Carolina Bed & Breakfast

Grape Harvest in Asheville, NC!

2010-09-01T16:20:00.004-04:00

One of the special memories of my childhood summers in North Carolina is of the Muscadine grapes which grow throughout North and South Carolina but are not much known in the rest of the country. These hardy grapes have a thick skin and many seeds but their uniquely sweet and sour flavor makes them worth the work. As a child I loved the burst of flavor that erupted as one bit through the skin. They signaled to me the end of summer as they appeared in August shortly before we would return north to Connecticut for the beginning of school.

I was delighted last year to discover that the vines growing over the trellis on the back porch of Carolina Bed & Breakfast were muscadine grapes. Unfortunately last year it seemed less than delightful as the whirlwind of buying the inn and getting it ready for the October rush meant that we had no time to harvest them. They fell with regularity onto the porch, needing to be swept up before being stepped on by an unsuspecting guest.

But this year, as the grapes darkened and began to drop, I was ready and harvested a full basket of beautiful grapes. This, of course, begs the question of what to do with them.

When we lived in England we had a walled garden with multiple fruit trees and I learned to make jams, jellies and chutneys from the harvest as there was more than we could possibly eat. So I pulled out my jam pot and got to work sorting out and cleaning the ripe grapes.

In order to make jelly it is necessary to break the skins of the fruit and mash them, then boil them until the juice is rendered. Remember I said the skins were tough? Well it took me quite a while to break up all those grapes but eventually I had a pan full of lovely red grape juice.

Actually more juice than I need: Here you can see nine filled jelly jars, enough juice to fill eighteen more and a big bowl of grapes which are still ripening.

I promise I won't only serve grape jelly at the Carolina but I might send you home from Asheville with a small gift!

A New Sign at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast

2010-08-16T09:19:00.004-04:00

The house at 177 Cumberland Avenue, Asheville NC was built in 1901. It has a long history and has passed from being the home of a leading local businessman through a stint as a boarding house and then back to a private home before becoming a bed and breakfast in 1983. As you probably know if you are reading this blog, James and I are the fourth set of innkeepers of the Carolina Bed & Breakfast . While we have restored and refinished much of the house, we have also brightened and modernized some of the furnishings and artwork. The latest of these changes for us was the removal of the original bed and breakfast sign which has sat in front of the inn for 27 years. At least as far as we know this is the original sign. I have certainly never seen any pictures of a different one in the archives we possess. The old sign is pictured here. It is made of wood and the paint has faded significantly. The sign tended to disappear into the house and garden and was hard to see from the road. Earlier this year I retouched the wording which was peeling off

To help us design and build the new sign we turned to David Earl Tomlinson of Dynamic Metal Works. David has designed a number of signs in and around Asheville and we liked the sculptural aspects which he had incorporated into many of them.

The rooms at the Carolina are named after various songbirds, most of which can be seen in our garden. They are one of the unexpected pleasures we discovered after we bought the inn. As a child growing up in Connecticut my mother taught me about many of these birds but black crows gradually moved into our neighborhood and the songbirds disappeared. I was delighted to watch an early robin out of my window this spring and to see cardinals flitting from branch to branch in the trees when I moved here to Asheville. I am telling you this not so much by way of a digression as an explanation of why we chose the hummingbird for our sign. Birds, and in particular the hummingbird, have always been part of the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. Original wallpaper in one of the rooms, (the eponymously named "Hummingbird Room"!) depicts small hummingbirds in flight. The logo on the letterhead we inherited with the inn also incorporates a hummingbird so we have chosen to continue this association, first on our new website and now in our new sign.

David made our new sign out of iron and created a small three dimensional sculpture of a hummingbird to "fly" in the center.

This picture of the sign lying in his truck shows the detail of his work.

It was a hot, hot summer day when he arrived to remove the old sign and put the new one in place so the following pictures are somewhat washed out but the occasion needed to be documented!

James helped David remove the old sign which we have placed in our garden near the path from the parking lot to the back entrance of the inn. It is an important part of the heritage of the bed and breakfast and we knew we would keep it and use it somewhere.

And here is the new sign in place! As I mentioned, it was a brilliantly sunny day and I am by no means a professional photographer so the color does not run true in this photo. It is more of a true fuschia and less pink than this one shows. I will try and get a better shot in the autumn (or you will just have to come by and see for yourself!)

David Webb Jewelry and Asheville, North Carolina

2010-08-06T09:06:00.004-04:00

This weekend the Asheville Antiques Fair takes place at the Civic Center at 87 Haywood Street. The event in and of itself is worth going to but for those of you who have visited the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, or are interested in jewelry, there is a special event you may want to go to.

In the 1930's the house at 177 Cumberland Avenue was a boarding house, owned by Mr. and Mrs. George Webb. The picture above is a photo of the house taken while it was still owned by the Webbs. It was sent to me by Angie Kratzer, Great-Great Grand-daughter of the Webbs and Great-Niece of David Webb. Local legend has it that David learned to make jewelery in a WPA course during the Depression. He moved to New York at the age of 17 and by the age of 21 he had his own shop. His designs were worn by Jackie Kennedy, Lana Turner and Gloria Vanderbilt among other and even today stars such as Gwen Stefanie and designers like Tory Burch wear his pieces.

