This week’s Word on the Street question was:
What place have you traveled to that you will never forget? What makes the place so memorable to you?
Shelly Johnson:
Over the years, my husband Brian and I have been lucky enough to travel, by motorcycle, to many places. But our trips to Ashville, North Carolina have always been the most memorable. It’s just a short, 15 hour trip in 100-degree weather, over one thousand miles …one way! But the view once you get there is breathtaking. The Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Tail of the Dragon and the Biltmore Estate are always on the list! Here is just a taste of what we get to enjoy!! https://www.romanticasheville.com/drives.htm
Blue Ridge Parkway
Breathtaking views. Plenty of easy curves. No stoplights, no billboards, and no commercial vehicles. The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the best motorcycle drives in America. The 469-mile long National Park snakes along the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Due to the big changes in altitude while driving (sometimes ascending 3,000 ft. in less than an hour), be prepared for rapidly changing weather.
The Dragon (Tail of the Dragon)
About 90 miles from Asheville is The Dragon, a must for great motorcycle rides. Perhaps the most famous drive in the East, navigate 318 curves in 11 miles. It's also called the Tail of the Dragon. This stretch of US 129 near Fontana Dam borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and crosses the Tennessee state line.
Biltmore Estate in Asheville- https://www.romanticasheville.com/biltmore.html
1895 French Renaissance castle built by George W. Vanderbilt. Explore the 8,000-acre estate, including the 250-room Biltmore House, 75 acres of beautiful gardens, the nation's most visited winery, shopping, dining, four-star accommodations, hiking trails and more for a bucket list vacation to remember for a lifetime. The house is a staggering 175,000 square feet (four acres) with 33 bedrooms, 65 fireplaces, and 43 bathrooms. Almost 10 million pounds of limestone was used to build it. The entire estate originally covered 125,000 acres (now it's a modest 8,000 acres).
Next, I am trying to convince Brian to fly to Asheville and see the winter scenery! I guess we’ll wait and see…
Jill Knox:
No place too exciting but we like the beach…a lot! My husband and I honeymooned in Hawaii, then have vacationed with friends to Jamaica, Puerto Vallarta, and Cancun. While Hawaii was hands down the most beautiful, the others were our favorite vacations because it was time spent with great friends! I’ve been all over the U.S. so will leave it at that for now.