Our good friends Chris and Antonia decided to escape Florida’s Summer heat, and take a little  vacation. Antonia’s birthday was June 16, and she had told Chris that all she wanted for her birthday was a trip to Asheville! The two of them arrived Friday, after a 3 hour delay in Atlanta, and the nonstop fun began. Though Vinnie and I were happy to see the two of them, no one was happier than Mighty to see Antonia!

On Saturday, after a gut busting breakfast downtown at the infamous Tupelo Honey Cafe, we headed off to Dupont State Forest, located in Transylvania County (no kidding!), a 45 minute drive southwest of Asheville. That part of North Carolina is know as the land of the waterfalls, and Dupont State Forest has four pretty spectacular examples.

After a few hours of hiking, which included having to seek refuge in a covered bridge after an afternoon thunderstorm popped up, we headed back  home for a siesta. Later that evening we went to Tony & Tim’s incredible new house for Antonia’s suprise birthday dinner/party. Vinnie and I were in charge of the guest list, which included Harry, David, Rick, George, Steve, Bob, Doug, Bill, Joe, and Ken. Tony must have been cooking all day; the spread of food was absolutely delicious, and very plentiful! Although Antonia & Chris did not know most of the guests when they arrived, by the time they left they had made many new friends!!

Sunday was whitewater rafting day on the French Broad River. The weather was not very promising on the drive to Blue Heron Whitewater; thunder, lightning, and lot’s of rain. When we arrived at Blue Heron, the temperature was 64 degrees, and all of us were concerned about being cold and wet out on the water.  The staff working there told us they had plenty of gear to keep us dry, and that the river was running  fast (4000 c.f.s.), which would make for a fun trip. As soon as we got to the launching point, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and off came the rain gear! Our guides Sandy, the owner of Blue Heron Whitewater, and Jen, were such a wealth of interesting facts about the French Broad, and made this rafting experience one of the best ever!

After rafting, we headed home to relax for an hour before heading over to our friend Ken’s property in the Reems Creek area of Weaverville for a casual get together. Ken is building what will be a beautiful home in the woods. Although the house isn’t finished, Ken does have all the necessities for a cookout: a grill, picnic table, a fire pit, and running water from a hose. We of course brought one of the other necessities; vodka!! Shortly after the sun went down, hundreds of lightning bugs appeared to add ambiance to our relaxation by the fire.
On Monday, Vinnie & I both had to work, so Antonia & Chris spent the day exploring some of the sights of Asheville. That night we dined at one of our favorite downtown restaurants, Bouchon. Monday nights they have all you can eat mussels, with an order of pomme frites, for $14, and 1/2 price bottles of house wine!

Tuesday brought with it more adventure; ziplining at Navitat! Navitat opened last year in Barnardsville, NC, a short 15 minute drive from our house. Even though I am not a big fan of heights, the 3 hours we spent zipping through trees, and rapelling 2o feet down from a trees, was nothing short of exhilerating! Navitat is rated as one of the best ziplining courses in the U.S., and they are opening another location soon near Big Bear, an hour and a half northeast of Los Angeles. Next time we’re in Southern California, we’ll definitely check ot out! Another great day spent in the beautiful Blueridge Mountains of North Carolina.

As the saying goes,all good things must come to an end, and Wednesday was the end of Tonia & Chris’visit with us. After lunch at The Laughing Seed,arguably one of the best vegetarian restaurants anywhere, it was off to the airport. We will hold on to the great memories of Tonia & Chris’time here, until their next visit. I hope that one day, in the not to distant future, that I will be writing a post called “Chris & Tonia move to Asheville”!!!