If you are in Asheville and would like to learn more about this native son, I encouraged you to go to Angie's presentation "David Webb: The True Mountain Gem" at the Civic Center, this Friday Night at 5:30PM at the Civic Center

Bele Chere in Asheville, NC

2010-07-27T11:37:00.005-04:00

This past weekend saw the 31st Bele Chere Festival in Asheville. More importantly it was the first Bele Chere for James and me at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast.

Bele Chere was envisioned as a means to bring people and business into the downtown area of Asheville. Over the years it has certainly succeeded in that. They estimate that over 300,000 people came to this year's festival. For us that translated into a full inn, although a surprising number of our guests had booked for the weekend without knowing that a festival was going on here. But James and I and our daughter, Abby, managed to find some free time to get downtown and see the sights.

The night before we had walked through eerily empty streets as we went to dinner at Limones. The festival was in the process of being set up and it seemed the only people there were the ones putting up tents and stalls. All of the center streets of downtown were closed to traffic and we strolled down the middle of the avenues. But the next day! It must have been 85 in the shade and yet people were everywhere. The heat didn't seem to have kept anyone away. There were four music stages with bands playing throughout the day. It definitely adds to the atmosphere when music is playing in the background. There were stalls selling just about everything you could think of: art, clothing, food, beer and more. As usual, people watching was a big part of the activity. During the day, it is very much a family event.

As you can see by these pictures of children with face paints and balloons.

Abby was delighted to find fresh lemonade for sale! After we bought a giant size glass we went to stand in the shade and watch the "Ultimate Air Dogs" leap from a platform into a pool of water. You can be sure that everyone watching wished they were a dog and could go swimming too.

Later that night we were able to catch a final act and enjoy the crowd dancing and swaying before walking home through the sultry heat to our front porch.

Southern Highland Craft Guild: Meet the People

2010-07-19T16:44:00.003-04:00

This weekend the Southern Highland Craft Guild held its annual crafts fair in Asheville, NC. Even though it was a busy weekend at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, James and I made an extra effort to get there so we could see what all the "fuss" was about. And I am so glad we did. It was an amazing display of artwork and beautiful crafts of every type. I could show you a lot of pictures and talk about all the different things we saw but instead I am going to introduce you to two of the people we met: Marlow Gates of Friendswood Brooms and Anne Freels of Wingshuck.

Marlow, in case you haven't guessed it, makes brooms. You can be excused for thinking that this is not the most exciting of crafts but you would be wrong. Each broom is handmade and the handles are specially crafted. Marlow can take pretty much anything and turn it into a broom handle. If you look closely at this picture you will see that he has made a broom with a fishing rod for a handle. One wonders whether that is a statement by a long-suffering spouse or a paen by an enthusiastic angler!

When Marlow was a little boy his father worked for NASA on the Apollo Space Missions. One day he saw an advertisement by a broom-maker in the Southern Appalachians who was looking for an apprentice to carry on the craft after he died. Marlow's father was intrigued and went to meet the artist. He loved the craft and life style so much that he returned to his family, quit his job with NASA and moved them all to the Tennessee Mountains. Marlow made his first broom at the age of five and has been making them ever since. He and his wife, Diana, work together on the brooms and he is hoping his sons will continue the family business.

Marlow is pictured in the top photo with James and the hearth broom we bought. It has a pine knot for a handle which has been highly polished to show off the red color created by the fungus which caused the knot. He told us that we could bring him a piece of wood from one of our trees and he would make a handle just for us!

Not far from Marlow and Diana, was the stall of Anne Freels and her business, "Wingshuck". Anne makes dolls out of cornhusks. She made her first doll in High School. Everyone was required to take a course on Appalachian crafts and after she made her first doll, she said, "Can I make another?!".

Each doll takes about three to three and a half hours for her to complete. She dyes all of the husks herself using natural dyes. The body of the doll takes about two hours to put together and then she gets down to details. Her work is amazingly intricate. Dolls hold tiny fruits and flowers, hair is made of everything from flax to llama wool.

We bought these two witches to decorate our tables in October. Each doll comes with a small card giving information about its significance in Appalachian folklore. One of my favorites is the "kitchen witch", poised on a broomstick to be hung in your window, it will keep your cakes from burning, your bread from falling and your household happy.

I wish we had had more time at the fair to talk with more of these interesting and unique people. It's part of what makes Asheville so wonderful!

Staying Cool in Asheville,North Carolina

2010-07-08T11:53:00.003-04:00

I'm not going to lie to you, it's hot here in Asheville. Of course because we are in the mountains it's probably not as hot here as it is where you are, but it is hot. The compensation is that while the days have been pretty sultry, our nights are generally a very comfortable mid-to low sixties and most of the guests at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast enjoy sleeping with the windows open and the ceiling fans purring. Outside in the garden, I can hear the tree frogs who started up their evening concerts almost on cue with the beginning of July.

Along with the tree frogs, there are a lot of other people making music outside in the parks and the streets. Friday nights see "Downtown After Five" in which locals come together on a closed off corner of Broadway Avenue (not far from here) and enjoy jazz, blues, rock and more. If you don't feel like moving off the comfortable porch swing at the inn, you can sip a glass of wine and listen from a distance. If you are feeling more energetic, stroll on over to Patton Avenue and join in with the dancers at the Drum Circle.

