-pattern in the sky.
After 15 – 20 minutes, the controller advised that the visibility was improving and shortly thereafter another airplane was able to land. I requested another approach and we were soon on our way back down to 200’. I stayed on the instruments while Steve kept his eyes out the window scanning for the runway lights. Just as I was getting ready to add power and execute another missed approach, Steve called runway in sight. What a welcome sight! We touched down around 9am, jumped in our rental car, and headed to camp to pick up the boys.
Upon arriving at camp, the counselors loaded up the boys trunks in our SUV, then directed us to parking. As we stepped out of the car, we spotted Justin & Nick running toward us from across the parking area. I’m not sure who was happier to see who! There was a lot of hugging and even a few moist eyes. We walked with Justin & Nick to their cabin to pick up their backpacks and then headed back toward the car. Soon, we were on our way to the airport for our return flight to Tampa. During the drive, the boys told us all about their adventures. They both were homesick a few times, but generally seemed to have fun.
We took off again around 11am and headed south while I pulled up the latest radar for our route. The storms in Florida were converging, but there was still a clear route down the center of the state. I thought for sure we’d ending up landing in GA or northern FL to wait it out, but we were really lucky: We had a narrow, clear corridor all the way to Tampa –we didn’t even get wet! Steve said I must be living right. We got back home around 2pm, just in time to meet up with the family at Kent’s pool party.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
We got early this morning and headed to the airport around 8:45am. I checked the forecast last night and knew there would be lots of rain showers in the area. Sure enough, it started to rain as we approached the airport. Thankfully, it was a light rain and the wind was calm, so I didn’t get soaked as I loaded the luggage and got the plane prepared for departure. One more check of the radar showed quite a bit of rain in the area, but most of it light. There was heavier stuff to the South, but we would cross that bridge when we came to it. As I was closing the door to the airplane, Cameron asked “Where’s Justin?” I thought it was great that he was looking out for his big brother. We explained that he wouldn’t be flying home with us today.
We took off in the rain and soon climbed into the clouds. We flew on in steady, light rain for about 30 minutes. There were two lines of heavier rain across our path to the South and I worked with ATC to deviate around them as best I could. Still, we got bumped around quite a bit for a few minutes as we shot the gap between the two lines. After another 15 – 20 minutes, the rain stopped and a little while later, we were out in the sunshine! The rest of the flight went smoothly and we touched down in Tampa around 1:00pm.
We took off in the rain and soon climbed into the clouds. We flew on in steady, light rain for about 30 minutes. There were two lines of heavier rain across our path to the South and I worked with ATC to deviate around them as best I could. Still, we got bumped around quite a bit for a few minutes as we shot the gap between the two lines. After another 15 – 20 minutes, the rain stopped and a little while later, we were out in the sunshine! The rest of the flight went smoothly and we touched down in Tampa around 1:00pm.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Michele had another spa appointment this morning, so the boys and I were off on another adventure after breakfast. We decided to go horseback riding. I am not that fond of horses, but Cameron mentioned that he would like to go riding, so I thought I’d give it a try. We drove about 40 minutes out of Asheville to a beautiful little valley, home of Sandy Bottom Trail Rides. As we were getting out of the car, we saw another family that had been eating breakfast at the table next to us this morning at the hotel, which was kind of funny coincidence. They were visiting from Raleigh. We checked in for our ride and the lady at the desk was super friendly. She mentioned that she had been a Bailey before she was married, so we are probably cousins!
We stepped outside, met our guide, Justin, and mounted up. Cameron and I rode together on a big while horse named Cotton. Brandon was on his own horse named Daisy. Brandon was a little nervous, so Justin led his horse with a long rope as we left the stable area. After about 10 minutes, he was feeling more comfortable and Justin handed him the reigns. He did great! We rode for about an hour through the gently rolling hills & forest. Cameron chattered away the whole time about this or that. He diligently watched for poop on the ground and quickly alerted our group if he spotted any. Once, Brandon’s horse pooped right in front of us and Cameron about laughed his head off! It was a very relaxing and enjoyable ride. The only time I got a little tense is when we were descending a steep hill in muddy conditions. I was praying that Cotton would stay on his feet through the tricky terrain. Soon, we were arriving back to the stables and not a moment too soon, as Cameron was complaining loudly that his butt was hurting.
