On Up the Road a Piece

Gordon's birthday was the next day and he wanted to spend it in the city of his birth and eat Chik-fil-A.  So up the road a piece, we spent the afternoon and evening in Roanoke, Virginia, Star City of the South.  We drove downtown to see his grandmother's house (still standing after all these years) and stopped at the local hot spot for dining:

Yes, it's the Texas Tavern.  Chili and buttermilk.  Or a hamburger for a buck-fifty.  Ten stools at the counter.  And according to the sign, yes, ladies like to eat here.

After Roanoke, we headed to to DC to see the kids.  We went to an Irish Pub to have brunch, drink Guinness, and watch Arsenal play football.  Then, we took a little nature hike at Roosevelt Island.

We tried to get the herd of deer to pose for us, but they were having none of it.  Anyway, everyone was well in DC and after a great visit that included the grandchildren and our cousins Amy and John, we headed back home, but not until walking through a boisterous wedding reception at the hotel where someone was butchering what was left of what appeared to be a goat.   In the foyer.  So glad we missed the ceremony.

After Racing Road Trip

We left VIR and headed down the very rainy road to Asheville, North Carolina to see the Biltmore Mansion.  The countryside in that area is, supposedly, gorgeous.  We were mostly treated to rain and fog.  Oh, well.

The size of the Vanderbilt's palace and grounds is beyond belief.  George Vanderbilt officially opened the Biltmore House on Christmas Eve, 1895, after six years of construction.

The family lived there until it was opened to the public in 1930.  The property has gardens and trails, two hotels, a farm and a winery.  The gardens are something to see:

We took a long walk through the gardens and open spaces, following the creek to the bass pond.

On our way, we encountered this interesting tree.  It's an Upright Japanese Plum Yew.  What??

The Conservatory is a greenhouse that contains the most fabulous collection of plants you'll ever see!

And then, the house itself.  Now, that's what we call a HOUSE!  In addition to the family living quarters, the home includes a a library...

A tapestry gallery, a music room, a salon, a breakfast room, and a banquet hall with a 1916 full-size pipe organ.  In addition, 33 guest bedrooms housed visiting family and friends and this started to look more like a cruise than a house.  Guests could begin their day with breakfast in their rooms before enjoying a variety of indoor and outdoor amusements, including reading, letter writing, lawn tennis, croquet, hiking, hunting, and fishing.  Oh, and there's an indoor swimming pool and a bowling alley.  Here's the billiards room...

And up to 30 servants to care for every need.  The servants, by the way, were very well housed, each having private quarters that looked pretty good by early 1900's standards and were well fed in their own dining room.  If you need assistance, please ring the maid's room or the butler's pantry:

OK, we were impressed.  We'd recommend visiting the Biltmore if you get a chance.  It's amazing.  If we get the chance to go back, we think we'd stay over at one of the hotels on the property so we could get out onto the many hiking trails that cover the estate.  And, there are plenty of Chik-fil-A's in the Asheville area.

IMSA Racing Time!

This year we really did it up, endurance racing-wise.  After Le Mans, next race stop was Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  We've posted plenty of pictures from previous races at this track, we know, but here's this year's sampling:

OK, if you can name all these guys, you are an official race nerd...the drivers, not the kids!  Yes, of course we can name them.

Green flag and headed for the Cheese Bridge!

And finally, Pati met her hero and got a picture:

The following month, we were off to Virginia International Raceway near Danville, Virginia.  Well, actually, it's not "near" much of anywhere.  We stayed in Martinsville, an hour's drive from the track but very near the Chik-fil-A.  VIR is a beautiful track and the turnout of fans was tremendous.  Like Road America, you bring your chair, park yourself, and watch the people and cars.

These VIR images were some of the first taken with Gordon's brand new Leica camera, by the way.  We did witness one spectacular crash.  Four fools overturned a golf cart on the side of a nearby hill.  Certainly no adult beverages could have played into the situation.