Saturday the 14th: Asheville, North Carolina
After the Smokey Mountains, we headed to Asheville. There's a lot to do in this area, including visiting the Biltmore Estate and Black Mountain College. However, since we were only here for the day, we chose to spend it downtown.

You would think a southeastern city in the upcountry of North Carolina would be boring, but it's really quite a nice town. Plus, it has endless numbers of small independent stores on every street which makes walking around a lot of fun. Every store has something different to offer and the restaurants leave little issue for even the pickiest eater.

Many of the buildings have an art deco style that enhances the already funky city. Asheville City Hall, below, is just such an example.

The iconic iron sculpture downtown:

Later that afternoon we hit the road to Wilkesboro, N.C. to spend the night. Drove the Blue Ridge Parkway the whole way...the colors were incredible but the pace was slow (45 mph).

Tomorrow we'll be in Virginia. We can't believe the trip will be over in less than a week!