Saturday evenings in July and August, Pack Square Park comes alive with "Shindig on the Green". As you can see from the picture above, a healthy crowd comes along, bringing lawn chairs and blankets to sit on, listen to the music, and even get up and join in a square dance or two (they call it "street dancing" here.) It's about a twenty minute walk from the Carolina to Pack Square Park but you will be rewarded for the effort by the sights and sounds of Asheville at its liveliest. As you can see from the picture at top, musicians set up their stands and play on any open corner they can find!

One of the things James and I get the biggest kick out of is watching the crowds. People of all types and ages come together for the outdoor events of Asheville. It's a real parade of characters.

And finally, while the fireflies are dying down, the fireworks in Asheville continue. It's not every night or even every weekend but it is unexpectedly often!

Here comes the Glorious 4th!

2010-06-27T12:15:00.002-04:00

(Guests enjoying an al fresco breakfast on a sunny summer morning
under the grape arbor on the back porch of the Carolina Bed & Breakfast)

When I was a child (yes, that long ago) we started school in September and didn't finish the year until almost the end of June so I always felt that summer didn't really begin until the Fourth of July. James had a different experience growing up and for him the Fourth signifies the halfway point to the summer (a more bittersweet celebration in my opinion!). We've never been able to come to an agreement on this, probably because the association was ingrained in our childhoods and cannot be untangled from the memories and emotions of the past, so we long ago agreed to disagree on this one. But where-ever you place the Fourth of July in the summer I imagine it holds memories of family and picnics, hot days and fireflies at nightfall and off course parades and fireworks.

Like so many small cities and towns, Asheville will be celebrating in its own special way and I would encourage you to join us! If it is fireworks you are looking for, there will be displays all over Western North Carolina. If you are unable to stay through to the evening of the Fourth we can probably find some early celebrations for you to enjoy. On Friday and Saturday night, over at McCormick Field the Asheville Tourists will be playing the Kanapolis Intimidators (affiliate of the Chicago White Sox). After the intrinsic fireworks of the game there will be a real display. Fans are encouraged to go out and sit on the field to get a really good view. Tickets are limited but there are still a few left. (Click here to book online)

Of course, on the Fourth itself celebrations in Asheville begin at 4 P.M. with music from Asheville's hottest bands, family activities, lots of local foods for sale and a firework display at 9:30. Again if you have to leave before the fun on the fourth, Saturday night is the opening of "Shindig on the Green", a celebration of live music which takes place onstage and off as musicians continue to jam even when they aren't performing.

James and I hope to catch some if not all of the events. Of course we will also be planning some special meals and decorating the Carolina Bed & Breakfast in full on red, white and blue. We have a few rooms left, so come on down!

The Amazing Race Asheville!

2010-06-21T10:53:00.003-04:00

This weekend, three intrepid teams came to Asheville, NC to participate in the Amazing Race Asheville, organized by the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. For more pictures, see our facebook page.

Shops and businesses throughout Asheville made their facilities available for the race and we would like to thank the following: Shady Grove Flowers, Adorn Hair Salon, Tops Shoe Store, Dry Ridge Builders and the North Asheville Farmers Tailgate Market.

Shown above are the winners of the race, The DanEmals: Emily Murray and Dan Killian. In spite of a time penalty at the end of the race (for having neglected to photograph another team when seen) The DanEmals finished solidly ahead of the other two teams.

"Phua Chu Kang" ,named for a character from a Singaporean sitcom, consisted of old high school friends, Abby Murray and Matt Hammer. Abby and Matt both attended Singapore American School in Singapore--hence the name! Phua Chu Kang made a strong showing but lost the race in the last lap when they realized that the rules called for bringing everything they had made back to the inn and they had to return to the flower shop to get their arrangement. They also skirted close to disqualification as their egg was cracked, but not broken. Since it was still intact, it was allowed.

Team three consisted of work colleagues, James Murray and Paul Wilkie and Paul's son Max. In spite of a valiant effort, the Dudes were unable to shake their laid-back "dudeness" and came in a belated third. But they stated for the recorded that they felt they played the game the right way, stopping to enjoy the sights of Asheville as they went along.

The three teams made a colorful sight as they raced throughout Asheville using every form of transportation from foot, to Razor Scooter to car to hitch-hiking. It was a tiring day but an adventure worth having on a brilliant sunny June Saturday in Asheville!

Tailgate Markets in Asheville, NC

2010-06-05T11:18:00.004-04:00

One of the many pleasures of living in Asheville is the abundance of fresh, locally grown and produced food. While there is a large, year-round farmers' wholesale market just outside of town where one can buy produce in quantity, during the summer smaller farms and artisans come together at tailgate markets throughout the week at various locations around town.

Here the farmers literally pull into the parking lot, open up the back of their cars, trucks and SUVs, pull out a folding table and spread out their goods. The markets start slowly as the only things for sale are those which are growing right now. In May, the markets offered seedlings and cuttings for our garden. The sellers are very knowledgeable and I was able to get some unusual heirloom tomato plants which are already setting flowers in the raised beds James built.

As June has arrived, so have the strawberries and ramps, early peas and greens. You can also by eggs which are so fresh they are just about a different food. When we first get them, if we don't have too many guests at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, I like to scramble them over a very low flame using a balloon whisk which creates an incredibly small-curd, creamy and rich dish.

But a trip to a tailgate market is more than just a grocery outing. They are a place to greet friends, to taste food, to eat and even to listen to music. You don't have to buy anything to enjoy yourself.

