The Grove Park Inn (Asheville, NC)

The Grove Park Inn lobby has a very large fire place. I don't think you can really see the scale from this photo, but let's just say I could stand inside that fireplace.























But the best part about the inn is the elevator that is behind the fireplace. In the rock. It has an actual operator as well (look closely through the window and you'll see him). I got a kick out of riding it and especially loved overhearing someone else on the elevator with me say it reminded him of Harry Potter.

The Biltmore (Asheville, NC)

A self-portrait outside the Biltmore in Asheville, NC.





















This is one big house. It has 250 rooms and covers four acres. There are 33 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, and three kitchens. I am so amazed that this was built in 1895 - they even had an indoor swimming pool and a bowling alley. The bowling alley obviously didn't have automatic ball returns or pin setters so butlers had to fill that role.

Unfortunately, they don't let you take photos inside. But they will sell you a $20 photo book. Go figure. And of course, I bought it. So if anyone wants to borrow it.....























I liked the gargoyle detail on the roofs.



























The view of the lawns from the front of the house. The grounds originally had 125,000 acres of forests, farms, and a dairy. It also had a 250 acre wooded park, five different pleasure gardens, and 30 miles of roadways.


















I loved the way they have trimmed these plants.

Covered Bridge in South Carolina

While in Asheville, North Carolina we decided to drive over to South Carolina for dinner. We didn't come across much just over the border,but we did find this really cool historic covered bridge.




















A view from the parking lot, a little further away.




















The story of the bridge.



















And for those that are engineering buffs, a diagram of how the bridge was made.

I ate at Sarasota's Restaurant in South Ogden last weekend (and it was yummy, by the way) and look what I received as part of my change:

















I can't remember the last time I saw a $2 bill in circulation! But now I don't want to spend it.........I guess that's why we don't see them circulating!

Dinner with the Liesik Cousins

So glad we got to have dinner with our Liesik cousins! We don't get to see them often enough, that's for sure.

Valentine's Day

I've been wanting one of this Keurig coffee makers for a long time but I couldn't ever bring myself to spend that much money on one when I already had a perfectly good coffee maker. So glad someone finally did it for me!

On a related note, does anyone want a gently used Senseo one-cup brewer?

High West Distillery

I'd heard about the High West Distillery in Park City quite a few months ago and had been wanting to visit for awhile. Colette and Shawn had a meeting in Salt Lake City on a Saturday morning so I suggested we all go to Park City afterward to check out the distillery. I rode the FrontRunner to SLC and met them there after their meeting. While I was on the FrontRunner, my parents called and asked if I wanted to go with them to Park City. I thought that was hilarious because I was already on my way; we told them to meet us there.

First, we had lunch in the restaurant that is in an old livery stable. They told us that when they first purchased the property, the floors in there were still dirt. I love it when someone takes an old building and turns it into something useful and beautiful. The food was amazing and delicious.

Colette, Shawn, and I all had the High West Burger and it was delicious. I particularly loved the presentation with the crooked bun and the two pickles on top. It came with house-made bread and butter pickles and heirloom tomato slices. All of their products are sourced locally, which I also love!

















My dad had the salmon, which was on the "small plates" menu and came with a super tasty sauce. We had a couple of appetizers, so even though it was a small plate, it was plenty of food.

















My mom had the ribs off of the small plate menu.

















After we finished eating, we took a tour of the buildings and the distillery. This formula was written on the wall in the work area, but the tour guide told us it's more for looks than for actual use. The tour is free (if you want, you can sample their whiskey for $22; but that is optional and is done after the tour).

















We were told that the people who make the whiskey there are actual chemists, and here is one of them working on some sort of sample. This is real science at work, peeps!

















And a bunch of other samples were lined up on the shelf.

















The tour ended in the second building. It used to be someone's home (and quite a spectacular mansion for it's time, it had three floors!) They have done a beautiful job of restoring the house. The main floor has the bar we are sitting at (left to right that's my mom, Shar; me; my dad, Dale; my sister, Colette; and my brother-in-law, Shawn).

















And this parlor:


















The upstairs originally had four bedrooms but they had turned those into small dining rooms where people can have dinner (reservations are a must, though). I didn't go to the basement so I'm not sure what was there.

And because it's winter in Park City, they have created a bar outside made of ice. I'm not sure if they actually serve from it or if it was just for looks. I do know; however, we weren't the only people posing for photos behind it!

















Even though this is a distillery and I'm not a fan of whiskey, it was still a fun experience. The restorations to the buildings were top notch, the food was ridiculously good, and the tour of the distillery was educational. I love finding unique things so close to home. Plus, I had fun spending a Saturday with family. Check it out, I highly recommend it!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando (1/15/11)

Now I've never seen any of the Harry Potter movies, nor have read any of the books; but I figured I should check out the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando because so many people have been talking and raving about it.



















This is some sort of castle that must be central to the Harry Potter story. Inside was a ride that made it seem like you were flying around on a broomstick with Harry. It made both me and Chris motion sick and the wait was 75 minutes long. They asked if we wanted to skip the line and ride it again and we politely declined.

























Close up of the castle.
























Apparently there is some sort of train that goes to the castle.



















This must be the train.

















