From Asheville, North Carolina

Greetings!

And now you are asking, "And where are the pretty pictures?" Blogger is broken! I tried and tried as I have some sensational fall color pictures and there is something amiss with the uploading system. Thank goodness! I thought it was me and I know I am much harder to fix! So hopefully in the next day or so they will get my error "bx-9pjt60" fixed and I will be back in business. (whatever that means) So you will just have to be content with my words.


Monticello was wonderful. That Thomas Jefferson was quite a guy! His home and gardens are beautiful and full of innovations that make your head spin. We saw his clock in the entryway that was controlled by weights that dropped through the floor and marked the days, his "copying machine", wonderful windows that raised to become doors, and so much more. As our guide pointed out, he wasn't an inventor but an innovator. So many ideas of things he encountered in his travels he adopted, adapted, and improved! Choosing to build his home on the top of a mountain without a reliable water supply might be considered a bit chancy but he made it work and if there were problems he would try to find solutions. Was amazed to find out he had planted artichokes in his garden and they finally took hold and grew. And he wasn't anywhere near Castroville, California. We walked with a guide through the gardens, and also with lovely black woman who was our guide through the slave quarters. They were knowledgable, friendly, and well versed in their subjects. Picked up suggestions for books to read, things to plant, and questions to ponder. It really was a wonderful 5 hours! (No wonder our feet were hurting!) Oh, and I failed to mention that it rained on us. This would have spoiled the experience for some people but not the Gotta Go Girls! We whipped out our umbrellas and enjoyed the coolness. It was nice to be wet from rain and not sweat!

Took a drive around the campus of University of Virginia and saw the Rotunda which was designed by Jefferson. Went to the refurbished historic downtown of Charlottesville, parked the car and did a bit more walking! Wandered in and out of the stores and found the perfect gift for Judi. She has jokingly renamed herself Bessie after some cows she saw the other day. It has something to do with the way her pants (and I might add the other 2 GGG's) fit. The gift was a little cow flashlight that moos. We may have to take it away from her though and throw it away as she really likes it. It could drive us all crazy.


Dinner was in a French style bistro and was deliscious. I had skate which is a type of ray. It turns out Lee may be allergic to this as she had only one bite of mine and ended up with a tummy upset. This also happened in Chicago when she had skate for the first time. Have you ever known anyone with an allergy to skate? We are amazed!


These were only minor bumps in the road and we loved Charlottesville! And we weren't lost once!!! What a relief. We can follow a map and find our way. There is hope we will be able to bring the Green Avalon back to California.


This morning dawned bright and sparkling after yesterday's sorely needed rain. We headed south toward Tennessee and then cut back to western South Carolina. We drove through the Smoky Mountains and they are ablaze with color. We have been hearing how the colors are so poor this year due to the drought. We can't imagine what it must be like in a good year. We stopped at one vista point and it was breathtaking. It is hard to keep your eyes on the road as there are blazes of color ranging from chartreuse to bright yellow to pink to crimson. Hopefully Blogger will get the problem fixed and I can post some pictures.


We are visiting the Biltmore Estate tomorrow to see just how those crazy Vanderbilts spent all their money during the Gilded Age. Good night from the Girls