The boys slept a bit on the drive back to the hotel. We got back to the room around noon, changed into shorts and waited for Michele to get back from the spa. Our plan for the afternoon was to go out for lunch and then go hiking at the NC Aboretum. While we waited, I looked up someplace good to eat and found a restaurant called Burgermeister’s that looked interesting and received good reviews. Soon, Michele called from the spa to say she was done and we agreed to meet at the car.
I plugged the address into the GPS and away we went. It was a short drive to West Asheville where we came to a small downtown area with a bunch of restaurants. We spotted Burgermeister’s and pulled in, but it was closed. There were workers inside and it looked like it may have sustained some type of fire or water damage. We decided to head back to a Mexican restaurant we passed on the way in. We walked inside and the place looked like a real dump! I was just about ready to turn around and leave when Michele grabbed a table. Her logic is that it was pretty busy, so it couldn’t be all that bad. Her reasoning was sound because the food & service were both pretty good.
Tummies full, we headed to the NC Arboretum. We parked and went inside the visitor center to use the bathroom and get a trail map. The boys were really hyper and were driving us crazy –I couldn’t wait to get them outside and let them run. We started out with a quick tour of the garden area and Bonsai exhibit, then we found the trail head and began our hike in earnest. This is exactly what the boys needed. They ran, jumped, yelled, played with sticks, skipped rocks in the river, and just generally had a good time. I really enjoyed myself, too. It reminded me of walks with Dad in Virginia when I was young. Michele was feeling a little run down and tired, but she is a trooper and she kept marching.
We hiked a big loop (2 miles?) following Bent Creek for a while and then doubling back through the hills. It was cooler out than yesterday with lower humidity and overcast skies –quite comfortable. As we neared the farthest point on our hike, the skies began to darken and we heard peals of thunder approaching. It was almost as dark as night on the trail under the cover of the trees above. I thought for sure we were going to get drenched any minute, but the rain must have passed us by as we only had a few sprinkles here and there. Our timing was perfect –it started to rain in earnest just as we got back to the parking lot. We rain the last few yards, jumped in the truck, and took off. We got back to the hotel again and we all took a short nap. Our plan for the evening was to get dinner downtown and then go on a “ghost tour.”
We drove downtown and headed to the restaurant we had looked at on-line, the Tupelo Honey Café. Unfortuneately, when we arrived we saw a huge line of people waiting to get in. Well, on to plan B: Carmel’s Italian. I pulled over and gave them a quick call and they promised they could seat us right away out on the patio (in the shade). Now, how to get there from here? I punched in the address and it looked like we were very close, but in which direction? I made a U-turn and then realized it was back the other way. I made another U-turn and drove down the street about 2 blocks and there was the restaurant –it was practically right next to us when I was making the call! The food was delicious, but the service wasn’t great.
After dinner, we walked about a block to the Haywood Hotel where we checked in for our Ghost Tour. The tour was run by a lady and her teenage daughter. They had recently moved here from Tampa! Before we started, they showed us some photo’s in their portfolio, which they claimed showed paranormal activity. They were all nighttime shots of buildings and such around Asheville. In many of them, bright circles or dots appeared in seemingly random locations. They claimed that these “orbs” were the spirits of the deceased that are still hanging around the place where they died. They encouraged us to take lots of photos throughout the tour and let them know if we saw anything.
I must admit, I had mixed feelings about the tour. Mainly, I wanted to go for a walk around town, see the architecture, and hear some local history. I didn’t believe any of their nonsense about ghosts, but I didn’t want to be rude to them or ruin it for the kids. On the other hand, I didn’t want the kids to get too scared, either. I gave the camera to Brandon and let him snap away throughout the tour. As a amateur photographer, it seemed silly to me for all these people to use little point & shoot cameras with flash to capture an enormous building hundreds of feet away, but I kept my mouth shut. A couple people (including Brandon) claim to have captured orbs.
We walked around downtown for about 90 minutes, stopping occasionally to hear a story about how someone died here, was murdered there, jumped off this building, etc. The kids behaved pretty well and it was a pleasant walk. Next time, I think I will skip the ghost business and just take a walking tour during the day so I can get better pictures. Toward the end, I showed Brandon how you could make it look like a ghost was in the photo by setting the camera on a stable surface and using the self-timer with a slow shutter speed while walking through the frame. He & Cameron loved it, but our tour guides frowned upon my demonstration. We finally got back home around 11pm.
