Thursday, February 15, 2024

2024 02 Asheville South Carolina

Lucid Dreamscapes: Shadows & Specters

Savannah, GA

February 4-10, 2024

ArtVentures

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Today we head out from Milwaukee, WI, to the southland for an eventual workshop with Andrea Matus deMeng called Lucid Dreamscapes: Shadows & Specters provided by Kathryn Engen and Art Ventures. 

This first morning of our southland trip had a simple goal, drive from Milwaukee south until it was time to watch the NFL Championship games.

We left Milwaukee at 7:00 a.m. (CST) and drove the Federal Highways to Kentucky. Our meals for the day were fast food (McDonalds, Burger King and Arbys) and we never wandered off the path as we are want to do on our car excursions. 

We did make it to our hotel by 3:00 p.m. (EST) in time to see the two football games. Our only interruption was a run out to a local fast food place for “supper.” We do intent to eat better as this trip progresses. 

I will say that the games were great and I was really glad we took the time so I could see them.

Miles for the Day:408

Total Miles for the Trip: 408

Monday, January 29, 2024

Today our day was more vacation-like. We were able to sleep a little later and had breakfast at a nearby Cracker Barrel. Then it was more Federal Highways to Ashville, our first sleep over vacation spot.

We are sleeping in the Home2 Suite by Hilton Asheville Biltmore Village.

Tonight Denice had to attend a board meeting of Reflo, a sustainable water group she is serving with. I watched some college basketball and got some reading done. 

Miles for the Day: 356

Total Miles for the Trip: 764

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Denice picked a hotel in a great location as today we could walk to First Watch for breakfast. 

Today we are on our way to the Biltmore Estates.  We began with a tour of the house at 10:15 a.m. 








Cleaning the Main Dining Room

One of many John Singer Sargent portraits



Always taunted by the librarian cliche




The pool, unable to be used because it leaks


After a little shopping we took the van on the drive which led us to the conservatory. This might have been the highlight of the place for me. 




















After that we went to the bass pond where we went for a walk. 








The River Arts District was a short van drive from the Biltmore. We saw some great street art. 




















Then we toured the gallery of artists that occupy this unique area of the city.



Dinner was at a great restaurant called The Black Bird where I ate duck (which may or may not be the black bird). 

We got back to our room in time to watch on television the #9 Marquette Golden Eagles defeat the Villanova Wildcats, 85-80.

Miles for the Day: 19

Total Miles for the Trip: 783

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Today we went out for breakfast in the area where we are going to be doing our tourist stuff. Our breakfast was at Green Sage Café where we ate healthy food locally sourced. 

Photo taken from website

Our first stop was the Thomas Wolfe House, a memorial to the great American author whose Look Homeward, Angel was a poorly disguised autobiography. The museum was informative and we were the only two on the 10:30 a.m. tour so we got all we wanted out of that. 

The Ashville Art Museum was our second stop of the day. The highlight here was the Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting which contained the most amazing photorealistic paintings with the finest details. The rest of the current exhibitions were just OK. 

Betrand Meniel, Chevy’s, 2018. Acrylic on canvas, 59 × 83 inches, photo from museum website

Yesterday we ran out of time in the River Arts District to scour the vast amount of opportunities so we went back to see what we could see. Our first stop was a flea market store where we bought a number of cool items for art making. 

Then we spent time looking at all the stuff on display in Marquee. This place is the weirdest combination of fine art to craft, antiques, and products like wine and soap. It took us about two hours to go up and down all the aisles but it was well worth it—even though neither of us bought anything. 

Across the road from Marquee is a Hawaiian restaurant called RosaBees where we both are gourmet food that surprised and delighted us. 

Miles for the Day: 15

Total Miles for the Trip: 798


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