This trio had set up under an awning in the middle of the parking lot and were playing just for the pleasure of it. A little farther down, a man was making amazing balloon animals which he was handing out to the children.

Everywhere you look someone is offering a sample of their wares.

Dogs and children abound.

This is Asheville!

This Past Saturday in Asheville, North Carolina

2010-05-25T11:46:00.003-04:00

It is almost Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional beginning of summer and it is clear that Asheville really goes to the streets with a vengeance! This past weekend saw multiple tailgate markets, the opening of "Asheville After Dark" (bands playing outside on Friday nights) and, just across the street from the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, we had our own Montford Street Festival.

There are two things at the heart of this town: food and music. The Montford Street Festival had plenty of both. James, Emily and I strolled down to the bandstand at the end of the street to enjoy a welcome lunch break in the comfortable chairs listening to everything from bluegrass to contemporary music.

One unexpected sight: Morris Dancers! For those of you who don't know, Morris Dancers are traditional dancers from Cornwall in England. In the mountains of Western North Carolina, descendants of the early settlers keep the tradition strong. When we lived in England we often saw them performing at festivals on the greens of small British towns but never imagined we would find them here!

Here they are performing a "Garland Dance".

You may wonder why I included this rather blurry picture. His legs are blurry because they are moving so fast. He is tap-dancing to the guitar by way of providing percussion to the music. It was really rather amazing and he got a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd.

And of course, if it's in Asheville it must include food! Sue Chef (how could you not love that name) made some of the best seafood crepes I have ever eaten. They were lighter than air and the filling was so good. I think James and Emily tried the spring rolls while I went back to the house to check in a guest.

And you have to have some fried green tomatoes in the summer. These were served with a Cajun fish gumbo that packed some real heat but managed to be flavorful too.

What do you think? 4000 calories per funnel cake? Don't even ask--just enjoy it!

And in true small town tradition, the children decorated their bikes and played with balloons while their parents mingled, danced and ate.

This little street festival is only the beginning of a busy fun-filled summer!

Climbing Chimney Rock

2010-05-19T13:18:00.004-04:00

It was another lovely day Sunday, and two of our daughters were visiting us, so after the guests left and our chores were finished we took off for a hike up to Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock State Park is about a 30 minute drive from the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, up and down a curving mountain road which passes mountain streams and small towns. In the Fall this area is full of people who come to see the leaves and drink freshly pressed apple cider but today it was left pretty much to the locals and a few people passing through.

Most people drive to the top parking lot and then take an elevator to reach the Skyway and climb a few short steps to the top of Chimney Rock.
But we chose to take the Four Seasons and then the Outcroppings Trail and climb more than four hundred stairs to get to the viewpoint. Here are Sarah and Abby at the start of our climb, looking happy and rested.

At the end of the Four Seasons Trail there is a map showing you how far you have come (and how far you have to go!). If you want to, at this point you can take another trail to Hickory Nut Falls. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time for that trail so will have to return. But the falls are supposed to be spectacular, one of the highest in North America.

A welcome stopping point is the Moonshiners' Cave. I don't whether it is true or not that moonshine was once hidden inside this cavern but it is a lovely, deep, dark and cool place for a rest!

After that brief stop, it was back to the stairs!

Here I am with Sarah and Abby at one of the viewpoints on the trail. From the top of Chimney Rock you can see more than 75 miles on a clear day.

After about 20 minutes climbing we came out of the forest to a point where we could see the rock. Chimney Rock is a monolith almost 315 feet high.

We are still climbing stairs but we are almost there. You can see the flag above James' head.

Even though it is at an altitude of 2,280 feet, Chimney Rock is not the highest point in the park. If you really want to make sure your legs hurt the next day, you can continue on up the Skyway to Exclamation Point. I took this picture of Chimney Rock from about halfway up the Skyway. You used to be able to walk along the cliffs at the top but that walk had to be closed a number of years back. We met a Ranger who was watching a peregrine falcon nesting up there. Apparently the falcons had pretty much moved away when the Cliff Walk was open but now that it has been closed they have started to return and this year they are nesting there for the first time in three years.
Here is James at the very top. Well not the very top since I clearly took the picture from above, but close!

"Thirsty Thursday" with The Asheville Tourists

2010-05-05T10:16:00.005-04:00

It was Thursday in Asheville, the sun was warm and a gentle breeze was blowing. The perfect evening for a baseball game!
And it just so happens that Thursdays are a bit of special tradition at McCormack Field, home of the Asheville Tourists. So James and I left the Carolina Bed & Breakfast and headed off to the stadium to see what it is all about.

The playing field is a short ten minute drive from our house and tickets can be bought online or at the gate. $10 will buy you front row seats on the first base line--a value that is hard to beat. If you remember the film "Bull Durham", you may recognize the stadium as the movie was filmed here.

Those of you who know us, know that my family loves baseball, and this experience was everything that baseball should be. The stadium was full with fans of all ages, from the very old right down to some of the cutest little children I have ever seen (more about them later). The beer was $1 a glass (hence "Thirsty Thursday") and they served Hickory Nut Gap Farm Bratwurst as well as some really wonderful BBQ.

The sun was going down over the outfield as the players took to the field for the Star Spangled Banner, each one accompanied by a small boy whose eyes were glowing with the pleasure of being on the field. Does it get any better?

