Last week on Good Friday we made a quick trip to Asheville. Since it’s a short and easy trek we try to go there a few times a year, but I don’t remember the last time we’ve been in the spring.
Biltmore is one of those places I grew up thinking of as a field trip destination. But in recent years they have done a great job reinventing the Estate to be an outdoor haven for visitors of all ages. Of course it’s still known for the house and the winery, but it has a lot to offer in the way of outdoor activities {biking, hiking, boating, horseback riding, fishing, playground, etc}, restaurants {everything from ice cream shops to fine dining}, and onsite entertainment most every weekend. They even offer a very reasonable season pass that allows the pass holder and their guest(s) to have access to the estate year-round. While we rarely go inside the house itself, we like to go there for the biking trails, the Antler Village activities, and just general sightseeing on the grounds.
The girls always love the farmyard, but this visit was especially exciting since they were showing off some brand new baby chicks. Apparently, these tiny creatures tire extremely easily and can only be held for about two minutes before having to go back to their boxes. The whole time the Preschooler was eagerly holding her chick I was saying a prayer for its young life. “Please keep breathing baby chick. I know this is intense and she squeezes hard and gets overly excited, but you can do it! Your two minutes is almost up!!”
I think the chick would concur that it was the longest two minutes of his/her life.
The 2nd Grader is particularly obsessed with the farmyard babies and asked us after this visit, “Are we city people or country people?” I think she was disappointed to learn we’re just “suburban people” who occasionally visit the city, or in this case, the “country.” Now she would have no real interest in feeding or caring for farmyard animals {just ask her fish}. But she loves the idea of petting sweet chicks and baby goats each morning…er, afternoon, because she doesn’t really do mornings… which is another reason I think we best not become country people just yet.
I don’t know the first thing about flowers and plants, but I know the gardens there are beautiful. I’m pretty sure I toured them on a middle school field trip many moons ago, but my late-thirty-something-year-old self appreciates them more than my 13-year-old self did. The tulips were the best part!
The bike trails are pretty scenic, too. And the best part about them is they lead to water and great views of the house {or the “castle” as the Preschooler likes to call it}.
It was a short trip but a good one. And, something about being out in nature made the 2nd Grader start thinking about her future family and how she hopes to experience the great outdoors with them one day. She said in the car, “I declare when I grow up I’ll have a camper.”
That’s fine. “I declare” that I hope it’s an Airstream. But if a pop-up proves to be more her style, I might still go along for the bike rides and the bonfire.
Here’s to enjoying the great outdoors… during daytime hours!
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