Anniversary Trip

Today is our actual anniversary. I didn't deliberately plan to wait until today to post about the weekend trip Bruce and I took, it just worked out that way because I don't yet know how to download pictures off of the big camera (AKA Bruce's camera).

One of these days I'll get with the program and be a bit more technologically advanced. One of these days when it might actually matter more than it does now.

Bruce and I had a great few days together alone.

We stayed at Campfire Lodgings outside of Asheville. It was a beautiful place.

Here's the view that greeted us from our camper.





The whole campground was nice. Clean and well landscaped. And the two staff members we talked to while there were fun, upbeat and friendly.

You can even stay at a yurt when you visit. They don't look like much from the outside, but the website shows that they are pretty nifty on the inside.

Friday night we got there a bit later than we intended because we left home later than planned. We set up our camper and then went out to dinner down the road a bit at a place called Bellagio's Bistro (133 Weaverville Hwy.). They served Greek and Italian food.

I love a good Greek salad. Just one word here: yummy!

The next day we got up and headed to two different RV sales centers to look at campers. We spent several hours just checking things out and even found one that we thought we might like to upgrade to a few years from now.

Click here to see it.

The sales guy worked the numbers, and we left more informed about what it would cost.

And ever since then, both Bruce and I say, "Oh, it would be nice. But being out of debt would be nicer."

Is there such a thing as Window Shopper's Remorse?

Oh well. It was still fun to look.

We ate a lunch I had packed that morning and continued on to the Davidson Gap Southern Living Idea House in Whisper Mountain. I was so excited, because I was finally going to see an Idea House.

And it was neat. But I've come to the sad realization that I'll never have a home that looks like an idea house. It's that ridiculous money thing.

I would like to buy some patio furniture for our nice rebuilt deck/porch. While at the Idea House, I picked up a booklet of Martha Stewart patio furniture. Good night... that stuff is expensive!

Anyhoo... there were other buildings we toured while at Davidson Gap. The Whisper Mountain community has a neat club house with an awesome stone fireplace.

There was another house in the subdivision that was open as well called Poplar Ridge. Now that one I really liked. It had a rustic, log cabin feel to it.

I told Bruce that smudgy little fingerprints wouldn't show up as much in a house like that. For some reason, I find that appealing. (Probably because I know I'll be re-painting a vast majority of our home in the coming months while the kids are at school each day. To cover smudgy little fingerprints. And pencil etchings. And other obscure markings on our walls that I don't even question for fear of what they might actually be. Poptarts maybe?)

We left the area and had time to kill before supper, so we drove toward downtown area, planning to walk around. However, we didn't account for Bele Chere. We'd never heard of it despite the fact that Asheville celebrated its 30th Bele Chere this past weekend.

Normally, I might have been all about an arts and crafts fair. If I had my mother-in-law or another friend along.

But not with Bruce. And not while enjoying our anniversary escapade.

The place was jam packed. Shoulder to shoulder. With lots of kids.

We love our kids tons. But this weekend was about being kid-free. And quiet.

So we headed out of the downtown area a bit and found a Longhorn's restaurant to eat at. I've been to the one in Cookeville during a solo visit to my grandpa, but Bruce had never been. We enjoyed our shared steak dinner, thinking we'd save room for dessert, but were still too full to order anything more.

Then we went shopping, which is not my favorite thing to do, but I was on a mission. Clay needed two pairs of denim shorts for school. We knocked that out in no time, and then found some great deals on dressy work clothes for Bruce.

When we got back to the camper, I had Bruce choose between one of two movies I had rented before we left home. He picked this one.



Over this one.



Brownie points. Big brownie points.

The next morning we packed up and came home. We had a family reunion on Bruce's side of the family to attend at Bays Mountain.

Here's a picture of Bruce's cousin Sheree and her mom, who is Aunt JoAnn to us. JoAnn is my mother-in-law's sister. Beside Aunt Jo is Bruce's mom, who is holding Miss Ava, the newest addition to Bruce's brother Bryan's family. (Does that all make sense?)



Sunday night we watched National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

And I liked it better than 27 Dresses.