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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