It’s been awhile since I’ve revisited and finished writing about our southern road trip that we took at the beginning of this cram-packed summer. If you forget all we did or want a recap, check out my overview post, which links to each day individually.
If you’re here just to see awesome pictures of our biplane ride, keep scrolling!
Sunday, May 31st we left The Yellow House, a quaint bed and breakfast in North Carolina and headed back to Pigeon Forge for our last night on our road trip. As usual, I was looking over Groupon and found a bunch of different things to do. The thing that kept hitting me was a biplane ride. Of course I talked Dustin into letting me buy us tickets. After a quick call to the pilot, we determined a time and drove to the Pigeon Forge airport.
The deal we purchased was $79 for a 15 minute biplane ride for two people. I called ahead to make sure we could redeem it that day and then purchased it with my debit card online. The owner, Marc Hightower, (click on the link for a cool post about him) was welcoming and personable. He explained that business was slow and he decided to do a Groupon to get more business and get his name out there.
In the short time we spent with him, we learned he had rebuilt this 1927 Waco Model 10 himself. It was fascinating to hear that he flies it from Key West every summer to offer rides in the Smokies. His life was just as interesting. He had lived on a boat, owned a postcard store, and currently lived in Key West. Marc took the pictures you see of us with the vintage plane. Don’t let the smile fool you…I was terrified!
The company he owns is called Sky High Air Tours. You can see pictures of his plane and learn more about it there.
We brought our camera to get lots of pictures in the air. Takeoff was simple and so was the landing. The thing that surprised me the most was how loud and windy it was. After awhile you became used to the noise and it became really cozy and relaxing. Honestly, I could see taking a nap while flying! Marc was nice enough to give us hair ties (yes, Dustin too) so that our hair didn’t get in knots.
We both had headsets on so we could hear Marc communicating with the other planes and the airport before lifting off. It was really interesting. Dustin’s had a microphone and mine didn’t. While in the air the pilot gave us a tour, explaining the different sites.
Above is inside the pilots side. There’s a mini GPS and all the other things he needs to fly the plane.
Above is Dollywood’s water park.
Rain was coming in. We were able to get the flight in before it hit. The main highway here is the main strip in Pigeon Forge.
This was us landing.
Marc explained this was a canyon in Pigeon Forge. I’d never seen it before.
There’s me looking at the view.
Taking the bi-plane ride was one of the coolest things we’ve done together. It was really neat that it was vintage and restored. Overall I’d say it was romantic and the perfect touch to end out trip down south. The next place we stayed at wasn’t a good experience. I’ll write about that next.
While staying at The Yellow House, we took all day Saturday, May 30th to explore Asheville, North Carolina. Unfortunately I had a lot of writing to do, so after we finished breakfast on the porch of the inn, we drove to a coffee shop in downtown Asheville.
Photo Credit: roadtrippers.com
Waking Life Espresso was exactly what we needed to get our work done while in the mountains. This little coffee shop is located in a remodeled house and is light filled and airy. In the front there are bar seats and in a smaller room in the back there are couches and a table. The coffee was no-frills and especially delicious. To see how serious they are about their coffee, watch this video.
I worked on my articles and Dustin just hung out. (Perhaps working? I’m not sure.) At about 2:00pm, we drove the ten minutes to The Biltmore, the main attraction for the day.
When I was a little girl, I remember visiting The Biltmore. This mansion is known as the largest privately owned house in the United States. It’s interesting because Dustin had also been there with his parents when he was eighteen. We remembered bits and parts (like the indoor swimming pool) but wanted to go together. The Yellow House was about thirty minutes from Asheville, where The Biltmore is located.
The price tag was enough to shy us away, but we decided since we were close we should go. My love for interiors and art history really helped to sway the decision to drop the $120 ($60 per ticket) and spend the day there. I also used my vacation money to buy the tickets.
Words and pictures really don’t do this place justice. It took hours to tour and there was a room dedicated to arranging flowers. The Vanderbilt’s, who owned the home, were fascinating people who loved art and each other. An example of architecture from The Gilded Age, the mansion has 252 rooms.
Pictures and videos are prohibited of the inside. George Vanderbilt shared a love for technology and entertaining guests. It was really interesting to see the parallels between the couple, George and Edith, and us. He loved technology and had electricity throughout the home and Edith loved books and taking care of guests. You should see her library! It reminded me of the library in Beauty and the Beast! This couple was madly in love and took the best care of those they employed. Even the servants quarters were nice!
Dustin and I found ourselves staring on multiple occasions at the craziness of it all. The massive dining room had three fireplaces and there were separate rooms dedicated to guns, smoking, and games. I personally loved seeing the restored furniture and paintings by famous artists.
You can easily spend more than a day at The Biltmore. Along with the mansion, there is shopping, dining, a winery, hiking trails, gardens, and entertainment. There are hotels on site and even tours for taking horseback rides. We didn’t have enough time to see everything, but after going through the mansion we enjoyed the gardens for a bit. We drove over to Antler Hill Village where there were shops and a winery. While there, there was also live music in the center gazebo.
