Hendersonville, NC

Left late yesterday afternoon and arrived in Hendersonville, NC last night around 8:00. So, that's about 186 miles down and 2454 to go! Woohoo!
The trip up was interesting. It was a cloudy night, with no moon or stars. Once I hit the upper part of South Carolina, I encountered thick fog. The road was black as the inside of a cat, and the only lights came from the vehicles that shot past me at, to my mind, insane speeds. Driving those mountain roads in the dark and the fog was not exactly fun. I was going to stop in Tryon, but after leaving the highway and doodling along this curvy, black road for fifteen minutes with no sign of the advertised hotel, I said fuck it and turned around. Continued on my merry way to Hendersonville, where I got a room at the Best Western. Had a nice dinner in a Mexican restaurant called El Paso. My waiter was a dishy young guy named Raul, which sort of sparked memories of another guy named Raul from my youth. It made me weirdly nostalgic for a while, but then I got over it.
This morning, I am off to the Biltmore House.
Just as soon as I slap some clothes on my fat ass and figure out the digital camera my mom loaned me for the trip. I'm supposed to take her some pictures.
She could have done it herself if she had come along. I invited her, but she did the old lady routine, saying, "Oh, lawks! I can't be gone that long."
Eh. It's her choice.
And now, I'm off to get dressed, stuff some teeth in my head and hit the road.
More later! - MEL

Harriman, TN

Spent most of today at the Biltmore Estate, wandering the mansion and the grounds. It was very impressive, but now my feet are killing me. Since they don't allow photography inside the house, I only got a single picture of the exterior. The lions flanking the front entrance were very impressive, and the gargoyles kept making me think of the place as stately Wayne Manor. Hah! Also, the Vanderbilts had one of the first indoor pools in America, complete with underwater electric lights. I did not know that.
While I was there, I also had the opportunity to take in an exhibit of Tiffany lamps. They were very pretty, but, personally, Tiffany lamps don't do much for me. Their glass is so dark, what would be the use of having one on your desk? You'd do better with an ordinary lamp. The paintings that Mr. Tiffany did, however, were very impressive.
Left Biltmore and boogied westward on I-40, crossing into Tennessee. Zipped through Knoxville and have stopped for the night in Harriman, TN. Had supper at a local Cracker Barrel and almost instantly regretted it. Didn't get sick, exactly, but came darn close. So now I have retired to my hotel room, where I am nursing a Coke and rereading Armistad Maupin's Tales of the City.
More later! - MEL