Tomorrow, we are heading home to Tampa. I will be flying back to Asheville on Friday morning with Nick’s Dad, Steve, to pick up the boys from camp.
We stepped outside, met our guide, Justin, and mounted up. Cameron and I rode together on a big while horse named Cotton. Brandon was on his own horse named Daisy. Brandon was a little nervous, so Justin led his horse with a long rope as we left the stable area. After about 10 minutes, he was feeling more comfortable and Justin handed him the reigns. He did great! We rode for about an hour through the gently rolling hills & forest. Cameron chattered away the whole time about this or that. He diligently watched for poop on the ground and quickly alerted our group if he spotted any. Once, Brandon’s horse pooped right in front of us and Cameron about laughed his head off! It was a very relaxing and enjoyable ride. The only time I got a little tense is when we were descending a steep hill in muddy conditions. I was praying that Cotton would stay on his feet through the tricky terrain. Soon, we were arriving back to the stables and not a moment too soon, as Cameron was complaining loudly that his butt was hurting.
The boys slept a bit on the drive back to the hotel. We got back to the room around noon, changed into shorts and waited for Michele to get back from the spa. Our plan for the afternoon was to go out for lunch and then go hiking at the NC Aboretum. While we waited, I looked up someplace good to eat and found a restaurant called Burgermeister’s that looked interesting and received good reviews. Soon, Michele called from the spa to say she was done and we agreed to meet at the car.
I plugged the address into the GPS and away we went. It was a short drive to West Asheville where we came to a small downtown area with a bunch of restaurants. We spotted Burgermeister’s and pulled in, but it was closed. There were workers inside and it looked like it may have sustained some type of fire or water damage. We decided to head back to a Mexican restaurant we passed on the way in. We walked inside and the place looked like a real dump! I was just about ready to turn around and leave when Michele grabbed a table. Her logic is that it was pretty busy, so it couldn’t be all that bad. Her reasoning was sound because the food & service were both pretty good.
Tummies full, we headed to the NC Arboretum. We parked and went inside the visitor center to use the bathroom and get a trail map. The boys were really hyper and were driving us crazy –I couldn’t wait to get them outside and let them run. We started out with a quick tour of the garden area and Bonsai exhibit, then we found the trail head and began our hike in earnest. This is exactly what the boys needed. They ran, jumped, yelled, played with sticks, skipped rocks in the river, and just generally had a good time. I really enjoyed myself, too. It reminded me of walks with Dad in Virginia when I was young. Michele was feeling a little run down and tired, but she is a trooper and she kept marching.
We hiked a big loop (2 miles?) following Bent Creek for a while and then doubling back through the hills. It was cooler out than yesterday with lower humidity and overcast skies –quite comfortable. As we neared the farthest point on our hike, the skies began to darken and we heard peals of thunder approaching. It was almost as dark as night on the trail under the cover of the trees above. I thought for sure we were going to get drenched any minute, but the rain must have passed us by as we only had a few sprinkles here and there. Our timing was perfect –it started to rain in earnest just as we got back to the parking lot. We rain the last few yards, jumped in the truck, and took off. We got back to the hotel again and we all took a short nap. Our plan for the evening was to get dinner downtown and then go on a “ghost tour.”
We drove downtown and headed to the restaurant we had looked at on-line, the Tupelo Honey Café. Unfortuneately, when we arrived we saw a huge line of people waiting to get in. Well, on to plan B: Carmel’s Italian. I pulled over and gave them a quick call and they promised they could seat us right away out on the patio (in the shade). Now, how to get there from here? I punched in the address and it looked like we were very close, but in which direction? I made a U-turn and then realized it was back the other way. I made another U-turn and drove down the street about 2 blocks and there was the restaurant –it was practically right next to us when I was making the call! The food was delicious, but the service wasn’t great.