We brought our own snacks and got an appetizer at Cedric’s Tavern located at the Antler Hill Village. We had hoped to eat dinner at Cedric’s, but after seeing the menu, nothing seemed that good. The place was over-priced. Since we were hungry and still had more to see, we ordered an appetizer. It was way too salty and not very good. After wasting $20 on an appetizer and water, we asked for our bill.
The winery wasn’t anything too special. We tried a few wines but didn’t like waiting in line. (Wine tasting is free with your ticket.) After buying a book about the mansion, we left to eat somewhere outside of the park.
Overall, it was a really neat experience. A $60 ticket only included admission to the mansion and property. The audio tour was an additional amount and there were other behind-the-scenes tours we didn’t take. I felt that the $60 ticket was fine for us. We saw plenty and I purchased a book to learn even more.
Dustin and I said we loved it, but wouldn’t go back anytime soon. It was one of those places that you go once and don’t need to keep going back. I would like to see it decorated for Christmas though. The property was very romantic.
In the future, we’d go back if we had kids. It’s one of those places that’s so out of this world, but very expensive. If you plan on going, eat ahead of time or bring snacks. We left and ate at an amazing place called The White Duck Taco.
While walking about, we acted like we owned the place. We laughed and told stories about our day to day lives as millionaires. It was fun to dream.
Above, Dustin always carrying my purse while I take pictures. Haha.
You could go and spend a day just going through the gardens. It felt like I was transported into the book The Secret Garden. It was hot and we were hungry so we only walked a short ways and drove the rest. I don’t usually suggest buying more than a one day ticket, but for The Biltmore, it would be worth it.
This stop on May, 30th was one of our favorite places on our Southern Road Trip. To see an overview of all we did on this vacation, click here!
Have you been to Asheville? Have you seen the massive Christmas tree at The Biltmore?
When we went off on our own, we headed to The Yellow House On Plott Creek Road. This little bed and breakfast is located in the charming town of Waynesville, North Carolina. I had heard of it through Groupon. For $299, you received a two-night stay in a suite, checking in on Friday. As usual, I read reviews before purchasing the deal and saw plenty of high ratings. The pictures looked fantastic. We left Starbucks and drove straight to the bed and breakfast in the rain. I hadn’t realized we were running a little late for check-in, so I called ahead and let the inn-keeper know. Shawn was extremely accommodating welcomed us at the door.
Friday, May 29th: First Night at The Yellow House & Dinner at The Sweet Onion
As soon as we drove up, the air seemed to get lighter. There was a magical feeling about this place. It felt as if we had gone back in time. The yellow house overlooked a lot of greenery and you could see it from the road. The mountains in the background looked like someone had painted them. We heard a bunch of folks talking on the front porch and saw some plates and glasses of wine.
When we walked in, a man introduced himself as Shawn. He began whisking us around the old home, pointing out port wine, a pantry full of snacks, a cheese plate, and board games. It felt like we were coming back home to place we’d never been. There were about ten different people eating appetizers and visiting in the parlor and front porch. Shawn explained that it was their cheese and wine reception.
The floor creaked below our feet and the china in the cabinets softly clinked as we walked into the butler pantry. Shawn told us to help ourselves to snack bars, cereal, fresh fruit, and cookies (he baked fresh every day). He showed us the hot water for tea and where we could leave our plates. There was also a room with books and lots of board games. Before taking us to our suite, which was located in another building, Shawn explained that the inn had plenty of material on the town and all the menus from local restaurants.
I noticed the inn was clean and well appointed. It was cozy and worn but not stuffy. A large clock stood to the right and there was a buffet with port wine and small glasses. On the coffee table there were lots of different photo books dedicated to the bed and breakfast. My favorite was a day in the life of the inn’s cat. Shawn had made the book, telling the story of the inn from the resident cat’s perspective. Another book was filled with pictures of the inn during different seasons.
We followed Shawn up a small road to another building that housed our suite.
We booked the Kinsale Suite. It’s located in a small house overlooking the upper pond. Along with a front area with rocking chairs, the suite had a small porch in the back. I loved hearing the creek as we got out of our car and Shawn climbed out of his golf cart .
Once inside, I was surprised at how clean and cozy the space felt. Shawn showed us around, offering instructions on the double-sided fireplace and showing us how to close the built-in blinds. He also explained that the fridge was stocked with complimentary drinks and told us how the air-jetted tub worked. He told us he’d leave some cheese and crackers out a little bit longer and told us to hurry back to the house and eat. I sat some bags down and headed over.