The Asheville Tourists are a Single A Farm team affiliated with the Colorado Rockies. On this evening they were playing the Delmarva Shorebirds, farm team for the Orioles. And they really played baseball! Diving catches, 99 MPH fastballs, double plays, and long hard drives to center field. This game had it all as each player tried to shine. Of course sometimes that eagerness overtook good judgment as an otherwise talented and spunky second baseman waved off the center-fielder on a long high fly ball...and then dropped the ball.

I have to admit I have renewed respect for the home-run kings of Major League Ball. It's 373 feet to the farthest wall. The players on both team hit some good long hard balls but nothing looked like it was even close to going over the wall.

But what made this evening really special was more than just good baseball. The atmosphere was one of small-town good humor and fun. Between every inning some form of entertainment or game was provided by the mascot and the crowd. One of my favorite moments was when the mascot (Tedd E. Bear) raced a small eight year old boy around the bases. This little boy was serious. He ran as if his life was on the line, legs and arms pumping and head down. While the crowd knew there was no chance the mascot was going to let the boy lose, the child had his doubts and booked it from home to first and around the bases, earning a solid cheer when he came (first of course!).
Girls threw baseballs (some badly, some not so badly), men took part in wing-eating contests and if you couldn't snag one of the free tee-shirts being thrown to the crowd then something was seriously wrong with where you were looking!

At the end of the evening, a happy and tired crowd made their way home. The Tourists pulled it out in a 2-1 victory in the 8th.

If you planned to be in Asheville this summer, an evening at the baseball field would be a good way to see different part of Asheville and enjoy some true Americana. James and I, at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, would be happy to arrange tickets for you, just give us a call or send us an email when you book your room.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Asheville NC (Part two)

2010-04-29T11:55:00.005-04:00

This is the view from Dumont's front door looking out over the farm, to the mountains in the distance. The stagecoach would come through the gap in the mountains and down to the inn where guests would spend the night or eat a meal while the horses were rested. Animals were moved over the mountains in large herds by drovers who would also stop here to feed the livestock.

You can tell from the assortment of chimneys, the farmhouse has been significantly added to over time. The stone chimney in front is one of the older parts of the house. It is still used as a staging area to clean and package eggs before they go to the store.

This basket of eggs was sitting outside the door waiting to be cleaned. Proof that while the farm has been modernized, much is still done as it has been for 100 years. If you have never had really fresh eggs, you will have to stop by the Carolina Bed & Breakfast and try some. It's a completely different experience from the eggs we get at the supermarket.

I couldn't resit taking a picture of this porch on one one of the small worker's cottages on the property. The rocking chairs, rubber boots (red with white birds!) and jugs on the stone steps were so evocative of North Carolina, its history and the way the past is made comfortable with the present.

One of the in-laws added this unique swing to the property. We had never seen anything like it and Sarah and Janey were quick to try it out. You push the bottom bar with your feet while pulling back on the top bar and before you know it you are swinging out over the hill below.

I probably won't get the history exactly right but I believe it was Dumont's Grandmother (although it could have been his Great Grandmother) who painted these murals of the old stagecoach coming to the inn on the walls in the dining room. She was a fascinating woman who had studied art in France during the time of the impressionists and her art is found throughout the old farmhouse.

This is just small taste of the many things we saw and did out at Hickory Nut Gap Farm. While the whole farm is not open to the public, you can visit the store and horseback riding can be arranged. It is worth it just for the drive out through the mountains to see this beautiful and historic location.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Asheville NC (Part one)

2010-04-29T11:20:00.004-04:00

Recently we were fortunate enough to be invited out to Hickory Nut Gap Farm just outside of Asheville. The farm is a fifth generation farm, owned and operated by the family of our friend Dumont. The original house was built in 1834 and was operated as Sherrill's Inn, a stopover for the stage coach and drovers coming through the gap. Dumont has a home overlooking the farm and he was kind enough to take us on a hike up to the original farmhouse (still lived in by his sister and her family). Here we are setting off across the stream.

The farm is well-known through the area for its excellent meat and farm products. I can vouch for the fact that the animals are free-range: Dumont was shooing the cows off his front yard when we arrived. The pigs were some of the happiest I have ever seen!
You can buy produce from the farm at the store on site or at the North Asheville Tailgate Market as well as the Asheville City Market. President and Mrs. Obama were served Hickory Nut Gap Farm bacon at the Grove Park Inn just last weekend. We hope to be serving it at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast too!

Sarah wanted to catch a chicken but found it was harder than she thought.

So Dumont showed her how. It doesn't hurt the chicken although its feathers were ruffled.

Some of the products for sale in the farm store.

Return to Asheville

2010-04-21T15:44:00.005-04:00

My daughter, Sarah, first visited Asheville about seven years ago with her boyfriend. They had a marvelous time here and were one of the reasons we came back for another look and settled on this town and the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. While they were here he bought her a necklace made of goldstone and silver which she loved and wore almost every day. But things changed over time and they went their separate ways. Sarah found herself unable to wear the necklace because of the sad memories it gave her and ultimately left it on the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in an attempt to put the past behind her. But she never forgot the design of the necklace and missed it, if not the boyfriend. Recently she came to visit us in Asheville and at lunch time we found ourselves at Carmel's Restaurant in the Grove Arcade. On the sidewalk outside the cafe there are a series of booths which artists and craftsmen use to sell their wares.

