Top Ten Tuessday: Book Blurbs (4/30)

Image from The Broke and the Bookish

I originally wasn't going to participate in this week's Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish because over the past few months, my reading habits have changed quite a bit.  However, I realized that great literature endures because it meets us where we as readers are right now, and as I grow and change, my reading tastes evolve as well.  Also, a book's blurb may catch my attention, but it is not necessarily a predictor of whether or not I will like the content (as my recent Top Ten Tuesday Surprise Reactions list indicates).

So what makes me consider cracking a book's cover?

1. A well-designed, eye catching cover
2. A blurb or recommendation by one of my auto-buy authors
3. Contemporary issues
4. Mythology
5. Family dynamics 
6. Marriage
7. Unrequited love
8. Literary fiction
9. Meta-textual, book within a book premise
10. The promise of a big reveal (i.e. secret revelations) 

Any recommendations for books with these plot points?  What is your book blurb kryptonite? 

Decadence: Asheville, NC (Part 2)

Picture Perfect: Pinot Grigio and Chocolate
Creme Brulee

I left off Part 1 of my trip to Western North Carolina with quite the cliffhanger.  My husband and I were just about to enter the famed "bean to bar" French Broad Chocolate Lounge.  This converted warehouse turned dessert bar is a must for chocolate-philes, and really, who isn't one of those? On our first visit, we sampled the Turtle truffle, chocolate creme brulee, and dark chocolate ice cream.  I could have happily remained ensconced on the brown leather couch in a chocolate coma for the rest of the evening.  Before we had even ventured back out into the snowy night air, my husband declared, "We are coming back here."  And we did.  Our last night in Asheville after a laid back dinner of pesto pizza at local eatery Marco's Pizzeria, we returned to French Broad for a slice of their Quintessential Chocolate Cake - a cake so rich and decadent that we couldn't even finish our slice.  Creamy chocolate ganache is layered between moist chocolate cake and topped with thick, dark frosting.  It is positively sinful.  Rob has already promised to order me a slice of cake, or at least a box of truffles, for my birthday.  (Ah, yes, he's the perfect man...)

This beauty was in the outdoor hot-house.

Despite the fame of the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, no trip to Asheville is complete without a visit to the Biltmore Estate.  My parents had taken my sisters and me years ago, but Rob had never been.  It took some arm-twisting to get him to look past the price tag,* but in the end, we really enjoyed our day spent touring the opulent home and wandering the grounds.  Rob and I arrived as soon as the home opened at 9:00 a.m., which I recommend to anyone who wants to get a jump on the student tours.  The long, winding driveway cut through a forest of tall trees was designed for visitors to anticipate the house at every turn, and it succeeds.  By the time we parked, we were dying to get a full view of the house.  Although there is a shuttle from the parking lots to the home's front entrance, Rob and I opted to trek the little woodland footpath in the brisk air and were rewarded with a panoramic view of this massive estate as a snow flurry began.  Inside the home, we were immediately ushered into a winter garden bursting with orchids of every color and variety.  Pictures are not allowed in the home; otherwise, I would be showing you my new floral reading nook.  General admission purchases a self-guided tour of the home, and the staff has put together an easy to follow directional guide that creates a fluid flow of traffic throughout the home's many rooms.  In addition to the winter garden, my favorite room is the library which houses thousands of volumes - equating to only a third or so of the Vanderbilt's collection - and has a frescoed ceiling imported from Italy!  The second floor master bedrooms have recently undergone a thorough and historically accurate renovation, and the colors and fabrics are a sight to behold.  The rooms are so rich in texture and atmosphere.  It is hard to imagine living amid such vibrant furnishings.  What remains shocking to me is the grandeur witnessed as part of a regular tour is merely a tenth of the house's rooms.  The Biltmore offers more in-depth tours of the home and grounds, for an additional fee of course, if you are interested.  One that Rob and I really wished we had taken was the Legacy of the Land tour, a shuttle tour of the estate's extensive woodland property.  It was only $19.00 per person, and the tour lasts about an hour and half; however, it was full by the time we inquired about it.  Book additional tours early!
*The Biltmore is a bit pricey, but if you order tickets online at least a week in advance of your visit, they knock $15.00 off the admission price.

