Update #1

Stretching into the past....

So, for that long-ago, four-day weekend, I decided to do some driving. I didn't feel motivated to take off on Saturday, but I did on the Sunday. Loaded Toby in the car & drove until I felt like stopping, in Asheville, North Carolina.

The drive through Kentucky & Tennessee (I so would not have spelled that right w/out the new automatic spell check on this thing-y) is actually really beautiful. Rolling hills and strange bubble trees in KY (plus the horses). Enormous mountains in Tennessee. Toby fussed for the first hour of the drive, then only when he needed a pee-break. After I checked into the Day's Inn, I drove around Asheville, which was less exciting than I would have hoped.

With the free hotel wireless, I found out that my reason for stopping in Asheville, the Biltmore, allows pets on the grounds. The Biltmore is the largest private residential house in the United States, and something that I knew about from watching "America's Castles" while folding my employer's laundry in high school. (I was basically a combination babysitter-maid, and I've never had as much disposable income since - or maybe it's that my big expenses then were all hair products, makeup & chocolate).

The house is pretty nifty, with an amazing view as you walk up. It was a slightly chilly day, so I felt safe leaving the puppy in their secure parking lot. But still, I made my trip around the house a bit quicker to rescue him sooner. Toby liked the grounds, especially when a group of students walked past us and told him how cute he is.

The dog had to wait in the car again while I did the complimentary wine tasting (which turned out to be better than the wine tasting that Olga & I did in Sonoma the next month).

A note of advice here: if ever driving east out of North Carolina, don't assume that you will get gas after you get into Tennessee. Because there is none. For an excruciatingly long time. And you are driving through mountains, so there is nowhere to go if you run out. I was convinced for about an hour, driving with my gas light on, that I was going to run out of gas & get both me & my dog killed. No fun.

On the way home, we took the VERY scenic route. I had wanted to drive through the Rocky Mountain National Park. I had no idea that going through Gatlinburg would add so much time - but it was a site to see in and of itself. It's sort of like a cross between Vegas & Disney World, as interpreted by people from Tennessee. Needless to say, I did not stop. The scenic route through the mountains is amazing. Weird bit though, the overlook is no prettier than the 1-hour drive to get to the overlook. Plus, once you get on the 7-mile overlook circle, you-no-can-leave. And everyone drives very, very, very slowly. Like, it took 1.5 hours to go 7-miles, slowly. A bit much for me. But still, I was glad that I made the drive. The middle of nowhere is lovely.