Well we traded palm and pine trees for rhodendrons and sycamores; 95 degrees and 80% humidity for 75 degrees and 20% humidity.  All of that aside, Asheville, NC is hands down the prettiest place we've been so far. Set in the Blue Ridge Mtns, part of the Appalachians. We arrived yesterday early enough to take a tour around town; got lost even with GPS in the car and on my Iphone. Finally figured out we wanted south Bear Creek, not north. The founder of the town decided the streets should follow the natural curvature of the mountains rather than being set up on a grid. Very confusing.  So today we took a trolley tour and found out all about Asheville. Many noted individuals have spent time here. Among them O'Hara, Wm Jennings Bryan, F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, (Zelda was a patient in a psychiatric hospital being treated for schizophrenia when the building burned down and she perished), Tom Wolfe (he was raised here and wrote "Look Homeward Angels" based on his childhood here. The book was banned in the library and he was basically run out of town). George Vanderbilt built the largest house in the U.S. here, the Biltmore Estate...one of many. The estate was initially over 8000 acres, but many were sold to be maintained as a natural forest. The estate is still owned by the Vanderbilt family, but is open to the public for a small fortune. There are lots of picturesque waterfalls close by. We hiked to two of them in the afternoon. Beautiful trails through a heavily wooded state park. So far we've missed any dangerous weather. We've either been in front of it or behind it. Tomorrow we move to Lexington, KY and heavy rain is predicted. Just so there are no tornados!!

Not the Biltmore but a house built in the 20s by the psychiatrist who treated Zelda Fitzgerald. Many other houses of similar elegance are scattered through Asheville.

Hooker Falls

High Falls