Whirlwind Tour of Asheville, NC & 46/365

"View from the historic Grove Park Inn"

This is quite an old hotel and is "THE" place to stay!  For the history, click HERE. Most of these photos were taken from the trolley.  We had a wonderful tour of the city. 

"First Baptist Church"

I think this is a Baptist Church - I always thought they were a little plainer - but this one is certainly a beauty. 

"A Slice of Heaven!"

A "Slice of Heaven" that will not be mine.  I did show it to my husband, though.  And this really wasn't the "bell of the ball" ... our neighbors would have been:

"Every man's home is his Castle"

And ...

"Grand"

I can't remember the story behind the above house, but I do know the tree on the right hand side was painted by a lady (who I think died in a fire).  The painting of the tree now hangs, I believe, in the Smithsonian.

"Charming"

"Reflection"

I was on the wrong side of the trolley to get a photo of this building, but I think this is kind of neat.

"Sitting upon History"

This is the oldest continuous running Woolworth Counter and we certainly enjoyed the Ice Cream Soda!  I had NEVER had one before and it will NOT be my last!

"They do make them like they used to!"

And one last stop...

"Chocolate Fetish!"

The Chocolate Fetish can get one in trouble!  I adored the "turtles" (top) - this store called them "frogs".  It is a good thing we did so much hiking the day before!

I also purchased a blog friend's mystery books (Vickie Lane) at the BEST independent book store = Malaprops.

There is way too much to see in Asheville, NC and the surrounding area in just two days. We will be back.

The Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville, NC & 45/365

Rafael Guastavino (click on his name for further details) was the architect and builder of St. Lawrence.  He came to Asheville, NC to work on the Vanderbilt estate, The Biltmore.  This was his last work and his final resting place ... he is buried in a crypt inside this church.  

The church is built upon a massive stone foundation, has no beams of wood or steel in the entire structure.  All walls, floors, ceilings and pillars are of tile or other masonry materials. The roof is tile, covered with copper. 

The dome of St. Lawrence has a span of 58 x 82 feet and has the reputation of being the largest freestanding dome in North America.  To find out more, please click  here.   Below are photos of the interior.

The Altar

This is a 17th century painting of the Visitation. The artist might be Massimo Stanzione (1585-1656).   Few paintings depict an obviously pregnant Mary.  I couldn't get the best photo because of the glare & I had to crop a bit.  

  Old pottery - Capo diMonte, Italy

A fragment of Italian marble depicting the Nativity

Baptismal Font

Artist - Massimo Stanzione (1585-1656)

I have always loved the colors of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The homily for this particular Sunday was wonderful.  My girls & I discussed it over breakfast.  To sum it up: Be generous to others with our compassion and love.  How we will be judged will be a direct reflection as to how we judged others.  We confess our sins, we don't stand in front of God with a list of what others have done.  We don't know their story.  We only know ours.   

Poetry with Photographs... 43 & 44/365

...Beauty that Feeds the Soul (the Blue Ridge Parkway, Appalachian Mountains - specifically Craggy Gardens, NC)

Blue Ridge Parkway, 42/365

"Repose"

This above photo is for Wednesday's Black & White Challenge.  Click to see other entries.

"Tucked Away"

"Craggy Mountains - Just Before the Hike"

"Craggy Mountains - Blue Ridge Pkwy, NC"

"Craggy Tree in Craggy Gardens"

"The Trickster"

"The Tilted Path"

"On Top of a Craggy Rock"

"A Scene from Sleepy Hollow?"

"Golden Beauty"

"Enjoying the View"

"The other side of Craggy Mountains - Nearing Sunset"

My oldest two girls and I visited the Blue Ridge Mountains this past weekend  They were spectacular with their golds, reds & oranges...and still quite a bit of green!  June & July is prime time for the pink & purple rhododendrons.

Asheville, NC  is 24 miles south of Craggy Gardens.  "Craggy" has great views from the east and west and we missed the sunrise this trip.  The Great Craggy Mountains are an area of exposed rock surfaces and high peaks that provide breathtaking views of the distant southern Appalachian ridges. 

I think we might have hiked part of the "bald" area but by the time we got back to the visitor center to ask, it was closed.  In the second photo above, you can see a whole area with no leaves - quite in contrast to the green, colorful side.  This was fun to hike.

We tried to make it to Douglas Falls.  We hiked quite a bit of the trail, but it was 4 miles (one way) and I made the decision to turn around before dark... we were told we might see bears and other wild animals and I preferred a bit of light.  We did hike half of it, through a mixed hardwood forest which winds past a series of cascades and two virgin hemlock groves before reaching the 70-foot Douglas Creek Falls.  I am told it is a  rewarding, 4-mile hike (8 mile roundtrip).  My daughters are all for getting up early on the next trip as they are eager to make it next time to the falls.

As I hiked these trails, I found it was necessary to really watch my footing.  The fallen leaves provided a very slippery "carpet" upon the jagged, and often times, wobbly  rocks.  Tree roots are hidden amongst ground coverage and we all tripped numerous times.

The following day we visited the magnificent St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville, NC.  They encouraged photos and I took full advantage.  I will post about that tomorrow.   We also enjoyed shopping in the quaint historic downtown area and a two hour historic trolley ride.  I will post about that as well.  So, please come back!

I would also like to help promote my son's blog "Songs for a New Millennium".   He is passionate about poetry and I invite you to take a look! 

The very last post is also my entry for the "Sunday Creative".  Word for the week: dynamic