Alligator in the wild

After a thorough tour of the home, Rob and I wandered through the Biltmore's famed gardens, barren due to the freezing weather.  However, we stumbled upon a conservatory hot house where we were met with exotic, colorful blooms of all types.  The warm, damp air delivered a welcome taste of spring.  Around every corner was a new, exciting find, such as the room with nothing but cacti and this guy to the left!  Once we warmed up, we were starving, so we headed back towards the estate for lunch at the Stable Cafe.  This restaurant used to be the Biltmore's horse barn, but it was converted into a modern, full-fledged eatery.  Each booth used to be a horse's stall, and the iron-work and flooring are all original.  It is very atmospheric, and the food is fantastic.  Rob and I split a bean burger with sweet-potato fries.  I was surprised that my husband actually conceded to a vegetarian entree (he's a strictly meat and potatoes kind of guy), but I was shocked by how much he loved it.  He could not stop raving about how spicy and filling the burger was.  In fact, if you asked him, he'd probably say that is one of his favorite meals we ate while in Asheville.  Refreshed and recharged, we hopped in the car and followed the inconspicuously carved estate path past gorgeous pasture, woodland, and lakes to Antler Hill village, which used to house the estate's dairy but is now a winery.  A free tour or the winery, where they also make champagne, as well as a free tasting is included with the estate's general admission fee.  Rob and I had fun sampling the different vinos aged and bottled on the premises before finally settling on our favorite - the classic Pinot Grigio.  We toured the new legacy exhibit chronicling the Vanderbilt family's illustrious history, visited a few shops, and the farm before returning to the hotel for a dip in the hot tub and an afternoon nap.  It's exhausting to live like a Vanderbilt!    

Our last day in Asheville was very laid back.  We had reservations for a couple's massage at the Spa in Biltmore Village, a picturesque set of shops and restaurants outside the entrance to the Biltmore's grounds.  I highly recommend this Spa for its location, friendly staff, and surprising amenities.  Rob and I were treated to foot soaks, hot neck wraps, and a cup of delicious Russian tea before our massages.  Not wanting to break our tranquil mood after the massage, we had lunch at Zoe's Kitchen, a chain that specializes in fresh, Greek inspired dishes, before hopping on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  If you have never driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, you must go.  It is so beautiful and peaceful.  There are several lookout stops that allow you to drink in panoramic views of the Blue Ridge mountains like the one below.  Because of the snowy conditions, part of the Parkway was closed, but we still got to drive a couple of miles before we were detoured into the tiny town of Weaverville with its picturesque homes set into the mountainside and holler. 

A panoramic shot of the Blue Ridge Mountains dusted with snow

Our restful culinary vacation finally came to an end, but we broke up our trip home by stopping in my other favorite Western North Carolina town, Black Mountain.  Less than 20 miles from Asheville, Black Mountain is full of southern charm and style.  It boasts some of the most unique arts and crafts stores on its downtown streets and several delicious restaurants.  We went off the beaten path in search of brunch and found The Morning Glory Cafe.  In addition to delicious organic coffee, we dined on stuffed french toast, grits, bacon, and egg and cheese sliders.  Yum!

Our time in Asheville, uneventful as it was, was punctuated by good food and great conversation.  I highly recommend Asheville, NC and its surrounding areas to any couple looking for a relaxing getaway.

Pssst...Check out the amazing restaurant I forgot to highlight in Part 2 of my vacation recap here.

Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan - Recently I posted a breakdown of all the David Levithan books I loved, all the ones I hated/did not finish, and all the ones I was on the fence about. Will Grayson, Will Grayson was one I was anticipating, and despite the fact that every review I read was a glowing, 5-star gush and a recent Top Ten Favorite Characters list hosted by The Broke and The Bookish featured Tiny Cooper on Almost. Every. List. I was not impressed. Apparently, the chances that two of my favorite authors will let me down are high - so high, in fact, that Will Grayson, Will Grayson made my recent Top Ten Tuesday listing books that I liked more or less than I anticipated.  As I wrote in that post, I began Will Grayson, Will Grayson with high hopes only to be let down by the same overly prophetic message about love and homosexuality that has turned me off in some of Levithan's other novels.  I get it; people should be allowed to love who they want, but like I tell my students all the time, show me; don't tell me (or in Levithan's case, beat me over the head with it).  I love a good musical, but as I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I felt as if I had been unwillingly thrown center stage into an all-out Glee marathon.  The novel and the character of Tiny Cooper were just a little too much for me.  While I may not be singing praises for Green and Levithan's duet, I can hardly refrain from admiring their writing styles.  Green and Levithan know how to pen an intelligent, biting sentence that channels a full gamut of emotions from sensual to farcical.  Two of my favorites are excerpted below:   

"She kisses like a sweet devouring" (134).

