Thursday, October 6 – We drove the MH about three hours East to Asheville, NC, this morning. We are staying at Cove Creek RV Park which is about 25 miles east of Asheville. Pretty bare-bones campground, but they accept Passport America everyday all year round! We are certainly out in the country! Should be good and dark out here when the sun goes down. Beautiful countryside. The leaves are just beginning to turn colors. Will be astonishing here in about 10 days!
Looking up at our site
We took a ride to Asheville this afternoon to stop at the visitor's center and pick-up some brochures. We have too many things planned for the six days we will be here.....have to set our priorities! While in Asheville we took a self-guided tour of downtown. They call it the Urban Trail/Public Art Walking Tour.
Most streets are narrow and crowded with stores, cafes and specialty shops.
Let me just say the hippie movement is alive and well in Asheville. There are hundreds of young people dressed accordingly (think 1966) just hanging out downtown. The parks are full, the benches along the streets are occupied, they are playing musical instruments for handouts, many of the stores and street vendors target their eclectic choice of shopping, and there are an abundance of artsy shops, restaurants, and bars to hang out with their friends.
Can you see the tie dye clothing?
Indoor shopping.
Flat Iron Architecture is a replica of one used by a local laundry.
Appalachian Stage…five bronze figures of dancers and musicians celebrate the significance of Appalachian culture in the community.
Cat Walk…this station is a favorite on the Urban Trail.
We did see some interesting historical sights. Our favorite was the Basilica of Saint Lawrence. What a beautiful church. It has some amazing architectural features. Especially, the dome in the main cathedral. It is constructed from individually laid bricks. How was that built and how does it stay up there? Amazing!
This is one of only 56 Basilicas in the United States. Basilica is a special designation given by the Holy Father to certain churches because of their antiquity, dignity, historical importance or significance as a place of worship.
The lunette over the main entrance represents Christ giving the keys of the kingdom to Peter and appointing him head of the Church.
The ceiling is a huge dome stretching out 82 feet by 58 feet and is considered the largest free standing elliptical dome in North America.
You can see the dome roof from this angle.
The walking tour was nice, but a bit confusing to follow. If you want to see the city though, this is the way to do it. It took us about an hour and half to see the sights.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!
