Team Smokies

Day two in Asheville was TREAT YO SELF Sunday so we spent it walking around in amazing fall weather, eating tons of awesome food, and shopping like champs. Brunch in Asheville proved to be as popular an activity as anywhere else but we braved an hour wait to eat at Early Girl Eatery on Wall Street. The food was ridiculous and our bellies were insanely happy by the end of our meal. If you go to Asheville, eat at Early Girl!!

After brunch, we scored some sweet vintage finds at a few stores downtown. Then we headed back over to West Asheville where we’d been the night before to check out Harvest Records. Then it was on to hotel number two…

Phil had told me that the city was so booked up that we had to leave the Holiday Inn after one night and go to another hotel, a kitschy bed and breakfast nearby in Weaverville. He made it sound pretty awful but said it was our only option. As Phil went into more detail about the crappy grandma-ish decor and this place started sounding funnier and funnier, we started referring it to Weinerville (those who are lucky enough to have forgotten, I give you Weinerville).

Little did I realize this was complete BS and Phil was actually about to totally surprise me. As we followed the GPS to Weinerville, we drove through the gates of the Biltmore, an epic Vanderbilt mansion in Asheville. I was confused. Phil blamed the bad GPS signal in Asheville (which is legit, our GPS tried to send us through brick walls many times today). Suddenly, he’s telling the guard that we’re staying in the Inn and we’re driving up a huge driveway to the beautiful Inn on Biltmore Estate. I’m sorry, what?

Sneaky Mc Sneakerson had booked this surprise back in February and had kept it hush hush since then. Well played, Mr. Williams. Well played.

After scoping out the grounds a bit, we grabbed a table for two on the terrace overlooking the sunset and the mountains. We inhaled our second cheese plate of the trip as well as some tasty food and bevs and then used Phil’s Starwalk app to name some constellations in the sky.

Now we’re currently wearing bathrobes emblazoned with Vanderbilt V’s, drinking champagne out of glass slippers, and smoking cigars made of money. Ok I lied… there are no V robes. Tomorrow we tour the Biltmore House and scope out the Tiffany exhibit. And then it’s on to our lovely little cabin in Bryson City. Can’t wait.

Well, goodnight from the lap of luxury…