"Just so you know: e. e. cummings cheated on both of his wives. With prostitutes" (139). 

(Especially distressing for me to hear because I love e. e. cummings - but I have to admit, it's quite an effective relationship deterrent!)

Best matched with fans of Glee and Green's and Levithan's distinctive writing styles.

Re-Read Review: Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

This post is the third in my Sarah Dessen re-read weekend celebration.

One - The Truth About Forever 

Two - This Lullaby 

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen - Someone Like You is my favorite Dessen novel, and my copy is rather tattered from all the times I've re-read it.  The depth of Halley and Scarlett's friendship reminds me so much of my own friendship with my best friend even though our life choices do not map onto those of Dessen's duo.  In Halley and Scarlett, I see the key to Dessen's novels - the ability of her characters and their experiences to transcend the pages of the book and take up residence in the space around the reader.  Unlike much current fiction that strives so hard at world-building to help the reader escape from this one, Dessen's characters populate a world I recognize and sympathize with.  I cried with Scarlett when Michael died and wondered if he would have stayed when she found out she was pregnant.  I yearned for Macon to tell Halley he loved her as my more practical side screamed, "Run for your life; that boy is trouble!"  I cringed while Halley navigated tense conversations with her mother and celebrated the birth of Grace and the subsequent stake Halley makes on herself and her identity.  What I've discovered recently about re-reading is not only the comfort of a familiar storyline but the way my perspective on the story and the characters changes as I bring my new life experiences to the reading.  For example, the recent birth of my niece colored my perception of Scarlett's pregnancy, and the last lines of the novel really resonated with me as an encapsulation of all the things I want to teach Avarey (whose middle name is, ironically, Grace). Dessen writes from Halley's perspective,

“I hoped that Grace would be a little bit of the best of all of us: Scarlett's spirit, and my mother's strength, Marion's determination, and Michael's sly humor. I wasn't sure what I could give, not just yet. But I would know when I told her about the comet, years from now, I would know. And I would lean close to her ear, saying the words no one else could hear, explaining it all. The language of solace and comets, and the girls we all become, in the end.”

 At the risk of sounding borderline "Girl Power!" what I love about this quote is its acknowledgement of the evolution of character - one that I think Halley, and to a lesser extent Scarlett and Marion, exhibit in Someone Like You.  At the very least, Someone Like You is a reminder that ultimately we must lay claim to our own lives and live them confidently.

Best matched with best friends.

Re-Read Review: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

This post is the second in my Sarah Dessen re-read weekend celebration.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen - This Lullaby was the selected re-read for the I Eat Words Sarah Dessen Re-Read challenge in the month of March. This Lullaby has always been a favorite of mine - as of many readers.  It was the first Sarah Dessen reading I attended, and I can still hear Dessen's tone and inflection as she read aloud the plastic ware scene.  Remy is such an interesting and relatable character. I, too, like to keep the vacuum lines visible in my carpet. I like, however, how Dessen gives her a past. Remy is a bad girl gone straight-laced, but meeting Dexter will force her to confront life in all of its messy but wonderful complexity. This Lullaby, like my favorite Dessen novel, Someone Like You, has an excellent, well-drawn cast of close friends that illustrate the realistic intricacies of best girlfriends, who even if they don't agree with all your choices, and have no problem telling you, are always there for you no matter what. Reading This Lullaby after The Truth About Forever demonstrates Dessen's penchant for soft-hearted guys. Dexter, like Wes, has a streak of romance in him, but the two characters could not be more opposite. While Wes is very serious and responsible, Dexter is messy, clumsy, and just plain crazy, but what I love about Dexter is his ability to believe in love above all else. Dexter can come off as a little goofy in the beginning of the novel, always willing to make a joke but never take anything seriously, but when Remy breaks it off, we get a glimpse of the sensitive core at the heart of Dexter that takes things very personally - making him a much more believable and lovable character in my eyes.  However, one of the standout characters for me is Remy's mother, Barbara Starr (that name!!).  Like Dexter, Barbara believes in love above all else, as evidenced by her multiple marriages and her career as a romance novelist.  I love that Dessen gives us a sneak peek into a writer's creative process, and Starr's penchant for scribbling notes on anything and leaving them everywhere reminds me of my own obsessive to do list, which includes future blog post ideas!  This Lullaby is an excellent introduction to Dessen for readers who don't know where to begin to tackle her triumphant eleven book oeuvre.

