Yearly Archives: 2012
The Christmas Tree at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast
December 4, 2012
When James and I first moved to Hong Kong in 1985, Christmas trees were pretty much of a rarity in Asia. At that time, the American Women’s Association used to take orders for trees in August and have them shipped … Continue reading
Tailgating Party and Carolina Pulled Pork
November 14, 2012
This is a little bit off topic for the blog of a Bed & Breakfast in Asheville, NC but the experience was wonderful and the recipe too good not to share with you. And even though we probably won’t serve … Continue reading
October in Asheville: A Grab Bag of Activities
October 22, 2012
October is high season here at our bed and breakfast in Asheville, so James and I have to grab free time when we get it. Long hikes and days off are out of the question but we did manage to … Continue reading
Picnic at Max Patch
October 7, 2012
As I write this my computer monitor is framed by a dreary, cold, rainy view out the window behind it in our office at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, our Asheville, NC Bed & Breakfast. So it is a pleasant … Continue reading
Tami Noyes, Vegan Cookbook Author, comes to the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, and a recipe for Apple Dumplings!
October 1, 2012
I still remember the first Bed & Breakfast I ever stayed in. James and I had just arrived in London on a post-university backpacking trip around Europe. Hoarding money was essential as we could only stay until our funds ran … Continue reading
A Town Meeting in Asheville
September 18, 2012
I was going to entitle this something like “Small Town Politics and Asheville, North Carolina” but the phrase “small town” seemed to belittle the our town and that could not be farther from the truth. One of the wonderful things … Continue reading
Edwin Wiley Grove: The Other Vanderbilt
September 9, 2012
Visitors to our Bed and Breakfast in Asheville, NC will almost certainly spend a day at the Biltmore, George Vanderbilt’s grand homage to the French Chateau. While the Biltmore is justly famous and is in many ways responsible for the … Continue reading
Test Kitchen at our Asheville Bed and Breakfast
August 29, 2012
While the season in Asheville NC runs pretty much straight through from March until just after the New Year’s Holiday, there is usually a brief lull at the end of August and the beginning of September. It gives us a … Continue reading
Dupont Forest and the Waterfalls Near Asheville, North Carolina
August 7, 2012
Here’s the thing about waterfalls: people love them. So if a waterfall is at all worth seeing there will probably be a parking lot close-by and a great many people enjoying the view. And if you can actually swim at … Continue reading
Zucchini Tart: When the Summer Harvest REALLY Starts
July 29, 2012
I have to let you in on a secret: I may be the only person in the world who can’t grow zucchini. Other people may be faced with an unwanted glut of the green monster but in my garden, while … Continue reading
What to do with a Two-Day Pass to the Biltmore
July 22, 2012
When you travel to Western North Carolina you like many, if not most, of the guests who stay at our Bed and Breakfast in Asheville will probably spend at least one day at the Biltmore Estate viewing the majestic house … Continue reading
Tubing on the Davidson River in the Pisgah National Forest
July 16, 2012
It’s hard to believe that just a week ago we were all sweltering in 90 degree heat. It barely made it to 70 degrees here at our Asheville Bed and Breakfast yesterday and the rain made it feel like fall. … Continue reading
The Ten Best Places to Eat in Asheville, NC (Lunch)
July 7, 2012
The title of this post is a bit of a misnomer. I think it would be almost impossible to list the ten best places to eat in Asheville. There are so many different restaurants, with cuisine ranging from uber-sophisticated to … Continue reading
Summertime in Asheville, North Carolina
June 24, 2012
It’s summer here in Asheville. The sun rises at five and the birds start our day early. The cool of the morning soon gives way to noonday heat and through the open window I can hear the hum of a … Continue reading
Designing the Staircase for our Bed & Breakfast in Asheville, North Carolina
June 17, 2012
The addition is finally finished here at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast and the last thing to be completed is actually one of the first things we started working on: the staircase. After exploring every avenue in creating a private … Continue reading
Restaurant Crawl In the River Arts District
June 8, 2012
I had thought that my next posting would be all about the night skies and stars above Asheville as James and I were supposed to go on the Starwatch Tour Tuesday night. But the weather refused to cooperate and we … Continue reading
Beyond the Biltmore Estate: Ten of the Best Things to Do in Asheville, North Carolina
May 31, 2012
From time to time, guests will call us before their stay asking about things to do in Asheville and, after we get past the Biltmore (which really should be seen), I will often refer them to my blog so they … Continue reading
The Return of the Kitchen Garden!
