Asheville, part 1

I can't tell you how many times we were going to Asheville that I sort of said "we're going to Assville." I think I was just tired. But it is a hard city for your mouth to form...say it fast five times and tell me I'm wrong.
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So first thing about Ashevile is that QUINCY came along. And we didn't just drive. Quincy went as carry-on luggage. Quincy was technically a little too big for her carrier by the airlines standard, but for three hours with a kong filled with food, Quincy would squeeze herself into a pez dispenser. As it turned out, the airlines didn't care anyway as long as she didn't "bother anybody."
We got into town on a Friday, having been up since 4. Quincy had already had more stimulation in one day than she normally gets in a week. We flew into Charlotte, and drove the last two hours so Quincy wouldn't have to go back into her carrier. Intermittently during the car ride, Quincy would look out the window and bark. The area kind of reminded us of where we found her in mid-Kentucky, so we wonder: did she think she was home? Or was she just tired of being in the car? Or...if only we could get one of those collars from UP.

The weather in western NC was perfect, at least by Texas standards. Anything under 85 and above 60 is perfect. I didn't take pictures of the drive but here's some surrounding area.

  Really that photo is from the top of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Missisippi. We went there the second day. But back to the first. We drove into Asheville and stayed on top of tunnel mountain, on the east side. We checked into our super-cute dog-friendly cottage, among a bunch of little mid-century moderns collectively called the Asheville Swiss Chalets. Terrible name, cool place. And yes, they were pretty much perched on the side of the mountain.

Then went into town to this cute little place called Mayfel's that had really yummy all-day breakfast food, because travel makes you nothing if not hungry and we really hadn't eaten breakfast. Quincy was invited and people fed her there, to her utter delight. In fact, despite all the hiking we did on vacation she GAINED weight. but then again, so did we.

Ah, Mayfel's, with a lovely view of Asheville town center and appalachian mountains in the background. Nothing like that first day of vacation when you are just enamored with how cool the place you are is. How much it isn't home, how there is no laundry, no job, and you don't have to cook.

Speaking of cook, our chef, Larry called around this time to tell us he was lost. So we went to pick Larry and my Mom up at the Subway around the corner from our place, which admittedly was hard to find. Even our GPS got lost. Larry made dinner, and as always, Quincy helped with pre-wash.

Such was our first day of our trip in Asheville. Onto Day 2!