2017 11 23 to 12 03 Pennsylvania to Virginia to North Carolina

Thanksgiving, Schupp residence.

One 15 pound rotisserie turkey coming up. David likes to cook the bird outdoors and the weather was very cooperative. Sunny and cool. Doing the turkey outside frees up the ovens for other goodies and sides.  

Bob and I were heading out the door when we realized we did not have a group photo. Good grief, what is a holiday in the Caughron family without a group photo? Usually the family would start gathering around the table about 15 minutes before the turkey and accompaniments were due to appear. Then we would spend 30 minutes getting photos on 3 or 4 different cameras. That's back in the old days of actual film and before all the sharing online. This time it was one and done. Progress, gotta love it. Dave and his girls handled it well. Though according to some living in Pennsylvania that is where progress goes to die. Dinner was wonderful with several new sides - sausage dressing and corn pudding. As usual, Cathy and Kristen surpassed themselves with desserts. Cathy made a pecan pie cheesecake and blueberry pie while Kristen made my family's traditional two-tone cheesecake and Bob's family recipe for Puds which is a small, individual pecan pie. Bob made the dinner rolls.  

Sunday, Nov 26, 2017

After a VERY exciting Saturday at Kristen and Dave's watching the awesome Buckeyes take it to the Big House and beat Michigan we spent Sunday with my brother, Bob and his wife, Karen. Even though we had seen them in October in Santa Fe, NM, we wanted to get over to New Jersey because my nephew, Seth and his lady, Toyoko were visiting with their children, Noah and Hana. Noah was only a few weeks old the last time we saw him 3 years ago and Hana was born last June. So nice to see them all. 

We left Ronks in Lancaster County the Monday after Thanksgiving and I just wanted to scream. The GPS routed us off the highway into some tiny town with construction on the road. I finally got on Google Maps because the RV program kept telling us to turn down even smaller alleys. We certainly don't want to get stuck somewhere and have to back the behemoth down a residential street. With all the dawdling around we once again got to camp as the sun was setting. But with the easy off, easy on location we were set up for the night in record time still able to see what we were doing. 

This is our slot in Lake Powhatan Recreational Area just south of Asheville, NC. As you can see, the road curves so the truck/trailer has to be in the curve before Bob can start backing up. We have figured out the back-up camera on the RV and that is a big help. I just stand behind the RV in the middle of the parking pad and monitor the trees. And the rocks. Bob is getting much better, I still haven't figured out what to tell him. 

This slot has large trees on both sides of the parking pad. The first attempt left the front slide way too close we could not move it out. Second try got the truck too close to the rocks on the opposite side. Third time was a winner. 

A gorgeous treed area with lots of space between each site and plenty of paths for walking the dogs or if we felt really adventurous, biking over rocks and gravel. Eh, maybe not. 

On our first walk we circled the lake and found the dam. Tori was ready to dive into the water. On our way back to camp on the other side of the lake we saw a pileated woodpecker. I haven't seen one since I was living in Florida back in the 60's. But you will have to take our word for it because there were no pictures. 

Smokey reminds us to be careful with fire. Tori and Dakota did not want to be left with Smokey.

When we got back from our walk, we discovered a little problem in the bedroom closet. 

The metal rod was attached to plastic hangers at each end and one of them had broken. Everything on the floor. A trip to the local Home Depot was needed to replace the plastic parts with metal. Good thing we brought some of Bob's tools. We are back in business with the new hardware.

Wednesday, Nov 29, 2017

Biltmore Estates - the largest home in the country. The estate is celebrating the Christmas season with Candlelight Christmas evening hours. The house exterior is not lit up so we took this photo so you could see it. George Vanderbilt opened the house on Christmas Eve, 1895. The home was opened to the public in 1930 by descendants of George and Edith's daughter, Cornelia. Today, Biltmore remains a family business with 2,000 employees to preserve this national treasure. 

This tree is in the formal dining room, stands over 50 feet tall and has more than 500 ornaments plus presents on it. Traditionally, some presents were put on the tree instead of under it. But 500 ornaments! And some people say I have (or had) too many ornaments on our trees. 

Breakfast room is slightly less formal and designed for more intimate meals. 

Off the front entrance hall is the sunken winter garden where the choir was singing when we arrived. 

This is the ceiling in the winter garden room. From the outside it's the domed space to the right of the main door. 

This unfinished room behind the winter garden is the salon. The entire ceiling is draped with fabric and furnished with selections from the original collection of Vanderbilt furniture. 

Nativity scene in the tapestry room leading to the library. The three tapestries were from the 1500's, depicting many scenes from the Bible. Each one took 5 years to design and another five years to weave. 

This enormous vase (almost 3 feet tall and 2.5 feet across) was used by a Ming emperor as a live gold fish bowl.

The main staircase with the four story chandelier.

This is the dress worn by Kate Winslet in the movie Titanic. The lighting makes it extremely difficult to see the resemblance but they had a photo from the movie and on close inspection the details were a match.    

Part of the suite of rooms between the bedrooms of George and Edith, this sitting room is where they would have breakfast and meet with the head housekeeper to plan their day. 

The tall tree is over 80 feet tall and covered with 50,000 lights. These trees are the first thing seen as you turn onto the drive heading for the house. The pale lights behind them is where you enter the circular drive from behind a wall of trees.  

Bob bravely ducked under the wrought iron, four story chandelier to get this picture. 

The veranda is covered by multiple wisteria trees. Check out the picture below. Some day the wisterias we left behind in Ohio will look like it. Of course, that would take about 130 years. 

Bob under the wisteria trellis.

The conservatory is reached through the rose garden. As we walked around we noticed bushes as old as 1805. 

I was surprised that is a conservatory this big they didn't have more orchids. There were some lovely ones but I expected a room dedicated to orchids. 

Beautiful pure white orchids.

This is my favorite. As we have never indulged in orchid gardening neither of us know much about them except to admire their beauty and unique characteristics.  

Amaryllis usually are white at Christmas time but these really got my attention. They didn't even look real (and did not have the usual aroma) but we checked.   

Outside the Biltmore winery.

In the Winery Tasting Room. We could have up to six choices each to taste. I'm such a light weight I threw in the towel after three. 

Friday, December 1, 2017

Finally found a car wash big enough for our truck and got it cleaned. Once we were home, the condition of the RV cap covered in dead, freeze-dried bugs were in desperate need of some soap and water. Bob handled the top and the roof having a slight vertical advantage in reaching the first rung of the back ladder. 

The bed of the truck is a convenient staging space for our step ladder to give me the extra boost needed to reach my portion. Just watch out for the hitch attached to the bed when stepping down. Boy, those bugs were really glued on.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

We had visitors the following day. Bob's cousin, Susan Gapen and her husband, Rich. We gave them a tour of our RV and then went to lunch. Who knew that North Carolina had such good Bar-B-Que. Afterward, they gave us a tour of the prettiest waterfalls in the area and showed us where they are building their new home with its amazing view of the mountains.

YES!! A photo of a pileated woodpecker. Check out that crest. 

A downy woodpecker. So much smaller than the one above. 

And a red-bellied woodpecker in flight. We obviously did a lot of bird watching today. Actually Bob did most of it today and took all the photos. 

A male bufflehead duck. 

And the female.

Sunday, December 3, 2017

We took the dogs and drove part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. A convertible (Mustang) on a cool, sunny spring day would be perfect, after the leaves have come out and the rhododendrons are blooming.

We were headed to Mount Mitchell State Park which has the view of the highest peak in North Carolina and trails but just past this view the road was closed. That was disappointing. So lunch was in the truck and the only trail taken was too short to satisfy the dogs.