After dinner, we walked about a block to the Haywood Hotel where we checked in for our Ghost Tour. The tour was run by a lady and her teenage daughter. They had recently moved here from Tampa! Before we started, they showed us some photo’s in their portfolio, which they claimed showed paranormal activity. They were all nighttime shots of buildings and such around Asheville. In many of them, bright circles or dots appeared in seemingly random locations. They claimed that these “orbs” were the spirits of the deceased that are still hanging around the place where they died. They encouraged us to take lots of photos throughout the tour and let them know if we saw anything.
I must admit, I had mixed feelings about the tour. Mainly, I wanted to go for a walk around town, see the architecture, and hear some local history. I didn’t believe any of their nonsense about ghosts, but I didn’t want to be rude to them or ruin it for the kids. On the other hand, I didn’t want the kids to get too scared, either. I gave the camera to Brandon and let him snap away throughout the tour. As a amateur photographer, it seemed silly to me for all these people to use little point & shoot cameras with flash to capture an enormous building hundreds of feet away, but I kept my mouth shut. A couple people (including Brandon) claim to have captured orbs.
We walked around downtown for about 90 minutes, stopping occasionally to hear a story about how someone died here, was murdered there, jumped off this building, etc. The kids behaved pretty well and it was a pleasant walk. Next time, I think I will skip the ghost business and just take a walking tour during the day so I can get better pictures. Toward the end, I showed Brandon how you could make it look like a ghost was in the photo by setting the camera on a stable surface and using the self-timer with a slow shutter speed while walking through the frame. He & Cameron loved it, but our tour guides frowned upon my demonstration. We finally got back home around 11pm.
Tomorrow, we are heading home to Tampa. I will be flying back to Asheville on Friday morning with Nick’s Dad, Steve, to pick up the boys from camp.
Monday, August 10, 2009
6am felt pretty early to me this morning. Brandon sprung out of bed without a fuss, as usual. Cameron was snuggled up with Mommy and was more difficult to pry out of bed. He was not interested in fishing, but Michele had a spa appointment later in the morning, so he had to come along. We got dressed, made the long walk to the lobby, and jumped in the car at 6:30am. We drove about 20 minutes North to Weaverville, stopping at MacDonald’s for some biscuits along the way.
We pulled up to the fishing shop right at 7am. Our guide, Josh, was waiting inside. We did some paperwork and then got back in the car to follow him to our fishing spot. We followed him for almost an hour and Brandon started wondering if we were still following the right car. I have to admit that the thought had crossed my mind. Finally ended up at the Wildlife Education Center (Fish hatchery) in the Pisgah National Forest.
After we parked, we put our boots on and followed Josh down to the stream. It was a beautiful morning and the water was nice and cool. Josh showed us the basics on casting with a fly rod. The basic idea is to cast up river and let it float down past the in a natural fashion –hopefully, the will eat it as it goes by. I was concentrating on my casting and was taken by surprise when I found myself with a fish on the line! Unlike some other fishing I’ve done, there wasn’t much of a fight. I had it to the bank in a few seconds. Josh netted it and informed us it was a Brook Trout.
We released it back into the stream and resumed fishing, but we didn’t have any luck. Cameron soon became bored and started yelling & playing in the water, so we decided to move downstream to a different location. We fished there for a long time, but still no luck. There were several fish in the area that kept swimming around and looking at my fly, but they just wouldn’t bite –it was maddening! We tried one more location, but Cameron was done. There were tons of fish in the area, so I took him back up the bank to warm up in the sunshine while Josh worked with Brandon to try to bring one in. Unfortuneately, they had no luck.
After saying goodbye to Josh, we did a little sightseeing at the fish hatchery and then headed back toward the hotel. Both boys slept all the way there. Since Michele was still in the spa, we stopped by a pizza joint and got some lunch on the way back.
Once back in the room, I laid down for a quick power-nap, while the boys watched TV with Michele. I woke to peals of thunder and pouring rain against the window. I couldn’t help wondering what Justin was up to in camp. I hope he is having fun!
After the rain let up, we went out to the movies and saw GI Joe. It was action packed and had tons of cool weapons and gadgets. I think everybody really liked it. Next we came back to the hotel and had dinner at the Sunset Terrace. It was outside on the patio overlooking the resort and the mountains. It was kind of warm & humid, but it cooled down as the meal progressed.