Best matched with fans of boys, bands, and potatoes.

Re-Read Review: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

March made it official - 2013 will be, for me, the year of the re-read. Recently, Lori at The Broke and the Bookish wrote a lovely post about the sheer pleasure of re-reading, which as book bloggers trying to keep up with new releases, we don't always indulge in. This year, however, disappointed by the overwhelming number of formulaic dystopias and not in the mood for contemporary "issue" lit, which I normally love, I have been re-visiting old favorites. I have Farrah, Britney, and Hilary over at I Eat Words as well as Kate at Musings of a Book Lover to thank for reminding me of the luxury of re-reading. I Eat Words is hosting a Sarah Desen re-read challenge, which consumed my reading last month. One of Kate's challenges as part of her year-long Reading Outside the Box challenge is to re-read an old favorite, which is why I am currently re-reading Nicole Krauss' convoluted and very literary The Great House and loving it.  To celebrate, I'll be posting mini-reviews of the Sarah Dessen books I re-read last month all weekend long.

First up:

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen - The characters in Just Listen, my first re-read as part of the Sarah Dessen challenge, remind me so much of the characters in The Truth About Forever that I immediately wanted to pick it up after finishing Just Listen. I found I remembered the main characters' names, Macey and Wes, and I remembered that Wes was a sculptor, but after that I was out. I couldn't wait to dive in and get reacquainted. It was a fun ride. Macey, a straight laced perfectionist after her father died, joins Wish catering company and is introduced to the chaos that makes life worth living. She also meets Wes, a swoon worthy bad boy with a tender streak a mile wide, and they begin an extended game of Truth, which causes Macey to open up to someone in a way she hasn't since she watched her dad die. I absolutely love the progression of their relationship; their first interaction defines "meet-cute," and they continue to fall for each other at a natural, realistic pace. However, the standout character in The Truth About Forever, for me, is Macey's new best friend and catering partner, Kristy. Kristy is unlike any character Dessen has ever written in terms of style and heart. She is funny, memorable, and very insightful, coining my favorite novel catchphrase, "SW-OON." But this wouldn't be a Dessen novel if there wasn't some family drama. Dessen artfully draws Macey's mother at a time when the stress of her husband's death has consumed her, but she's too tightly wound to just let go. This tension has bled over into her relationship with Macey and threatens to strangle it. The only thing that keeps The Truth About Forever from being the perfect novel for me is the conclusion. There is an integral plot point resolved but in a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of way. Given its implications, it should have been fleshed out more fully.

Best matched with mothers and daughters or any good girl that wished to land the neighborhood hottie.

Top Ten Tuesday: Surprise Reactions (4/23)

Image from The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's prompt is a reminder of all my reading fears.  What if I hate a book everyone loves?  What if I love a book everyone hates?  What if my FAVORITE AUTHOR OF ALL TIME writes a book that makes me go *meh* (shrugs shoulders)?  What if a great series starts strong and then loses steam and intensity; thus, I lose interest? All these what if's are a long winded way of introducing my top ten books/authors (in no particular order) that pleasantly surprised me or unpleasantly let me down.

