From Nashville to Asheville

Started December off with another road trip within our grand road trip, from Nashville to Asheville! Arriving at my cousin Donna's rad farm house settled on 3 acres with a darling converted barn for my Aunt and Uncle to reside in. This is a picture of my Grandma Dona, who I loved, adored, admired and respected. She was not an educated person by school standards, but was one of the wisest persons I knew when it came to interpersonal relationships and psychology.

One of the first things we did was drive to South Carolina to meet Chris and two of his dogs; Ford and Leo. He has dedicated his adult life to breeding dogs with intention and mindfulness. His background in molecular biology along with his love of dogs are the driving forces to his commitment and passion for providing amazing dogs to families both near and far. He and his wife Sharon are top of their field and we are very grateful to not only have found out about them but to have met Chris and two of his wonderful dogs. Can you guess what our next puppy will be?!

The next day, off we went to get lost in the Biltmore.

It was an amazing estate to experience and I'm guessing Christmas is the season to take it in, since they had a Christmas tree in every room!

We also strolled through the gardens. PIctured above is Fredrick Law Olmsted who was the lead landscape architect, who also designed Central Park in New York and the US Capitol in Washington DC. We wrapped up our tour with lunch in the portico, adjacent to the stables which have now been converted into stores.

I rarely ask Doug to 'jump out and

snag a pic' - for both jumping out

of a 356 and snapping pics are

both low on his list of fun things

to do, but I couldn't resist as we

rounded a corner going into

the gardens with the

Biltmore in the background.

I have been asked to write an article

for the 356 rag and figured this

was my money shot!

What do you think?

We also ventured out one night to have dinner at Sierra Nevada Brewery. The drive onto the property was an experience in itself, as it was set back on a large piece of property that was more of an event space than just a brewery. The actual brewery was beautifully displayed behind glass walls which allowed the copper vats to shine brightly.

On another night we hit up the local's favorite 'The White Duck Tacos' which had fillings for their tacos from all over the world. It was yummy, brightly decorated and had a laid back vibe. I really dug it.

Then, we set off to see the Winter Lights at the local Arbortraium. We laughed about how in San Diego you can drive through the light display at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, due to the 'cold' weather in the 50's. Yet here, with temps down into the high 30's and people were walking around as if it was no big deal.

We enjoyed having time with my cousin Donna, who I hadn't seen very much over my adult years along with seeing her brother Gary and his son Andrew, another family member who I hadn't seen in years.

We had a delightful dinner with said family, along with my favorite Aunt - Aunt Jean and her husband Harlan. We laughed as we shared treasured stories that have been handed down through our generations.

My favorite ones are from my Aunt, who had my cousin Gary and then when he was 18 months old she had triplets; Dana, Donna and Debra. She explained how Gary would constantly be herding his sisters into a desired area and not let them meander too far off. She was and still is as calm as a cucumber and her story telling complete with her Arkansas accent is priceless. 'I could make a sandwich with one hand and change a diaper with the other!'

Here's to multi-tasking, finding humor in everything and enjoying relationships both old and new. Asheville was a wonderful chapter and our home base as we flew in and out of San Diego. Stay tuned, that's my next blog!

Live, Love and Laugh, Shari