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My
wife Diana and I just returned from a delightful
summer vacation
that, for the first time I can remember,
took me beyond the long reach of the Internet
over the entire 4th of July weekend. Before
completely escaping the clutches of the web, we
started the trip last Wednesday (June 30) in Asheville,
North Carolina, a popular destination in the
mountains that grace the scenic western edge of
the state. We went to Asheville because we had
always wanted to see the famous Biltmore
Mansion, the largest private residence ever
built in America.
The
Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North
Carolina
(that's Diana sitting on the edge of the
fountain in the foreground)
The
175,000 square foot home, featuring 250 rooms -
including 40 bathrooms - was built on a stunning
8,000 acre estate by George Washington
Vanderbilt over a six-year period from
1889-1895. It is still owned by his descendants
today but the house and its fabulous gardens have
been open to the public since 1930 and the estate
attracts more than one million visitors annually.
The house is even more spectacular inside but
photos are not permitted indoors so unfortunately
I can't share those sights with you. If you ever
get the chance to go see it for yourself, do it
- I guarantee you won't be disappointed. We
spent a couple of days in Asheville, then rented a
car and drove a little over two hours south to
historic Abbeville, South Carolina (the
first meeting to consider seceding from the Union
was held there in 1860 and five years later,
Confederate President Jefferson Davis met
in Abbeville with his top generals to decide
whether or no to continue fighting the Civil
War. The decision to surrender was made and
later executed by General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox).
The
Hearthside Manor, the bed and breakfast where we
stayed in Abbeville, South Carolina
Abbeville's
rich history and lovely Victorian homes (we stayed
in one - a charming B&B called the Hearthside
Manor) were not the reason we went to
Abbeville though. Our oldest daughter and her
husband had bought a lakefront vacation home on Lake
Secession, about 15 miles northwest of
Abbeville, a little over a year ago and invited us
to come see it and spend the 4th of July
weekend with them and their friends. They live
across the state in Charleston and have
been driving the four hours to Abbeville
almost every weekend since they bought the place.
I don't like to drive around the block and
couldn't understand why anyone would make that
kind of trip so often. Now I know.
Above:
View of Lake Secession from the lakeside
house.
Below: Out on the lake July 4th with our son-in-law
Pat at the wheel of their pontoon boat.
We
had no Internet access at the lake and cellphones
worked only occasionally, leaving me disconnected
from the outside world for the first time since I
entered the domain business. I am usually busy
every waking minute so spending every hour of
every day just enjoying the scenery and talking
with family and new friends made time feel as if
it had slowed to a crawl. Though we were
away less than a week, it felt like I had a
month-long break from the normal routine. The
people who have homes at the lake have formed
close friendships and spend a lot of time
together. On the evening of the 4th, we joined
about 30 people (including kids, parents and
grandparents), at neighbor Chris Brown's
house for a big cookout. Brown owns a popular
local grocery store (Corley's Market in Greenwood,
SC) and he knows how to do a cookout right. As
darkness fell, we all set up chairs along the
house's shoreline to watch the annual fireworks
display the city stages at the lake.
Above:
Moving our chairs down to the shoreline to watch the July
4th fireworks display.
Below: A rocket explodes over Lake Secession.
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