on friday, i typed up an itinerary for each day, complete with both addresses (for the gps) and mapquest directions, as well as menus for each of the restaurants we were going to eat at. (i know, i know. i'm a nerd.) :) the "celebrate your marriage!" conference with jay and laura laffoon was on sunday afternoon and monday morning, so we left early saturday morning and played all day saturday.
we had a great time at biltmore! their festival of flowers was amazing! there were so many different flowers blooming, but their tulips and wisteria were breathtaking.
we had lunch onsite at the deerpark restaurant, which i would definitely recommend. it is served buffet style, but is like no buffet i've ever been to... they have a chef attended pasta station, broiled cod, roasted pork tenderloin and the most delicious chicken breast i've ever eaten. and their desserts! oh my! they are served in these tiny little dishes, so we tried everything they offered. :) key lime pie, raspberry torte (our fave!), chocolate peanut butter cake, little pecan pies, and caramel cake with brown sugar icing. it was SO worth the $17.95 price tag per person, but i found a special on their site that offered for two people to eat for $35 and that included a drink, tax and gratuity, so if you are going, check out the site for this special... also, check for season pass specials. i got each of ours for $79 (this deal is still going on) and a regular 1-day adult admission is $64, so if you (and your sweetie) go in the spring and at Christmastime, you've saved yourselves about $100 buying the season pass.
we also went on our first behind the scenes tour of the estate and got to see a few rooms we don't normally see and learned lots of new stuff. this cost a little extra, but we've been to the estate 4 or 5 times and have always wanted to go behind the scenes. my favorite part was in the room that held all the china and glasses and such. the original food journal was there from the late 1800s. it included everything that was prepared for the vanderbilt family. this may sound silly, but the book was in pristine condition and there were pages and pages of cursive script. somehow, this more than any other artifact, resonated with me. maybe it's because i love food so much. :)
as far as the conference goes, jay and laura were mediocre, at best. jay reminds me of a chubby richard simmons, and sings and dances to old songs he has re-written words for... and she makes exaggerated faces and motions behind him the whole time he speaks. the two of them read their powerpoint slides and they often talk over each other. of the three hours they were onstage, there was about 15 minutes of good content.
ken davis, on the other hand, was fabulous. he can grab your attention while telling a story, make you laugh until you are crying and grip your heart within a 5 minute stretch. he was a real treat and i really didn't remember that he was going until we got there. his message was all about living fully alive. he tells a powerful story about losing his granddaughter on a camping trip and the powerful reunion that took place. he did a beautiful job paralleling that story with the story of God's love for us. so often, we think He is sitting up there on a cloud looking down and scolding us. "you've been a bad, bad girl!" or "i'm so disappointed in you!" or "how many times have I told you not to wander off?" when really, once we find our way back to Him, he just repeatedly states, "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you." i have a feeling i'll be referencing his message again in the future. it was one that touched me deeply...
kris and i had the best time together. it was SUCH a great chance for us to leave the computer at home, to go on walks, to eat food we never eat, and more importantly, to separate ourselves from everyday "stuff" and spend uninterrupted time with no one but each other. although it was good to come home to our puppy. :)
and just in case you are wondering where we ate all weekend, here is the list with links to the sites:
deerpark restaurant - it was all great!
black mountain bistro - i wouldn't recommend it...
my father's pizza - just went for the carrot cake and it is the BEST i have ever eaten!
early girl eatery - i got the early girl benny and it was DELICIOUS!
sunset terrace at the grove park inn - i had the crispy duck with blackberry sauce. amazing.
tupelo honey - i had the fried egg blt. it was good, but truthfully, the service was not so good.
Hey Girl!! Love your blog, it is too cute. Hope things are going well, and so glad you enjoyed a weekend away with your hubby!!
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