Sarah was so excited to find David Achenbaugh of BlueRidgeGems was still there selling his jewelry. While he didn't have the exact necklace, she was able to find a goldstone in a setting which she likes and feels complete once more!Here she is looking happy and showing off the necklace which she put on right away. And David was amazed to find out that his necklace had traveled all the way up the mountain in Tanzania to its final resting point.

We celebrated with this outstanding brie and sundried tomato pizza. It's kind of an Asheville story!

The New Kitchen, At Last!

2010-04-07T14:02:00.004-04:00

I kept putting off posting these pictures, waiting for "one more thing" to be finished but then I realized it could be next year sometime before everything was perfect so here it is, The Carolina Bed & Breakfast "Almost Finished".

This is the new refrigerator. We have to have a commercial fridge and they are generally pretty noisy so we built an enclosure for it which helps keep the roar down, with the advantage that we can now have a conversation in the kitchen without having to yell. I actually like the glass doors, it means I can find what I am looking for before I open the door and makes checking for a grocery list much easier.
Yup, two dishwashers! Such a luxury, except I have to train myself to remember that I have a second one!
And here is my beautiful stove/oven. The metal plate in the center of the stove-top lifts out and there is a griddle plate under it. And the hood (courtesy of James--King of Hoods!) is quiet and very powerful. I swear it could lift a piece of paper off the stove-top! Cooking on this is a breeze and I am already having fun experimenting with new recipes as well as refreshing some old ones.
On the other side of the kitchen is the office which now opens through to the kitchen, making one room. In this picture you can just see the refrigerator off to the right. The brick column on the left is the back of the stove. Of course this now means I have to keep my desk a little tidy.
And this is the door through to the guest pantry. We will be finishing the door to match the heart pine floors but want to get a little more of the paint off it before we do. The door is original to the house and it had four layers of latex paint and three of oil-based paint on top of the original finish. Just a bit more sanding to go until we are ready to finish it.

So there you have it. The project came in almost on time, just a little over a week late. We still have to finish the fireplace in the office but that is more my fault than the contractor's. I didn't make the decisions on the mantel and hearth until late in the game and we have to wait for them to be ready.

It's all finished in the nick of time as Asheville is coming to life after a very rough winter. I read that the ski slopes still had snow and were still open this weekend, a new record for them! Apparently at one point they had a base of 125"! But Spring is here at last: The Biltmore has opened the "Festival of Flowers", the Asheville Tourists have their opening game this weekend and the weather is beautiful. Come on by and see us!

Renovations at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast: The Main House

2010-04-07T10:29:00.003-04:00

Some of these pictures you will have seen before but here they are in a finished version. The Dining Room curtains and shutters are in (courtesy of Lifestyle Interiors), so no more sun in the face for our morning diners! I am very pleased with the valances, the yellow is so bright and pretty and the windows are large enough that they can handle the double treatment of valance and shutter. Hidden up under the valance is a smoky blue shade which can be drawn down if needed.

You have already seen this picture elsewhere but just to remind you, the parlors are being redone as well. The couches have been taken away to be recovered and James is on his way from New York right now with an elegant gray oriental carpet to go with them. It was actually one of the first carpets we bought when we lived in Hong Kong and is still one of my favorites. Sheers have also been ordered for this room to give us some privacy without sacrificing the view.
And here is the Goldfinch Room. No longer so "gold", the walls have been repainted a daffodil yellow and accents of forest green have been added. The other day I walked by and did a double-take. It's a lovely, large gracious room and now worthy of its fabulous bathroom (two person jacuzzi, walk-in shower!)
At the same time, we removed the large gas stoves which had been placed on the hearth in front of the fireplace in four of the rooms and went back to the original fireplace. You can now see the flames flickering as the room glows in the firelight and the extra space is a big bonus. Many thanks go to Cedric Porter at The Firehouse Casual Living Store for his help and patience as we figured out a way to "make it work" (old houses have their challenges).
This project will never actually be finished but James and I are really proud of how the house looks and feels now. We are happy to show our guests around and feel that the Carolina Bed & Breakfast is achieving the atmosphere of elegance and comfort that we hope our guests will appreciate.

I will be posting pictures of the office and kitchen later today (I hope). But for now, it's on to the garden!

The Secret Garden at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast

2010-03-21T12:44:00.007-04:00

April 3-May 16, 2010 are the dates for the Biltmore Estate "Festival of Flowers" this year here in Asheville, North Carolina. I have no doubt that the gardens will be beautiful and I urge you to come and see them. Meanwhile at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast we are experiencing our own festival of flowers. Built in 1901, the property has seen multiple owners over the years, each of whom has put his imprint on the grounds as well. The garden shows simultaneous signs of love and neglect. Wonderful plants and flowers are scattered throughout the woods around the house and hidden behind other plants. Having just bought the inn this past fall this is a springtime of discovery for James and me, Every day we walk our acre of land and find new treasures. Our years living in England gave us a some knowledge about gardening but there is much we don't know and we are working hard to figure out what we want to do but first, we need to find out what we have!

One thing we do seem to have is a lot of Spring bulbs. I can see daffodils in the woods, peeping up under leaves and behind trees as well as crocuses lining the driveway and sidewalk. This Fall I planted over 200 bulbs, many of which the squirrels dug up, but clearly I am not the only person to have done this in this garden!