Tomorrow, Michele has another spa appointment in the morning. Cameron says he would like to ride a horse and Brandon would like to go gem mining (again!). I am looking forward to sleeping in a bit after waking so early today.
We pulled up to the fishing shop right at 7am. Our guide, Josh, was waiting inside. We did some paperwork and then got back in the car to follow him to our fishing spot. We followed him for almost an hour and Brandon started wondering if we were still following the right car. I have to admit that the thought had crossed my mind. Finally ended up at the Wildlife Education Center (Fish hatchery) in the Pisgah National Forest.
After we parked, we put our boots on and followed Josh down to the stream. It was a beautiful morning and the water was nice and cool. Josh showed us the basics on casting with a fly rod. The basic idea is to cast up river and let it float down past the in a natural fashion –hopefully, the will eat it as it goes by. I was concentrating on my casting and was taken by surprise when I found myself with a fish on the line! Unlike some other fishing I’ve done, there wasn’t much of a fight. I had it to the bank in a few seconds. Josh netted it and informed us it was a Brook Trout.
We released it back into the stream and resumed fishing, but we didn’t have any luck. Cameron soon became bored and started yelling & playing in the water, so we decided to move downstream to a different location. We fished there for a long time, but still no luck. There were several fish in the area that kept swimming around and looking at my fly, but they just wouldn’t bite –it was maddening! We tried one more location, but Cameron was done. There were tons of fish in the area, so I took him back up the bank to warm up in the sunshine while Josh worked with Brandon to try to bring one in. Unfortuneately, they had no luck.
After saying goodbye to Josh, we did a little sightseeing at the fish hatchery and then headed back toward the hotel. Both boys slept all the way there. Since Michele was still in the spa, we stopped by a pizza joint and got some lunch on the way back.
Once back in the room, I laid down for a quick power-nap, while the boys watched TV with Michele. I woke to peals of thunder and pouring rain against the window. I couldn’t help wondering what Justin was up to in camp. I hope he is having fun!
After the rain let up, we went out to the movies and saw GI Joe. It was action packed and had tons of cool weapons and gadgets. I think everybody really liked it. Next we came back to the hotel and had dinner at the Sunset Terrace. It was outside on the patio overlooking the resort and the mountains. It was kind of warm & humid, but it cooled down as the meal progressed.
Tomorrow, Michele has another spa appointment in the morning. Cameron says he would like to ride a horse and Brandon would like to go gem mining (again!). I am looking forward to sleeping in a bit after waking so early today.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
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We cut back through the spa to the Blue Ridge Dining Room again for breakfast this morning about 8:30am. Justin & Nick barely ate –perhaps they were a bit nervous about camp? Cameron had no such problem and scarfed down several chocolate doughnuts!
After breakfast, we got in the cars and headed to Falling Creek Camp. Before pulling away from the hotel, I fired up the portable GPS and punched in our destination. I was a bit puzzled when the GPS advised us to turn left out of the hotel –I thought we should have turned right. As we drove along, I took a closer look at the GPS and discovered I had programmed Camp Creek, WV by mistake –OOPS! We got the cars turned around, passed the hotel again, and headed to camp.
The drive took about an hour and led us on progressively smaller and windier roads until we finally turned up the one-lane dirt road to camp. The road was busy with campers arriving and parents leaving, so we had to pull over frequently to let cars pass. We pulled up at the first stop and were greeted by the camp director. Next, the removed Justin & Nick’s camp trunks from the back and then directed us to parking. The checked the boys temperature at check-in and then directed us to their cabin (Crazy Wolf) where we met their counselor (Max) and they picked their bunks.
Pretty soon, we were done. Now what? I think we were all hesitant to leave, but I didn’t think we should linger too long. We grabbed Justin long enough to get a photo and give him a hug & kiss. We walked around the pond on the way out to show the facilities to Michele. Cameron was beside himself with envy. He wanted to stowaway in Justin’s cabin and go to camp, too.
We were almost back to the car when we spotted Justin & Nick walking down the path on the other side of the dining room. They waved and we waved back…and then we left. It was a weird feeling not to have Justin in the car. Even Brandon was missing him! I wonder what he is doing right now?