1. The Casual Vacancy J. K. Rowling - I am a die-hard Harry Potter fan, but I approached The Casual Vacancy with trepidation.  Billed as adult, political fiction, The Casual Vacancy was not my normal reading fare.  I understood that Rowling was attempting a dramatic departure from the wizarding world she had created in the beloved Harry Potter series.  She succeeded in her aim, but had J. K. Rowling not written this novel, I would never have picked it up and probably would have been less objective in my criticism of it.
2. The Scorpio Races Maggie Stiefvater - This book is about killer water horses.  It says so on the back.  So...yeah...However, The Scorpio Races is about waaaaayyyyy more than racing flesh-eating horses that rise out of the ocean every fall, and Stiefvater manages to deliver her story in a way that makes that one plot point seem perfectly natural.  In short, this book is an amazingly well-written, intriguing story.  Lesson learned: Don't judge a book by its plot summary.
3. Ellen Hopkins (2009-present) - I have been a die-hard fan of Ellen Hopkins since I first read Burnedyears ago.  I respect her determination to represent a typical teenage experience without shying away from uncomfortable details or feelings; however, as I have grown out of my own teenage years, I have found her  novels less relateable. I was pleasantly surprised by her depiction of military relationships in her newest adult novel, Collateral, though.  While Hopkins will always be on the top of my to-read list, especially because of her beautiful, poetic writing style, I am less sure that I'm going to love everything she publishes.
4. David Levithan - Unlike Hopkins, I haven't read Levithan's novels consecutively as they were published.  As a recent recommendation post shows, Levithan is very hit or miss for me.  Most recently, he's been more miss than hit.  Last month, I began Will Grayson, Will Grayson with high hopes only to be let down by the same overly prophetic message about love and homosexuality that has turned me off in some of his other novels.  I get it; people should be allowed to love who they want, but like I tell my students all the time, show me; don't tell me (or in Levithan's case, beat me over the head with it).
5. The Hello Girl Merline Lovelace - Like The Scropio Races, The Hello Girl provides another example of "Don't judge a book by its plot summary."  Unfortunately, The Hello Girl illustrates the negative effects of a well-written plot summary.  On the surface, The Hello Girl sounds like an intriguing, moving historical romance; however, the writing is stilted and the story formulaic - probably because the book is actually a Harlequin romance - a fact I was unaware of until I was mid-way through the reading.  I forced myself to finish it even as I began skimming over nauseating cliches such as "He rung my bell like Big Ben."  (Note to self: In addition to the plot summary, check the publisher.)
6. The Cellist of Sarajevo Steven Galloway - I found The Cellist of Sarajevo in Target at the same time I found The Hello Girl, so I began it with trepidation.  However, instead of an overwrought Harlequin romance, I discovered a very tense yet elegant portrait of a city under siege.  This novel is brimming with historical significance and poignant moments of terror, survival, and kindness in the face of unimaginable violence.  It's a tough read but well worth it.
7. Tess of the D'Urbervilles Thomas Hardy - The summer before my senior year of high school I was faced with the dreaded back-to-school reading list from which I had to select two books.  The first was Jane Eyre, which I loved to pieces, and retrospectively, may have been the reason why I became a Brit. Lit. major.  The second was Tess of the D'Urbervilles, which I detested so thoroughly I did not finish it.  Retrospectively, this may have been my first DNF as well as my first BSed paper.  Even though I am a huge proponent for Freedom to Read at any age, I do also believe that some books resonate with us more deeply at different times in our lives.  Case in point, as a graduate student, I was assigned Tess of the D'Urbervilles to read.  I dutifully began again a book I already knew I hated only to become totally wrapped up in the story and blown away by the ending.  As the World Turns ain't got nothing on Hardy.  This is a real soap opera.  I loved it so much that I wrote an essay on how to teach it in tandem with Laurie Anderson's Speak, a book I argue has similar themes in a more contemporary setting, that I later presented at a conference in Charleston, SC.  Hardy also figured prominently in my Master's thesis. Lesson learned: Re-reads are worth it.
8. When She Woke Hillary Jordan - A trusted friend recommended When She Woke to me, and as a literary lover, I am a sucker for contemporary re-tellings of a classic story, so Jordan's revision of Nathaniel Hawthorne's A Scarlet Letter, a book I also hated on first read but have since grown to respect, seemed right up my alley.  And it was...until halfway through the novel when it turned into a secret spy op to overthrow a sadistic government.  Not what I signed up for.
9. The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy Maggie Stiefvater - Stiefvator has earned herself a spot on my auto-buy author list, and Shiver put her there.  I never really jumped on the paranormal YA lit bandwagon, but I thought Shiver was a beautiful love story - even if one of the main characters was a werewolf; however, Linger and Forever let me down.  I sincerely believe Shiver would have been a fantastic standalone.  The rest of the series drags down a standout first novel in my opinion.
10. Rick Riordan - If someone had told me as an adult with a full-time job, out of college, I would be anxiously awaiting the release of the next book in middle-grades series about demigods, I would have laughed in their faces.  Yet, I have read and adored every single one of Riordan's novels about Greek, Roman, and Egyptian demigods.  Riordan's recent post on Reading Myths may explain why.

