Lance is a North Asheville gardener and blogger who posts on Greenthumbr. He has a great post about the cicadas filling his North Asheville yard! The post includes a lot of interesting tidbits about cicadas which I did not include in my last entry. So, go visit Lance’s Greenthumbr journal!

The Grove Park Inn gingerbread competition. Biltmore Estate. Downtown Asheville.

These are all aspects of Asheville that have been featured on various television networks and shows. On Wednesday night, Asheville (and Carolina Mornings!) gets another opportunity to show our stuff. The Fine Living Network (channel 116 in Asheville on Charter digital cable) show All-Girl Getaways will air the episode ‘Blue Ridge Retreat’ Wednesday, May 21 at 9pm.

Here’s the synopsis, from All-Girl Getaways:
Blue Ridge Retreat - Four women on the go who met at the same Sweet 16 birthday party 30 years ago have managed to remain close friends and have stuck through everything together. They want to celebrate their 30 years of friendship by going to Asheville, N.C., for the weekend. They have many activities lined up, including visits to the Rivers Art District and the Biltmore Estate; and they end the weekend at a spa resort.

One of those ladies-on-the-go happens to be the President of Carolina Mornings, Shari Goldstein. After hearing about the show over a year ago, one of her friends sent in an application - and they were picked to film an episode! Fortunately, Asheville was the place they chose for their getaway.

From the FLN Web site, “All-Girl Getaways shows you how women plan their all-girl escapes. From weeks of detailed planning and careful execution to finally enjoying the well-deserved weekend, you’re invited into the inner circle to find out what it takes to have an organized, successful and exhilarating mini-vacation.” See the promo:

Also, I stumbled on an entire blog, Girls Getaway, devoted to getting away without the guys. Here’s the post about All-Girl Getaways.

For more about planning a getaway, stay tuned for Wednesday’s blog!

Mountain Air Country Club is located at the top of Slickrock Mountain just outside of Burnsville, and about 30 minutes away from Asheville. It is geared towards those who love both luxury and an outdoor lifestyle. This location alone places Mountain Air CC in an area full of things to do, including both art and culture activities as well as those in the great outdoors.

But Mountain Air CC also has a lot going on within the community. Mountain Air CC activities (detailed on the Web site) include a fitness center, swimming pool, hiking trails (guided nature walks are available), a cinema, golf courses, outdoor recreation areas, community gardens, and a spa.

Mountain Air CC is good family getaway because parents and kids can enjoy having fun. There are many opportunities for the family to spend time together, but with so many kids’ activities, parents can also grab time alone - getting a couples’ massage, hiking, or just enjoying a little quiet time.

Mountain Air CC is for anyone who enjoys the luxury and convenience of a country club, but also wants to visit the mountains. It isn’t for everyone, since some people desire to getaway from that lifestyle with a rustic mountain retreat, but others want what a country club can provide and Mountain Air does it better than any I’ve seen.

About half the homes at Mountain Air are lived in year-round, while the other half are vacation rentals owned by those who want to share their mountain getaway home.

Photos from Mountain Air Web site. To view more photos and to see these in a larger format, click here.

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I stumbled upon this really amazing kids’ fundraiser being held at Lake Lure, Lure of the Dragons.

The event is being held at Lake Lure, the site of Dirty Dancing and a really beautiful and fun place to visit. (About 45 minutes from Asheville.)

Teams (anyone can sign up!) will race small dragon boats just beginning to be exported from China - in fact, this is the first exclusive small boat race in the United States!

The race is held in concert with the Asian-American and Southern Culture Festival, which will offer all day food, crafts, music, dance, demonstrations, games, inflatable play park and a playground for the kids, and a picnic area.

And, the best part of the event is that all of the proceeds go to WNC non-profits or services that work to improve quality of life for children and teenagers.

The Lure of the Dragons - boat race & festival
May 10, 2008
8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Morse Park at Lake Lure, NC

Read more about the event, beneficiaries, and how to sign up for a team at the Lure of the Dragons Web site link at the top of this blog entry.

For those who might be interested in traveling to the area and putting Lake Lure (and this event) on your itinerary, you may also want to check out the Asheville Mountain Discovery Pass, with a free ticket to Lake Lure Tours, and Chimney Rock Park.

Chimney Rock is minutes away from Lake Lure - which makes it an easy extra for a short weekend in WNC.
The Park is open all day, and tickets are $14 adult, $6 youth, free under 6.

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It is that time of the year again. The Biltmore Estate is decorated for the 2007 Holiday season. Come visit the Biltmore Estate from now until January 1, 2008 to view dozens of beautifully decorated Christmas trees. Book your holiday vacation and purchase tickets now through Carolina Mornings for a discounted rate of $50/adult and $25/youth (ages 10-16). Remember that children under 10 enter the gates for FREE! Upgrade your tickets to view the candlelight tour.

Don’t forget to enter to win your Biltmore decorated Christmas tree.

Enjoy this time-lapse video of the decorating of a Biltmore Christmas tree!