May 25, 2012
One of the first things James and I did after we bought the Carolina Bed & Breakfast in Asheville, North Carolina, was to plant a kitchen garden. I believe that one of the greatest pleasures in life is the smell … Continue reading
Birdwatching at Our Asheville Bed and Breakfast
May 25, 2012
Never in a million years would I have thought I would write a blog about bird watching at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. But, like the garden centers in England which I was surprised to find myself happily visiting, sometimes … Continue reading
The Other Side of Innkeeping at our Asheville, North Carolina Bed and Breakfast
May 6, 2012
I think you have already figured out that being an innkeeper is not just about cooking breakfast and making beds. Although, that’s a very important part. As James and I like to say at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. “We … Continue reading
Designing a Staircase for the Carolina Bed & Breakfast
April 18, 2012
If you had told me a year ago that one of the most interesting parts about adding on to our Bed and Breakfast in Asheville would be our trips to lumber yards and iron foundries I would have thought you … Continue reading
Wine tasting in "Beer City"!
April 5, 2012
Pretty much everyone who comes to Asheville hears that Asheville has won the title of “Beer City USA” three times in a row. But what many people don’t realize is that Asheville has a thriving wine culture as well. We … Continue reading
Climbing Greybeard Mountain–Not for the Faint of Heart!
March 31, 2012
Our daughter Emily was in town this week and so of course we wanted to show off the beautiful mountains here in Western North Carolina and since the weather has been so beautiful, we thought it would be a good … Continue reading
Pebble Dash at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast
March 24, 2012
Arriving at our Asheville Bed and Breakfast, guests often ask us about the stucco finish of our bed and breakfast. The more commonly seen smooth surface of stucco is, in this case, studded with small pebbles, giving it an unusual … Continue reading
Scrounger’s Paradise in Asheville, NC
March 18, 2012
Serendipity is one of my favorite words. It means a “happy accident” and encapsulates the random discovery of something useful or good when not really looking for it. Last week, James and I went shopping for a mirror … Continue reading
An Innkeeper’s Conference
March 11, 2012
This past week, James and I drove down out of the Blue Ridge Mountains, away from our lovely Asheville Bed and Breakfast, to Williamsburg, VA for the Mid-Atlantic Innkeepers Conference. We had talked about attending one of the many … Continue reading
Beer City, USA: Asheville Brews Cruise!
March 3, 2012
Recently our 22 year old daughter, Abby, brought her boyfriend to Asheville for a visit. While she wanted us to spend some time together at our Asheville bed and breakfast, she also sincerely wanted Joe to see what a great … Continue reading
Brown Mountain: Ghost Towns and Unexplained Lights!
February 27, 2012
Yesterday James and drove out to Brown Mountain, having read about the area in Carolyn Sakowski’s book, Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads . This book was suggested to us by some guests two years ago. It was originally written … Continue reading
Visiting Blowing Rock, NC
February 20, 2012
One day last week, winter came to Western North Carolina. It snowed during the night and the next day icy winds kept the temperatures in the 20s. The sunlight and bright blue skies called for us to come out but … Continue reading
Valentine Treats from the the Carolina Bed & Breakfast
February 11, 2012
These little Valentine Pies are all over food blogs this February and as soon as I saw them I thought I had to make them at our Asheville, North Carolina Bed and Breakfast this year. With Valentine’s Day falling … Continue reading
Changes at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast
February 7, 2012
You may have noticed that we are running an Innkeeper’s Special at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast and been curious as to what we are doing to our inn. These pictures are not meant to scare you but to pique … Continue reading
Carl Sandurg’s Home near Asheville, North Carolina
January 28, 2012
Not more than 20 miles or so outside of Asheville and a half-hour drive from our Western North Carolina bed and breakfast is the small town of Flat Rock. The town is best known for the Flat Rock Playhouse which … Continue reading
Canapes from the Carolina Bed & Breakfast
January 16, 2012
SMOKED SALMON TARTAR ON SWEET POTATO CHIPS Well, it’s been a while but sometimes life steps in and mixes things up for a while but now we are back at our Asheville bed and breakfast and ready to share with … Continue reading