*Honorable mention goes to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl.  I entered this book blind, with no expectations and no real understanding of the plot, and man did it blow me away.  It is a captivating, if creepy, story.

Top Ten Tuesdays: Rewind *Book Boys 4/2*

Image from The Broke and the Bookish

This week's Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish was a rewind where bloggers could pick a Top Ten Tuesday feature they missed or wanted to revisit.  This was perfect for me because I have been buried under final exam preparations and papers that needed grading; therefore, my blogging has taken a hiatus.  I had this post almost ready to go for it's real debut a couple of weeks ago, but I couldn't even find the time to post it as a rewind yesterday.  One of these days I'm going to actually create and use a draft backlog.  Until then I will continue to post my Top Ten Tuesdays on Wednesdays or Thursdays or even the occasional Friday.

I love fangirling over some of my favorite book boys, and I am seriously passionate about those I love (see number 2).  Given my immediate interest in this topic then, I was surprised when my list came out to 5 - just 5 - with all the swoon-worthy literary boys out there.  But I've always been a monogamist, so my inability to carry on ten crushes at one time is really not that surprising.

1. Sean Kendrick from The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - Sean easily made the top of my list.  He's is everything I love in a literary man, dark, quiet, deep.  Every interaction between him and Puck is so  restrained yet so full of longing.  Oh the romantic suspense! 
2. Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - Although Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy often makes readers top ten literary men list, Mr. Rochester always tops mine.  Like Sean above, there is something slightly dark and mysterious about Mr. Rochester.  Plus, he's passionate - translation: good lover.
3. Ronan Lynch from The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - Stiefvater has obviously peered into my mind and plucked out my literary crushes fully formed.  Although Ronan is not the main character in the first book of The Raven Boys cycle, his slightly sinister past is oh so intriguing.  I'm looking forward to discovering more about what makes this boy tick in The Dream Thieves. 
4. Dash from Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan - Unlike my top three contenders, Dash is not a boy with a dark side.  He's a pretty quirky guy.  What endears him to me is his intelligence, and he loves to read.  Nothing's sexier! 
5. Marcus Flutie from the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty - I believe Marcus tops every girl's dream list.  He's got it all: bad boy appeal turned good, intelligence, a way with words and music.  You. Yes. You.  Swoon, swoon, swoon!

Honorable mentions go to Adam from Where She Went by Gayle Forman and Captain Wentworth from Persuasion by Jane Austen (That letter!  It slays me every time!).

Who are your favorite book boys to crush on? Any you recommend that I haven't met yet?  There's room on my top ten for five more!

From Farm to Table to Narnia: Asheville, NC (Part 1)

Happy Spring!  I hope you've had time to rest and rejuvenate.  My students were off all last week, so I took vacation, and my husband and I headed for the mountains.  We had no real plans other than to eat well and wander - both of which we accomplished well!  My vacation included a hiatus from all things electronic, including blogging, so in lieu of my usually weekly memes I have a special two-part vacation recap full of food and fun recommendations in case you and your friends, family, or significant other are thinking of trekking to western North Carolina any time soon.

We woke up to a dusting of snow!

There are many, many hotels in the area for all tastes and budgets from the Grove Park Inn ($200-$400 a night!!!!) to your standard Holiday Inn.  The best place to find great hotels, coupons, activities, and restaurants is Asheville's tourist website exploreasheville.com.  It's really easy to navigate.  We found a cute hotel less than a mile from the Biltmore that was well within our tiny budget.  We got a 10% off coupon too!  The Brookstone Lodge has great ambiance and an indoor pool and hot tub in addition to being affordable.  Because it was right off the highway and "family friendly," it was a little loud in the early afternoons, but we were usually heading off for evening activities around this time, so it wasn't much of a nuisance.