We said goodbye to Erika and Oma in the parking lot. They were heading back to the airport for a commercial flight back to Tampa. Michele, Brandon, Cameron & I headed to Chimney Rock Park for some sightseeing. It took about 30 minutes on a curvy, scenic road to get there. We stopped for lunch (great BBQ) and then did a little more gem mining next door to the restaurant. Brandon & Cameron found some huge gems this time!
Afterwards, we headed into the park. When we pulled up to the gate, the ranger cautioned us that the elevator was out of service, but we were still welcome to use the stairs –all 450 of them! It took us about 20 minutes to climb to the top with several sightseeing breathers along the way. The view from the top was spectacular! Can you believe we bumped into one of Michele’s tennis teammates from Tampa? Jan and her husband Tim were also in Ashville for the weekend. Michele sat & talked with them while I got us some water & ice cream. The finally fixed the elevator, so we rode it back down and headed back to the hotel.
Brandon really wanted to give golf a try, so I got us a tee time today at 4pm. We returned from Chimney Rock park just in time: We dropped the car with the valet and then jumped in the resort shuttle bus for the short ride to the golf center.
Aside from mini-golf, Brandon has never played before and I have only played a couple times 15 years ago. One of the cool innovations is that the golf carts have a computer screen with the course loaded and GPS positioning so that you always know where you are, how many yards to the hazard, fairway, rough, pin, etc. Also, there is a button to call the cart girl for drinks, but our seemed to be inoperative as my multiple calls went unanswered.
At first, Brandon & I were pretty bad. We would tee off, hit a crappy shot, pick up our ball and move it to the fairway, hit another crappy shot, pick up our ball and move it to the green, then put until it went in. We did this routine on the first couple of holes, but then we started getting better. Toward the end, Brandon was pretty serious about beating me and frowned upon me moving my ball.
We finished up around 6pm and went back to the room to meet up with Michele and Cameron. We went back out in the car and got a quick dinner at Fuddrucker’s, and then came back to the room. Brandon wanted to go back to the sports center, but I was too tired, so we watched a movie in the room instead.
Tomorrow, the boys and I are going fly fishing. We have to get up super-early to meet our guide in Weaverville at 7am. Michele will be relaxing in the spa.
After breakfast, we got in the cars and headed to Falling Creek Camp. Before pulling away from the hotel, I fired up the portable GPS and punched in our destination. I was a bit puzzled when the GPS advised us to turn left out of the hotel –I thought we should have turned right. As we drove along, I took a closer look at the GPS and discovered I had programmed Camp Creek, WV by mistake –OOPS! We got the cars turned around, passed the hotel again, and headed to camp.
The drive took about an hour and led us on progressively smaller and windier roads until we finally turned up the one-lane dirt road to camp. The road was busy with campers arriving and parents leaving, so we had to pull over frequently to let cars pass. We pulled up at the first stop and were greeted by the camp director. Next, the removed Justin & Nick’s camp trunks from the back and then directed us to parking. The checked the boys temperature at check-in and then directed us to their cabin (Crazy Wolf) where we met their counselor (Max) and they picked their bunks.
Pretty soon, we were done. Now what? I think we were all hesitant to leave, but I didn’t think we should linger too long. We grabbed Justin long enough to get a photo and give him a hug & kiss. We walked around the pond on the way out to show the facilities to Michele. Cameron was beside himself with envy. He wanted to stowaway in Justin’s cabin and go to camp, too.
We were almost back to the car when we spotted Justin & Nick walking down the path on the other side of the dining room. They waved and we waved back…and then we left. It was a weird feeling not to have Justin in the car. Even Brandon was missing him! I wonder what he is doing right now?
We said goodbye to Erika and Oma in the parking lot. They were heading back to the airport for a commercial flight back to Tampa. Michele, Brandon, Cameron & I headed to Chimney Rock Park for some sightseeing. It took about 30 minutes on a curvy, scenic road to get there. We stopped for lunch (great BBQ) and then did a little more gem mining next door to the restaurant. Brandon & Cameron found some huge gems this time!
Afterwards, we headed into the park. When we pulled up to the gate, the ranger cautioned us that the elevator was out of service, but we were still welcome to use the stairs –all 450 of them! It took us about 20 minutes to climb to the top with several sightseeing breathers along the way. The view from the top was spectacular! Can you believe we bumped into one of Michele’s tennis teammates from Tampa? Jan and her husband Tim were also in Ashville for the weekend. Michele sat & talked with them while I got us some water & ice cream. The finally fixed the elevator, so we rode it back down and headed back to the hotel.
