Busbee Cabin

Sometimes you need to get away and that's just what we did last weekend. We traveled to Asheville to see a very talented friend perform in an Opera production of "The Sound of Music". I knew it would be stretching my children to take them to a performance which began at 8 PM, their normal bedtime, but was willing to give it a shot.

We reserved a cabin a little outside of town  since there was a flower festival going on at the Biltmore Estate and all the hotels were booked. We were actually met in the road as we approached Busbee Cabin by Liz the owner who apparently wanted to give us the once over before we stayed there. She and her husband walked us inside and showed the remote controlled fireplace which the kids loved, who wouldn't! It also had a hot tub which is now a requirement when we travel. The next morning, we decided a hike up Chimney Rock would be more appropriate for our clan than touring the Biltmore. As we were leaving the cabin the next morning, who should we meet but Liz and Bill! They wanted to give us hiking suggestions, see if everything was ok. This is starting to get a little creepy at this point. How did they know we were leaving? My daughter suggested that we invite them to come in the hot tub with us to thank them for letting us stay at their cabin! She was completely serious and more hospitable than me. I later realized that I had yet to make the final payment on the cabin. Maybe that's why she and Bill kept showing up.

As we were driving the winding roads in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I was wishing that I had passed out the Dramamine before hand as one or two of us is prone to car sickness. We arrived without incident and most of us were enthusiastic about the hike, everyone that is except our middle school aged child. She chose to fill our time expressing most everything she disliked about hiking, her fear of heights, allergies to grass, sleep deprived because of sleeping in a strange bed. Hiking on the other hand was the most awesome activity invented to my son. There were 500 steps going up to Chimney Rock and he ran every one of them, some of them twice! I'm definitely adding Sherpa to his list of job possibilities in the future. It was exhilarating for sure, but I spotted a pregnant woman and a senior citizen smoking a cigarette who were able to do it! We would climb up Chimney Rock  complainers and all! We made it to the top and were all rewarded with some hot tub time.

The time finally arrived for the play. The usher actually told us that the performance would be longer than the movie! We would never make it! Since this was an Opera production, we had the youngest attendees in the crowd. My 8 yr daughter with her souvenir owl stuffed animal, Seymour was seated next to an octogenarian. It was reported to us that our son farted during the performance and we had to confiscate his souvenir handcuffs, but otherwise a successful outing! They loved the production slept in a little the next day, a winning combination! Yodel- ay-hee-hoo!