Our first night there was very laid back.  After we checked in, we drove around for a while to get the lay of the land.  Rob was just about to turn around when I spotted this insanely fancy lamppost.  Impulsively I shouted, "Turn here!  A lamppost that fancy means one of two things: a nice neighborhood with really fancy houses or Narnia."  Rob was game, and that is how we discovered the Town of Biltmore Forest.  There is an actual town inside of Asheville that has its own town hall, police department, and public works program.  The houses are beautiful - each one has its own architectural flair.  One had a sloping window frame like a wink; another was straight off the streets of Italy with a terra cotta roof.  Right down the winding road was a gingerbread esque house from the pages

of an English fairy tale.  And, finally, our favorite, a brick estate at the end of a mile long driveway that we mistook for one of the streets in Biltmore Forest.  As the name implies, there is an abundance of trees in town and little lakes with ducks and turkeys and even a Peter Cottontail rabbit or two.  Rob and I wanted to move right away.  A little research revealed that its founders, Mr. C. D. Beadle and Mr. Frederick Law Olmsted, designed the town with a commitment to nature in mind.

After all that wandering, we were starving.  Rob found a local "farm-to-table" restaurant called Homegrown.  We ended up eating here twice.  It was soooooo good!  Their slogan, "Slow Food Right Quick," is spot on.  They had a simple, seasonal menu and served manageable portion sizes.  The first night we ate there I had tomato soup (my passion!), and Rob had the "Redneck PotPie," which was a barbecue chicken pot pie layered over cheesy grits with a fresh baked biscuit top - Yum!!  The next time we went was for breakfast.  After braving the continental, feeding-an-army style breakfast at our hotel for one morning, we decided we would flex our budget to include breakfast out for the rest of the trip.  Homegrown was definitely on the list.  I had pancakes with maple syrup and the famed cheesy grits while Rob, enamored with his pot pie from dinner several nights ago, had the breakfast pot pie, which was equally delicious.

As for morning coffee, nothing beats Early Girl Eatery.  When we overslept the free breakfast our first morning, and would have happily continued oversleeping had we known the blandness that awaited, we went to the famed Early Girl Eatery downtown.  The coffee was amazing, and the dining room is so bright and airy.  Rob and I normally split when we go out, but at 11:00 a.m. with no prior sustenance (or coffee), we both wanted our own plates.  I got the black bean and cheddar omelet, and Rob had the "Porky" breakfast bowl - chorizo sausage and homemade pan gravy over grits - to die for.  Add some homemade blackberry jam on a biscuit, and I was good until dinner, which that night was at Tupelo Honey Cafe.

We spent that entire first day wandering around downtown, popping in and out of the eclectic shops and planning our dinner attack - Tupelo's and then...drumroll please...French Broad Chocolate Lounge.  Oh yes, the best dessert place in North Carolina.  Hands down - and the line of customers there every night (we went twice) agrees with me.  But like Mama taught  me, dinner then dessert.  Tupelo's comes by the "Honey" in its name honestly.  They serve huge, square yet impossibly light biscuits, which you can then slather with fresh honey or homemade blueberry jam or, do as I did, cut your biscuit in half and put honey on one side and jam on the other - heaven!  Before we knew about the complimentary biscuits though, we had ordered a hot pimento cheese dip appetizer.  My grandma is the queen of pimento cheese, so we had high expectations for this dip.  Although it was not what we anticipated, it was delicious.  It was spicier than my grandma's with mustard and hints of jalapenos that gave it some depth.  Then we split one of my favorite dishes ever - shrimp and grits - with roasted red peppers and goat cheese grits - goat cheese - I love this pungent, smooth cheese.  (Apparently, we, like all good Southerners, also love grits - they were featured in almost every meal we ate.)  Our shrimp was a little over-cooked, but we didn't mind as dreams of chocolate truffles danced in our heads.  To the Chocolate Lounge!

Click here for Part 2.