Brandon really wanted to give golf a try, so I got us a tee time today at 4pm. We returned from Chimney Rock park just in time: We dropped the car with the valet and then jumped in the resort shuttle bus for the short ride to the golf center.
Aside from mini-golf, Brandon has never played before and I have only played a couple times 15 years ago. One of the cool innovations is that the golf carts have a computer screen with the course loaded and GPS positioning so that you always know where you are, how many yards to the hazard, fairway, rough, pin, etc. Also, there is a button to call the cart girl for drinks, but our seemed to be inoperative as my multiple calls went unanswered.
At first, Brandon & I were pretty bad. We would tee off, hit a crappy shot, pick up our ball and move it to the fairway, hit another crappy shot, pick up our ball and move it to the green, then put until it went in. We did this routine on the first couple of holes, but then we started getting better. Toward the end, Brandon was pretty serious about beating me and frowned upon me moving my ball.
We finished up around 6pm and went back to the room to meet up with Michele and Cameron. We went back out in the car and got a quick dinner at Fuddrucker’s, and then came back to the room. Brandon wanted to go back to the sports center, but I was too tired, so we watched a movie in the room instead.
Tomorrow, the boys and I are going fly fishing. We have to get up super-early to meet our guide in Weaverville at 7am. Michele will be relaxing in the spa.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
We met up with Erika, Nick, & “Oma” (Erika’s Mom, also named Erika) at the airport around 8:30am. We got everything loaded up and took off a few minutes before 9. We enjoyed clear-blue skies, a smooth ride, and light winds at 6,000 – 7,000 feet all the way to Asheville. Air traffic seemed sparse and the controllers cheerily offered me more direct routing, which shaved a few minutes off our flight time. I couldn’t ask for better! I wish every flight went this smoothly.
We touched down around noon in Asheville. The FBO crew brought the cars around and helped load up our stuff and we were out of there in about 30 minutes. We were all getting hungry, so we stopped at Chili’s near the airport to grab some lunch.
Next, we drove to the hotel to check in. The Grove Park Inn is a beautiful, historic hotel near downtown Asheville. Erika had recommended it and we were quite pleased. Our rooms were ready, so we went on up to wait for our luggage, so we could change into our swimsuits. We had plans to go tubing on the French Broad River later in the afternoon.
It was the LONG walk from the front desk to room at the very end of the hall in the Sammon Wing. It takes a solid 10 – 12 minutes of steady walking to get back & forth between the front desk & our room. Aside from the long walk, the rooms are great -- Spacious, clean, & comfortable with a great view of the golf course just outside and the mountains in the distance. We waited, and waited, and waited about 15 – 20 minutes for our luggage to arrive, then quickly changed into swimsuits and started the long trek back to the lobby.
We jumped back into the SUV’s and drove about 15 minutes to Asheville Outdoor Center’s facility on the river. We got checked in for the 3:30pm float trip and had about 30 minutes for the kids to run & play on the river bank. When it was our turn, we piled into an old van and they drove us a couple miles up-river where we were to start our journey.
The water was refreshingly cool after a long day of traveling and hustle-bustle. As usual, Justin and Nick were inseparable and insisted on a tandem tube so they could float together. Once in the water, they immediately started paddling furiously downstream were soon several hundred yards ahead of us. Brandon & Cameron were content to float near me and the ladies brought up the rear.
Both the boys wanted to get in and swim, but were a little nervous about what was down there. Brandon finally worked up his courage and jumped off the tube…and stood up in knee-deep water. What a surprise! Cameron followed his lead and soon both of them were spending more time out of the tubes than in them. Later on in the trip, the water got deeper and I jumped in for a brief swim, too. I offered to help Michele out of her tube for a dip, but she politely declined.
After about an hour, we were back at the Outdoor Center and climbed out of the river. The Center also has a gem mining activity set-up, so we got 4 buckets of dirt and let the boys sift through looking for gems. We came away with several bags of cool, shiny rocks and the boys loved it! They also had ping-pong tables and a sand-volleyball court setup, so we played both of those a bit while as well. It turned out to be a fun & relaxing afternoon for everybody!
