Farewell to Asheville & western NC

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Apparently, by tomorrow, I actually meant a week from tomorrow, when I said I'd next be blogging about my last day in Asheville in my most recent post. Funny how pesky things like employment interfere with our best laid plans.

Anyway, if you're still with me, I believe I left you with a description of last Saturday in Asheville, which was just lovely. The following Sunday was equally as lovely.

It was the one-and-only day of my 9-day trip where I did not have firm plans in the morning or early afternoon, and knowing that, coupled with the extra hour from daylight savings time, I took full advantage and did not set an alarm Saturday night when I went to bed. Ten hours later, (!), I awoke refreshed and happy to have caught up on some much-needed sleep. I then got a call from my friends and we made plans to meet for brunch at the Boathouse restaurant, in Arden, on Lake Julian.

It has a fairly humble front entrance:

...but no one complained about our view:

Lake Julian

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I had a hearty and delicious brunch of eggs, sausage, and blueberry pancakes. Heaven.

After brunch, we said our goodbyes and parted ways in the restaurant parking lot, and I still had time to hit one more yarn shop before heading to the airport. I drove back to Biltmore Village and visited Yarn Paradise:

and was duly impressed with their vast yarn selection. There were even shelves and shelves of bags of yarn upstairs, in case the choices downstairs weren't enough. I have to admit that my restraint crumbled a bit, and I didn't leave there empty-handed, but came away with a pattern book, some Koigu and some Malabrigo laceweight. I know -- I'm weak.

After my visit to Yarn Paradise, it was time to head on to the airport, and I was able to say a fond farewell, from the air, to the beautiful western North Carolina landscape:


Those smokestacks in the picture are very close to where we ate brunch -- they're part of a power plant that turns the dammed water of Lake Julian into clean kilowatt energy. Gotta like that....

My flights were uneventful, and I made it safely home, with a newfound love for a newly discovered region of North Carolina. I hope to go back soon and often.

I also hope to post, in the near future, a photographic synopsis of the loot acquired on this trip. That is, if folks aren't tired of hearing about it....

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Edited later to add:

Photo slideshow of my time spent in Asheville can be seen here.

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