When we bought the inn there was an herb garden next to the kitchen. It was not well placed, being in a shady spot and I knew that I would be replanting it elsewhere so I was not unduly upset by workmen stepping on the existing plants as they moved in and out of the kitchen. But I have to admit that I was surprised and pleased to see parsley sticking its green head up in defiance of this maltreatment.
By the front steps a Camellia plant blooms, in spite of leaves burned by the harsh weather. It is as if this plant couldn't wait to thumb its nose at the snow and ice of this winter
And behind a wall of ivy on the side of the house, we found three small roses bushes, valiantly trying to find the sun.
In another corner is a plant which Sara thinks is a hollyhock. Now I wouldn't know a hollyhock from a ham hock so I am going to watch this plant with interest!

It is an endless round of discovery. James and I hope that you will come to our bed and breakfast, look at the garden with us, and add your knowledge to ours.

Blue Mountain Stained Glass at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast

2010-03-09T14:59:00.005-05:00

The renovations are moving along quickly at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast and we have reached that wonderful part where, instead of taking things out, we are starting to put things in. This morning I made a visit to the workshop of Blue Mountain Stained Glass, where Pam McCorkhill, the owner/artist, is working on a stained glass design to go on the swinging door between our kitchen and the guest pantry. She wanted me to give my okay to the design she has created. It is definitely okay with me!

Here she is in her workroom with our window. And below is a close-up of the details. The original door has been removed from the frame and the paint is being stripped off, taking it back to the lovely golden heart pine of the original finish. This window will be inserted where the upper panels were. While the yellow of the glass doesn't show its true colors in this shot, I know it will look beautiful against the wood finish.

Meanwhile, Christopher Randall of Randall Carpentry spent Monday installing the cabinets which he made for us in his workshop. One thing Asheville has a lot of is artisans, and I love the detailing of the work he did for us. The sage green of the cabinets will be lightened by the granite countertops which are gray and white with flecks of blue throughout them.
And, yes, the island is just as big as it looks. Those of you who have seen my other house, know how much I love to have lots of space to work on, often making cookies,breads and salad all at the same time! Looking at this, I can't wait to get back in the kitchen and start cooking!

A Wintry Drive Through Pisgah National Forest

2010-03-01T12:27:00.002-05:00

James and I thought that we would like to take a drive up into the mountains this weekend to see what this winter's storms had done. The Blue Ridge Parkway was still closed because of ice and snow on the road so we drove over to Hendersonville then up Route 64 to Route 276 which goes up and over Mt. Pisgah through the forest. We had lunch in Hendersonville at the Carolina Diner before setting out. The Carolina Diner was built in the 1940's and started its life as a drive-in. It's been through a number of renovations since then but the current owners are still part of the original family and it has stayed true to the tradition of diners everywhere: the food is cooked on the premises, it's fresh and delicious! So with a lunch of Fried Chicken and biscuits in our stomachs we set out for the mountain.

Upon entering the forest the first thing we noticed was that the streams were full and running fast. As we started up the mountain we came upon the "Looking Glass Fall". You can't see it in this picture of James at the fall, but the surrounding area was coated in ice from the mist that the fall throws off. It was eerily beautiful in the cold sunlight.
As we drove higher, we started to see more and more of the trees broken off at the top. As James commented, it almost looked like a war zone. In some cases some very large trees and branches had split giving testament to the heavy snowfalls of this winter. At the very top of the mountain we came across a phenomena that we had never seen before: The clouds passing over the tops of the mountain had painted the trees with a layer of heavy white frost, giving them the look of just having been snowed on. From here we could look down over the valleys below and see all the way to Tennessee!
As we started our descent down the other side, we stopped to take a picture of one of the many ice falls coming out of the rock walls lining the roadside. Getting lower, we noticed the burgeoning green of the rhododendrons and laurels which will flower later in the Spring and we made a special note to return to try one of the many hikes in the forest.

Our drive ended at the pleasant town of Waynesville. Waynesville is a short 20 minute drive from Asheville and i's galleries, restaurants and shops making it worth a visit. Then it was back to the Carolina Bed & Breakfast for us, where we can dream of spring even while reading the reports of more snow on the way!

The Living Rooms are Transformed

2010-02-22T08:53:00.006-05:00

After Valentine's Day Weekend, work started in earnest on the kitchen at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. Our contractor, Caine, called it "the kitchen demo"; not, as it sounds, a demonstration but a demolition! The walls would come down at last. Since we were going to have to close anyway and since the mess would cover the house and everything would have to be thoroughly cleaned afterward, we decided to go ahead and start the redecoration of the living room at the same time. The crown molding needed replacing, and repair was needed on the window frames and what was a little more dust in the grand scheme of things? I am so glad we decided to go ahead.

The original walls were a dark mustard yellow and we thought the room needed brightening. I knew what color I wanted but finding the exact shade and tone took some experimenting. We tried about six different blues in patches on the walls, and finally it took a leap of faith that the size of the room and the light it gets would transform the blue from something dark to the jewel tone I was going for. It would seem that I learned something from all the different homes and countries I have lived in.

We are still waiting on the curtains, and the couches (not shown) in one of the living rooms will have to be recovered, but I was so happy with the outcome, I couldn't wait to show you!

Spring is fast approaching in Asheville, NC. I found some snowdrops blooming in our garden yesterday and it seems like such a happy way to begin the new season, with a bright and fresh new room.

