When I recently decided to take a trip to the mountains of North Carolina I called up my travel agent and had them set up the details. All in all it was a great experience. My agent made the details of the trip a breeze and the trip turned out to be a lot of fun.
I started my trip by going to Biltmore house, which is the largest home in America. It was fascinating to see all of the antiques that lined the homes many rooms. It was a hot day out and you could really feel what it must have felt like to be living there, or a guest, in the early part of the 20th century. I imagined throngs of tuxedoed men and a woman wearing heavy corsets, parading throughout the buildings many hallways. I can only imagine the sweat that would have been built up on them in such heat! Also, the view of the mountains from that area was truly inspiring. After the tour of the house was over I went down to the wine tasting area and indulged in a culinary delight.
My next stop was to the city itself which boasted many beautiful and quaint mission style buildings. The city is very peaceful and has a laid back style similar to what I imagine Australia must be like. You can sample many different cultural foods in one block and the shopping is great as well. There are many antique stores and trinket shops that boast a wide variety of items that are truly unique. Since the city has an eclectic and artistic flare you could leave town with anything from a handmade bar of soap to an original work of art! This is one of the best things about Asheville, it really has so much history and artistic flare, it seems like a miniature version of San Francisco on the east coast, just minus the ocean!
After exploring the cities wide variety of shopping and dining experiences I made my way to the outskirts of town to see what was going on there. I found a large mall among other things that has more great, if more traditional, shopping. I also came across several great bookstores that were right up my alley. All in all I left my trip with not only great memories, but some great antiques, great clothes and a few extra pounds from all the good food!