Tuesday’s drive, from Christiansburg to Asheville, NC was interesting. A line of freezing rain was moving through the area. The morning weather was reporting significant ice accumulations just where I had intended to go. Change of plan. Instead of small roads through the Blue Ridge mountains, I stuck with the interstates. They run through the valleys and lowest passes, so the roads would be most likely to stay clear. In an hour or so, I was through the band of weather, the sun came out, and I saw a gravel road parallel to the highway, right before an exit. So, off we got and went for a walk. There was a hayfield off the road, not posted NO Trespassing, so we went for a short off-leash walk.

That, my friends, is the first green grass Chico and I have seen since last fall.

I figured that it would be possible to approach Spruce Pine, NC from where I was, so I decided to try it. Spruce Pine, I had read back in the comfort of my living room, is the home of the North Carolina Gem and Mineral Museum.

My route took me past an independently owned drive-through that had such a long line, I turned around to go back and eat there.

They advocate spay/neuter on their roadside sign, so they are fans of all sorts of dogs.

I settled on a Pal Dog for me,

that’s with mustard, onions, and chilli,

and a plain dog for the dog-who-wouldn’t-eat-dinner. Hey, it’s vacation. And, yes, I do realize that might help him not eat his dinner again.

Spruce Pine, it turns out, is a town where lots of things close for the winter.

Including the Gem and Mineral Museum, which is actually part of someone’s rock shop, a stone’s throw from the Blue Ridge Parkway, and buttoned up tight in the no-tourists season.

It was a nice drive on small roads to get there, and a nice ride back to the interstate. Turns out, I picked just the right routing because I passed a sign pointing to a place I have heard of and never seen.

Once again, my timing was a bit off.

Penland is sort of a Mecca for crafts people. It’s a beautiful setting, spread over acres and acres with what must be beautiful views (it was pretty foggy when I was up there) and of course because such important craft work goes on there, many people stay in the area to do their work, so the studio-galleries in the surrounding area number in the dozens.

In a few miles we were back on the interstate, headed for 96 Frances St, Asheville. I found a dog-friendly room through Air BnB and we came and settled in.

I awoke this morning to birdsong; forsythia is just about to bloom, and it it’s warm today I bet those daffodils will open up. Yay. I finally bumped into Spring.

Off to explore Asheville.