A Special Valentines Day At the Carolina Bed & Breakfast

2010-02-16T08:28:00.003-05:00

It was a wonderful holiday weekend here in Asheville, with surprises around every corner and it started with an unexpected Friday night snowstorm. Just enough more than the predicted half inch to make sure the entire city was once again painted in white. My daughter, Emily, and her boyfriend, Dan flew in from Chicago to spend the holiday with us and they were amazed. After commenting that it looked more like they were in Minnesota than Asheville, North Carolina, they made plans to try out one of our local ski slopes. They choose Wolf Ridge, which is just thirty minutes from Asheville and in spite of being seasoned Northerners, they had a great time and were impressed by the amount of snow and the facilities.

Meanwhile back at the inn, Sara and I were putting the finishing touches on our Valentine's celebrations. We put roses in each of the rooms, along with hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries. There were special lemon shortbread cookies with raspberry filling to put out in the evening and our breakfast included an explosion of fresh fruit over bread pudding and started with a Mimosa toast to the day. But the most exciting part of our holiday came in the evening when two of our guests returned from a visit to the Biltmore with the announcement that they were engaged! Our congratulations are sincere and heartfelt and we were so happy that the Carolina Bed & Breakfast was able to be a part of this momentous weekend.

Valentine's Day!

2010-02-07T10:00:00.003-05:00

It's not too late to book for Valentine's Day. The Carolina Bed & Breakfast is gearing up to make this one as special as possible: Sara and I have been working on the breakfast menu for weeks with plans for a breakfast that is fanciful as well as delicious, with special treats in the evening and at bedtime. We are ready to help you book a restaurant if you like. We can provide a special romance package for you and our Spa Coordinator would love to arrange a massage or spa treatment to make your Valentine's Day special.

Our guests say that the Carolina is "cozy" so the February weather will only add to the mood of romance as you snuggle in front of your fireplace or enjoy a whirlpool bath for two. If you are feeling adventurous, the mountains are full of snow and the ski slopes are ready for you.

Roses in your room and chocolates await you when you join us for your Valentine's Day Weekend!

It's not too late! Book now by calling our toll-free number, 888-254-3608 or on our website at www.carolinabb.com

New Breakfast Dishes at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast

2010-01-28T12:19:00.001-05:00

I have often thought that January is the Monday of the year. After the long holiday weekend of November and December, one has to get back into the swing of working while slogging through the winter weather. Well, yesterday Sara (our assistant innkeeper) and I decided to lighten up our month by experimenting with a few new recipes for breakfast.

We had been discussing how difficult it is to offer a "three course" gourmet breakfast without overwhelming our guests with food when I remembered a dish I had tried in Chicago: Frushi, or Fruit Sushi. For those of you familiar with Thai cuisine, it's a type of coconut sticky rice topped with fresh fruit and presented in sushi form.

We tried two variations, one in a roll form and one in a traditional oval. It's really lovely, very fresh with a strong taste of fruit sweetened by the rice. We will be trying it out on our guests in the next few weeks and I think it will be a hit.

Then we moved on to a more traditional offering: Fruit Medley Bread Pudding. Bread pudding is usually served as a dessert, topped with custard. It has all of the ingredients used in french toast so we were didn't see why it couldn't work as a breakfast dish. We added a lot of fresh berries to the mix: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and some peaches and then topped it with some more before serving it. The recipe called for a lemon sauce which was nice but a little too sweet and sugary for breakfast. ( I know that seems odd when one considers that maple syrup is integral part of french toast, but to my way of thinking real maple syrup is a relatively light tasting sweetener.) Anyway, we are going to experiment with some other sauces, perhaps something yogurt-based.

I think this is one of my favorite parts about owning the Carolina Bed & Breakfast: I love to cook and experiment with new dishes and now I have people to cook for!

Renovating the Carolina Bed & Breakfast: The Dining Room

2010-01-24T17:31:00.006-05:00

The Dining Room before painting

The Dining Room with its new color!

Many years ago (about 25 to be exact) James and I moved out of a small semi-furnished apartment in Paris and arrived in Hong Kong with a tired old couch and a few pictures to our name and not much else in the way of furnishing. James had taken over the lease on a beautiful spacious apartment on the Peak overlooking the harbor, and I remember standing in the empty living room, looking into the empty dining room, before walking into the empty master bedroom next to the empty guest room which was next to the empty room for Sarah, and thinking: "Help!" I never forgotten what the interior decorator we hired told me when I confessed how overwhelmed I was. She told me that the most difficult thing to do was to get started, but that once we had even one piece to work with it would all come together.

I have to admit, I had been feeling a little bit that way about the Carolina. It's such a lovely house, I am excited to make it even better than it is. As a part of the kitchen renovation we will be redoing the guests' pantry which is just off t dining room. The pantry is so close to the dining room that it is almost an alcove to it and I thought they should be coordinated. So I took a deep breath and dived into the project. It wasn't much, just repairing and repainting the ceiling, a new color for the walls and new shutters and shades, but the result is so wonderful that it has inspired me to move on into the living room.

One of the words our guests repeatedly use when reviewing the inn is "cozy" and I am trying to keep that in the forefront as I look for ideas. Although the house was built in 1901, she is in the Arts and Crafts style rather than the Victorian. It's a cleaner look, more suited to the mountains, less fussy and cluttered than the Victorian style. This makes the Carolina Bed & Breakfast stand out from its peers here in Asheville and I am hoping to keep the distinction clear. I think we have achieved this in the dining room, now watch this space for the parlors!