I swatted and whacked and whomped and cursed at the invisible alarm clock that I could hear going off somewhere in the far distance. This annoying repetitive beep just would not stop. I looked at the unplugged grime filled alarm clock next to me and in my sleep addled brain could not figure out why it was not stopping. Every morning seems to involve some sort of misadventure with my alarm clock. I'm not exaggerating, at all.

A very beautiful room was home to a very sad breakfast. My brother's frozen bagel was accompanied by limpy looking previously frozen french toast "sticks" of sorts. I enjoyed an oh so gourmet bowl of instant oatmush. That's the only way to describe what was in my bowl. Sickeningly sweet, oat mush...

I honestly can't really remember much of that "early" morning drive other than I wound up on tiny back country winding roads with a GPS that was screaming so loud you thought it was your mother yelling about dirty laundry. Let me just tell you that middle of bumble f nowhere and GPS devices do NOT and I repeat do NOT go hand in hand. I felt as though I was playing a game of Mario Kart as I wound my way through a tiny highway. Sign after sign promised that were nearing the entrance,they lied...but, finally we arrived.

The quiet yet deafening roar of a waterfall could be heard in the still winter air. Going on blind faith we ambled toward what appeared to be the beginning of a trail. He spotted a padlocked gate and a winding paved sidewalk. After some hemming and hawing we decided to hop over and see what awaited us....

It was simply breathtaking. That's all there was to it. The small rainbow that danced in the frigid air amongst the strong waves of the waterfall. After our breath returned we hiked through crunchy snow covered forest where icicles hung with precipitous care. They stood larger than I am tall and with pride that couldn't be matched.

As we drove along the road and wound our way through confusing streets, mountains sprung up and enveloped us in their beauty.  They almost appeared to be hairy, like a woman's legs that hadn't been shaved in a while...little tiny trees dotted the mountain sides that stretched out in a sleepy yawn across the mid afternoon sun. 

Asheville is one of those towns that is a weird smush of  big town, small feeling atmosphere and....hippies.

Shop after shop was filled with incense burning and peace signs. Yet you didn't feel obligated to wear birkenstocks and chant. Every one was just calm and happy. Peaceful. 

Then, there were these guys..

'What are you photographing?" they asked..."Anything" I responded. So posed for a picture they did and handed them a few dollars did I, which, I'm almost positive was used to better mother earth. Or, something like that. ;)

Finally feeling the strain of clean mountain air and too many hours behind a wheel, we headed for the hotel for a little RnR. 

Driving back to the downtown we walked around and ate some mildly OK pad Thai at a restaurant that if you looked up the word "hole in the wall" this place would come up. Two men danced with each other to take customers orders and wait awkwardly to take plates away. 

The night wound down with ice cream from an "American Owned" grocery store and a TV show. Not sure what tomorrow will hold. I do know it'll continue to have memories that I'll hold onto for a very long time. 

Until tomorrow my friend(s)...adieu....