Honeymoon
For our honeymoon, we spent a week in Waynesville, North Carolina. This small town is located about 30 miles from Asheville, and is home of a fantastic bed and breakfast called the Andon House. We were treated to a 4 course breakfast everyday (yes, it included dessert!) and our room was very comfortable. The highlight of the room was the bathroom, which had a big jacuzzi tub and a fireplace!
We spent our first day getting acquainted with Waynesville, which is full of small shops featuring handmade furniture, pottery, photography, paintings, and much more.
Our second day, we visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, and were glad we took a tip from other guests at the B&B who said we should do the self-guided audio tour and the behind the scenes tour at the winery. The day was gorgeous and the foliage was at its peak. We took the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway back to Waynesville.
The third day, we took the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi. When we arrived, it was so foggy we couldn't see the view. But we were rewarded for our patience when the fog rolled out, and we had a stunning view from the fire tower. After Mt. Mitchell, we tried to go to Chimney Rock, only to get there and find out that the elevator was broken and it was so foggy you couldn't see anything. So, we headed back to Waynesville for another yummy meal at Bogarts.
Our fourth day, we took a suggestion from Ann, one of the innkeepers, and went on a driving tour of waterfalls. Who knew you could see so many great waterfalls in such a small area? It was fun driving through the mountains and small towns and hiking to the waterfalls.
Our last full day, we decided to take it easy and visit downtown again. In the evening, we drove out to the Great Smokey Mountains to see the elk. Over the past few years, there has been a program to reintroduce elk back into the area, and they attract quite a crowd at dusk when they come out to feed.
We had a great time and can't wait to visit the area again.