The wine and cheese reception was great. Shawn had two different types of wine, china laid out, hummus, crackers, different cheeses, and snacks. We both grabbed some plates and a glass of wine. Sitting on the front porch, we took a deep breath and looked over the property. You could hear the birds chirping and glasses clinking. Some people were sitting inside, others at the outside sitting area. Afterwards, we looked around at the menus collected in a basket near the reception area. Shawn told us that there would be a wait since we didn’t have reservations. I laughed. We were in the middle of nowhere, how could there be a wait for dinner? After deciding on a place called The Sweet Onion, we went back to the suite to freshen up.
The Kinsale was ideal. The bed was extra comfy and I loved the unique art and furniture.
We adjusted the individual thermostat and turned up the air conditioning. I looked around, inspecting the room. I loved the double-sided fireplace that could be enjoyed from the bed and bathtub.
The space was large, with two separate rooms and a bathroom with a walk-in shower. The tub was sparkling and had Yellow House branded bath salts beside it and soaps. I also noticed handmade mugs with the bed and breakfast’s logo on them by the coffee maker.
There was an ice box, microwave, coffee maker, and fridge. Inside the fridge were bottled juices, sodas, and Perrier Sparkling Bottled Water. Coffee and tea was placed in a basket near a roll of paper towels. There were also extra cozy robes with the bed and breakfast’s logo on them hanging up. They smelled like fresh linen and were really soft to the touch.
Another unique touch was a dark hand towel with the words “Make Up” embroidered onto it. The rest of the towels were white, so this was a good place to take off my red lipstick.
After freshening up, we drove to The Sweet Onion. Sure enough, Shawn had been right. There was a thirty minute wait for the Southern farm fresh restaurant. Downtown Waynesville, The Sweet Onion made me think of a New Age hippie that grew up in the South. There were waiters with cool tattoos serving up fresh fritters and fried chicken. Water was poured into mason jars and the place felt like a modern southern diner…only more pricey.
The food was phenomenal. I ordered chicken fingers with macaroni and cheese. Dustin had a chicken parmesan sandwich. We talked and talked and laughed. It was a wonderful meal. When we left, we decided to walk around the little town.
Photo Credit: roadtrippers.com
Waynesville is quaint. It reminds me of the town in the book/movie The Notebook. There are cute little shops with mountains as the backdrop. Even though it’s a country area, there are nice art shops and galleries. Everything was closed but the May air was hot. We walked and walked. There were a few bars and pizza joints open. I was surprised to see an old theater. The Strand is a boutique theater that offers free viewings of movies. It was late and we wanted to enjoy our room. If we weren’t tired we would have watched a movie and ordered some homemade sodas. There were lots of people walking dogs and we even looked in the window of a dog bakery. Sleepy, we headed back to the Yellow House amidst the mountains.
We walked to the Yellow House (a four minute walk) from our suite. Shawn had showed us the code to get in. Lights were low and people were talking upstairs. We sat in the parlor and drank small glasses of port wine. We talked about our dinner and moving to the mountains. After grabbing a board game, we headed back to our room. There were matches and small aromatic candles near the bath. I took a relaxing bath and we went to sleep early.
The next morning, we walked to the front porch for breakfast. Shawn asked us if we wanted to eat inside or outside. Of course we said outside. The weather and view was perfect! A few welcoming women waited on us and offered us juice and coffee. Shawn was walking around in an apron, visiting casually with other guests. I could smell the food.
The first morning we had the following: fruit cups with yogurt, bacon, peach french toast, and more fruit for dessert with powdered sugar. The peach french toast was delicious. Shawn handed out recipe cards. The next morning we had fruit, asparagus, tator tots, and ham spinach quiche.
The portion sizes were abundant. We were seated with another couple. After visiting, we realized we had a lot in common. This was their second time there using a Groupon and they had driven from Atlanta, Georgia. They were both Christians and we found that out from where the wife had gone to college (another conservative-Christian school). It was really nice to get to visit with other Christians. What a blessing! I wish I would’ve gotten their information. The husband was from Ecuador and had a strong accent. The wife had also lived in Chicago near Lincoln Square. We knew a lot of the same areas and subway stops. (We also had matching blue nail polish!)
That day, Saturday, May 30th, we explored Asheville, North Carolina. Among the things we did was work at a coffee shop, visit the Biltmore, and eat at a local taco place. We left The Yellow House on Sunday, May 31st.
A few times we saw a black and white kitty lazying around the property. We walked around and enjoyed the outdoors. It was kept beautifully. There were lots of butterflies and other birds.
Dustin managed to find a hammock. He laid back and took a deep breath in. We were relaxed and wanted to stay a few more nights. While checking out, Shawn told us more about the area and also told us the brand of the port wine we sipped (Taylor Tawny Port). Before heading out, we played cards on the front porch.
It was such a lovely experience. The Groupon deal is gone but I’ve heard they have them occasionally. Even if you don’t have a Groupon it’s well worth it for the stay. You can read lots of reviews on Tripadvisior. Here’s a link to my contribution. This bed and breakfast way by far one of the nicest we’ve visited. If you stay, tell Shawn we said hello!
