Blue Ridge Mountains...

So of all the times to forget my camera, I did (this picture is borrowed). We went to Asheville, North Carolina this weekend for Paul's fraternity brother Doug's wedding. It was gorgeous there, being in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. And so nice to get away from cold, rainy Boston for a couple of days. Doug & Mindy's wedding was Sunday night, so we had some time before the big event. Our plane arrived at 8am Saturday, which was so strange to already be at our destination that early in the morning (6am flight). So since we had time to kill we went and explored the Biltmore Estate. It was really cool-- reminiscent of Versaille in Paris. I love old estates, touring the old rooms and seeing where the servants lived and the guests dined. George Vanderbilt even had two Renoir paintings. It seemed like the bedrooms went on for days. He must have had major parties. The house even had its own bowling alley, exercise room, and indoor pool, which was very ahead of the times for the 19th century. Paul's favorite room was the formal dining room, and mine was the cook's kitchen! How predictable! After touring the house, we went to the winery and did a wine tasting. Somehow we left with a case of wine. Yum. We're already enjoying it. As for the wedding, it was a beautiful event--with a not-so-light shower of rain right on the outdoor ceremony. They say it's good luck...