Fall Roadtrip #2

Despite my sadness at the loss of my father, Hubs and I didn't even consider canceling our second roadtrip of the season (remember this post?).  Dad wouldn't want us to sit at home moping, putting life on hold because we were sad.  He'd tell me to suck it up, put on my big girl panties, and learn to enjoy life, even when it sucks.

We enjoyed Thanksgiving at a family friend's house, down the street from my parents' house (and yes, even though Dad is no longer here, I will never refer to their house as Mom's House, because it's not; it's Their House).  Since my older brother was in town for the long weekend, I felt less guilty about leaving only a week after the funeral.

Friday morning, Hubs woke for an early run.  When he returned, he told me to come outside.  Directly above our house, and spanning as far as I could see to each side, was the most beautiful rainbow I'd ever seen.  I could see both ends, and not just a piece in the middle.  It was gorgeous, and I took it as a sign from Dad that it was ok to leave, ok to have a little fun, and ok to escape my sadness and smile for a few days.

We loaded the car and drove southwest, to Asheville, NC.  We'd reserved a room in a cute little B&B in town and had tickets to tour the Biltmore estate the following day.  We walked around in the quaint downtown area, devouring burgers for a late lunch/early dinner...and later stopping at a corner bakery for delicious cupcakes and hot cocoa before snuggling under the covers to keep warm on a frigid November day.

Saturday, we woke leisurely.  We enjoyed breakfast in the front room of our B&B, and then bundled up before driving five miles to the Biltmore estate.  We toured the mansion (more than three times the size of the White House) and wandered in a few of the surrounding gardens.  We visited the gift shop (I buy a Christmas ornament from every trip we take, as a memento of the memories we're making together) to thaw out, and then boarded the buses back to the parking lot.  

After collecting our car, we drove along the winding paths on the estate to the winery located on the grounds.  A complimentary wine tasting was included on our tickets, and although I couldn't fully participate, my doctor had given me permission to sip a couple samples, which I did with pleasure!  Hubs was very good at telling me when my sips got a little over-zealous!  After our tasting, we wandered back into town and enjoyed lunch and a cute cafe that had been recommended to us by our innkeepers.  By that time, we were chilled and exhausted from the crisp fresh air, and returned to our B&B for an afternoon nap.

Late in the evening, we decided we should probably wake up, else risk staying up all night!  So we found the Notre Dame-USC game on the internet, ordered a pizza (yes, Papa John's delivers to B&B's...who knew?!), and enjoyed the game.  And, after several years of disappointing losses, I am convinced that my Daddy was sitting on a cloud in heaven calling the plays for ND, as he had for all three games following his death, trying to make his little girl smile once again...

Sunday morning, we woke up early, collected the generous to go breakfast our innkeepers prepared for us, and hit the road before the sun came up.  We arrived home early evening, slightly refreshed (though far from recovered) from the previous weeks' emotional rollercoaster and ready to take on the work week ahead...