Soon, it was time to head back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner. We had reservations for the Prime Rib Buffet at the Hotel’s Blue Ridge Dining Room. When I made the reservations, they were careful to tell me that shorts, jeans, t-shirts, and flip-flops were not allowed and that men must wear collared shirts. The boys looked so handsome in their fancy duds!
Of course the restaurant is at the very end of the hall on the OPPOSITE wing of the hotel –the farthest possible point from our room! Luckily, Ericka knew a shortcut: The Spa is located partially underground in between the two wings, so we were able to cut through and get to the restaurant without walking back through the lobby.
The dinner was delicious, the view was fantastic, and, best of all, the boys behaved well. After dinner, we took the resort shuttle to the sports center. Michele & the boys played some indoor tennis, while Cameron & I shot pool. Tomorrow, we will drop Justin & Nick off at camp. They are very excited about it…their parents are a little nervous…
We touched down around noon in Asheville. The FBO crew brought the cars around and helped load up our stuff and we were out of there in about 30 minutes. We were all getting hungry, so we stopped at Chili’s near the airport to grab some lunch.
Next, we drove to the hotel to check in. The Grove Park Inn is a beautiful, historic hotel near downtown Asheville. Erika had recommended it and we were quite pleased. Our rooms were ready, so we went on up to wait for our luggage, so we could change into our swimsuits. We had plans to go tubing on the French Broad River later in the afternoon.
It was the LONG walk from the front desk to room at the very end of the hall in the Sammon Wing. It takes a solid 10 – 12 minutes of steady walking to get back & forth between the front desk & our room. Aside from the long walk, the rooms are great -- Spacious, clean, & comfortable with a great view of the golf course just outside and the mountains in the distance. We waited, and waited, and waited about 15 – 20 minutes for our luggage to arrive, then quickly changed into swimsuits and started the long trek back to the lobby.
We jumped back into the SUV’s and drove about 15 minutes to Asheville Outdoor Center’s facility on the river. We got checked in for the 3:30pm float trip and had about 30 minutes for the kids to run & play on the river bank. When it was our turn, we piled into an old van and they drove us a couple miles up-river where we were to start our journey.
The water was refreshingly cool after a long day of traveling and hustle-bustle. As usual, Justin and Nick were inseparable and insisted on a tandem tube so they could float together. Once in the water, they immediately started paddling furiously downstream were soon several hundred yards ahead of us. Brandon & Cameron were content to float near me and the ladies brought up the rear.
Both the boys wanted to get in and swim, but were a little nervous about what was down there. Brandon finally worked up his courage and jumped off the tube…and stood up in knee-deep water. What a surprise! Cameron followed his lead and soon both of them were spending more time out of the tubes than in them. Later on in the trip, the water got deeper and I jumped in for a brief swim, too. I offered to help Michele out of her tube for a dip, but she politely declined.
After about an hour, we were back at the Outdoor Center and climbed out of the river. The Center also has a gem mining activity set-up, so we got 4 buckets of dirt and let the boys sift through looking for gems. We came away with several bags of cool, shiny rocks and the boys loved it! They also had ping-pong tables and a sand-volleyball court setup, so we played both of those a bit while as well. It turned out to be a fun & relaxing afternoon for everybody!
Soon, it was time to head back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner. We had reservations for the Prime Rib Buffet at the Hotel’s Blue Ridge Dining Room. When I made the reservations, they were careful to tell me that shorts, jeans, t-shirts, and flip-flops were not allowed and that men must wear collared shirts. The boys looked so handsome in their fancy duds!
Of course the restaurant is at the very end of the hall on the OPPOSITE wing of the hotel –the farthest possible point from our room! Luckily, Ericka knew a shortcut: The Spa is located partially underground in between the two wings, so we were able to cut through and get to the restaurant without walking back through the lobby.
The dinner was delicious, the view was fantastic, and, best of all, the boys behaved well. After dinner, we took the resort shuttle to the sports center. Michele & the boys played some indoor tennis, while Cameron & I shot pool. Tomorrow, we will drop Justin & Nick off at camp. They are very excited about it…their parents are a little nervous…
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