us in Asheville

It was time for a vacation, the family voted. Jude's suggestion was Georgia, New York, Wisconsin and Alaska. Violet's vote was for raspberry fields, strawberry fields, and apple fields in California.

After weighing the options, we settled on Asheville, NC, it being the more practical idea than the crazy people suggestions we got from Jude and Violet. We loaded up the Prius and took off.

This ended up being the foodie-est trip we've taken in awhile, Asheville has endless, amazing local places to eat. I drank this 'what now?' glass of port beer, espresso, real milk chocolate, and ice cream called a mudwrestler at the french broad chocolate lounge. The flavors and textures were like a really intense married couple, fighting and passionately kissing one right after the other.

We stayed with family, Casey's sister Abby and her husband Nate, and this howler monkey that lives with them, Zeke.

We hiked, we mountain biked, we checked out the Biltmore, we tasted wine, we danced to mountain bands, picked strawberries (violet got part of her wish), hung out with my once 2nd shooter/sister-from-another-mother Lex, watched 'river monsters' with Nate, and I got to take pictures, get this, for myself.

 My favorite pic of Jude so far:

 

Jude insisted on challenging her to a staring contest