I think 99% of the people visiting Universal Studios were in the Harry Potter section. It was so crowded, you could hardly move. Elsewhere in the park, there was hardly anyone around.


















I learned about butterbeer about a week before I went to Florida. Someone at work asked me if I was going to try some while I was there. I wasn't sure if it was going to be alcoholic like beer or non-alchoholic like root beer. Turns out it's non-alchoholic. It's a secret recipe that's made right there at Universal Studios and you can't buy it anywhere else. I think the main ingredients are cream soda and butterscotch flavoring.

















Butterbeer is served on tap from a cart that looks like a giant keg. Those little bottles on ice with the orange lids are pumpkin juice, which must be part of the movie, too. I did not try the pumpkin juice. For one thing, it sounds gross and another thing was that it was $6.75.























You can purchase your butterbeer in a disposable plastic cup for about $3 or you can get it in a souvenir mug for $12.

















This is a close-up of the souvenir mugs. I purchased mine in a souvenir cup so I could take it home to my sister, who is a big Harry Potter fan.



















I took this picture with my phone and e-mailed it to my sister who was at home in Utah. You know, just to rub it in that I knew nothing about Harry Potter and I was there enjoying a butterbeer and she wasn't. I did give her the cup though.

Oh, and that butterbeer is so good that later in the day I got another one.

Cocoa Beach (1/9/11)

During a recent trip to Orlando we decided we needed to make a side trip to the beach. It was January, but that did not deter us. Winter in Florida is nothing like winter in Utah. The hotel concierge said the best beach for finding shells was Cocoa Beach, so off we went.

















We thought it was really weird that we were the only cars in the parking lot and the only people on the beach! It felt like a deserted island.

















Despite the fact that it was only around 60 degrees, I couldn't resist putting my feet in the water!

















And the concierge was right; look at these beautiful shells we found!


















And while looking for shells, we came across this find:

















I think it's a horseshoe crab.


















At first we weren't sure if it was alive or dead but finally one of my co-workers dared to gently poke it with a stick. It was dead so he also picked it up and turned it over. I did not touch it though; it kind of creeped me out.























While walking along the shoreline, I saw this sign in someone's front yard. I'm sure it was meant to be a joke......right?

New York City 11/2010

In November, we spent four days in New York City. It was a quick trip, and quite cold, but a lot of fun.

We saw our favorite Broadway show again - Rock of Ages. This time, Dee Snider from the 80's band Twisted Sister was playing the role of Dennis. He's only in the show for the month of November so we felt like that was a rare treat. After the show, he did a Q & A and we got this picture with him. I love how excited Chris is.

















We also saw Wicked on Broadway. This is a picture of the set before the show starts. Cameras are illegal at Broadway shows (during performances, anyway) so it's hard to get many photos.


















And here's a self-portrait of me waiting for the show to start. I tried to get Chris to take one of both of us but he was being difficult about it.


















We also ran into Adam Richman (from the Travel Channel's Man v. Food) doing a book signing at The Barnes and Noble in Tribeca. That was an unexpected little bonus. I love me some Man v. Food!



















We stayed downtown this time and our hotel overlooked The World Trade Center construction site. They work 24 hours a day so we could hear them all night long. They are making the two spaces where the original towers were into water features and those are some deep holes in the ground. It was interesting to watch the construction from 42 floors up.

San Francisco 11/2010

Shawn and I decided to make a spur-of-the-moment trip to San Francisco. Tyler's college soccer team was playing their last game of the season there and we decided we just couldn't bear to miss it. We booked a flight, hotel room, and a rental car around lunch time and left later that night around 8:00 p.m. I never do anything like that - I am such a planner!

Well, I thought we were just being so wild and crazy; but apparently, I was wrong. I ended up sitting next to a young man on the plane who was flying to Bali for a month to surf. He is a ski/snowboard bum who works at The Canyons and decided to just take a month off and surf before ski season. He didn't have any plans for hotels or anything. He said if he couldn't find a place to stay, he'd just camp on the beach. So much for thinking we were wild and crazy. This man officially burst my balloon.


















Some of the streets were so steep they actually made me feel nauseated to go up or down them.

Once, Shawn and I were walking up a hill to our car. When we finally got there and sat down in the car, I looked over at Shawn and realized he was breathing as hard as I was and that made us burst out in giggles. I'm not kidding, there are some steep roads.



















The sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39 were fun to watch.

















I loved how they just piled up on top of each other and sunned themselves.



















They were loud, too. Every so often, one of them would lift his head and start barking.

















We ate lunch at Alioto's on Fisherman's Wharf one day. They serve seafood caught that day by the boats that are lined up in the harbor. I love fresh seafood and it doesn't get much fresher than right off the boat. I had a crab sandwich and clam chowder while Shawn had a seafood variety plate.





















So, I am officially obsessed with the self-portrait feature on the new iPhone (as you'll see in my other posts). If you aren't familiar with it, you can take pictures from either side of the phone, so you can see yourself on the phone if you're taking a self-portrait. It took a lot of effort on my part to line us up just right, but here we are in the hotel room one night. Shawn and Tyler on the couch and me at the desk trying to take our picture. I provided plenty of good entertainment for the Albretsen boys on that one. And they were such good sports to play along.