We are headed back to Chicago, but we are taking the indirect route through Asheville, North Carolina so that we can see our niece, Lydia, and her boyfriend, Pete. An added plus is the food and brewery scene in Asheville.

We meet up with Lydia and Pete at our hotel in downtown Asheville around 5PM and walk to Bouchon, a farm-to-table French restaurant. Reservations are not accepted and we luck out, quickly getting a table by arriving early on a Monday evening. Fantastic pate, French onion soup, steaks, and fish are served to us by a knowledgeable waiter.

As the evening is young, we find a brewery/bar a few blocks away and continue our conversation over drinks. Then we walk around downtown a bit to find dessert. The French Broad Chocolate Lounge has a long waiting line so we walk down the block to their French Broad Chocolate Cookies and Creamery. There are no tables inside so we take our ice cream, chocolates and coffees across the street and find benches in the park. This also allows us to enjoy the beautiful evening while we devour delicious treats and continue our conversation.

We stroll to our hotel and sit on the patio talking until near midnight. A wonderful evening!

Tuesday morning we’re a little groggy as we have coffee/tea in the hotel lobby before hitting the road. We start the return trip with delays. Yuk! Traffic on I40 through the Smokey Mountains is all backed up due to road construction.

Later in the day as we cross over the Ohio River from Kentucky into Indiana we assess our progress and check the clock. We could make it to Chicago tonight, but we’re already starting to get tired. A look at the Marriott app identities a number of hotels in downtown Indianapolis. We quickly book the Residence Inn on the Canal Walk where we spend a restful night (and have time to go for a nice dinner before retiring).

​Our Southeastern USA roadtrip comes to a close after 15 days. It’s been a great time seeing friends, family and this part of the country.

We leave Charleston and opt to take North Carolina State Highway 52 for the first part of our drive to Richmond, thinking it will give us a chance to see the low country and the towns along the way.

There are many small towns with the requisite mobile homes on the outskirts. We notice that the towns with the nicer homes also have a Dollar General and a factory or two. We begin to compare the towns to those which dot northern Wisconsin and realize there is one major difference. In Wisconsin there are two to three bars at the major crossroad for the town, in South Carolina they are replaced with churches. After we get on I96 we pass by (or near) attractions such as Pedroland, the Ava Garner Museum and the Tobacco Life Museum. For some reason we are not compelled to stop.

​After checking in to our hotel we meet Mary and George (sister and brother-in-law) at the Patron restaurant. Some margarita’s, cerveza’s and good Mexican food compliment the pleasure of being with them. Over the next three days we talk, drink and eat well. Saturday we visit breweries and wineries near Charlottesville then put steaks on the grill for dinner. Sunday we go out to breakfast, see the movie Pets 2 (yes, we were the only adults there unaccompanied by children) and go out for good bbq. 
 
Hugs abound Sunday evening as we say goodnight and goodbye.

It’s our first time visiting Charleston and we hope that our three days will give us a good taste for the city. Although it is overcast, the heat and humidity is one of the first things that hits us - and the locals tell us it’s a cool day!

After a tasty lunch at Boone Hall Farms Market we drive a few miles to Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens. Giant oaks line the road into the plantation and their shade cool the area. We wander through the gardens then take a guided tour of the restored mansion. There are cabins nearby which were used by the most skilled and trusted slaves. At the last cabin a woman who states she is a descendant of some original slaves gives a presentation on the history of the Plantation, the slaves and the Gullah culture. Very interesting.

Charleston is a foodie town, and we have some excellent meals. We didn’t go five star, but found great seafood and smoked meat restaurants nearby. After dinner on our last evening we stop at The Pour Taproom, which has 8-10 wines, 5 ciders and over 40 beers on tap. We were issued a card, check out the selection and the per ounce pricing and then poured what we wanted ourselves. It’s a fun way to sample! As we leave we turn in our cards and find out the total cost of the the experience (which isn’t too bad).

​During our days in Charleston we visit several of their great museums. We meandered through the Charleston Museum, the Confederate Museum and the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. We also take a boat ride and tour to Fort Sumter.

Charleston also has some nice parks along the rivers. We especially enjoyed Waterfront Park with it’s Pineapple Fountain and the North Fountain In which kids run and play.

​Charleston is a jewel of the South, one that we’d be open to visiting again, though probably earlier in the year when it is cooler..

Google Maps says it’s a six and one-half hour drive from Nashville to Charlotte but we do it in about eight hours with stops for a large breakfast and pit stops along the way. After Knoxville I40 takes us through the Great Smokey Mountains for a while. Beautiful.

We spend a relaxed long weekend with our family located in and near The Queen City. Lots of talking, eating, and drinking. We have most meals with our son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Kara, and on Saturday evening are joined by our niece Ashley and her husband Chris for drinks then have dinner at King’s Kitchen. Kings Kitchen is a non-profit which employs former inmates and whose profits benefit the homeless. The southern-style food is very good and we have a wonderful time.

On Saturday we assess Paul’s in-city farming: the gardens and chickens in their yard. On Sunday the chicken named McNugget has a medical issue. Paul and Kara wash her in the wheelbarrow in their front yard before meeting us for lunch. As Kara explains to us “Yes, we are THOSE neighbors”. Lol. Sunday afternoon we stop by the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art for a Jazz concert and to see some of the works.
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Sunday night comes too soon, and after dinner we bid Paul and Kara adieu with hugs.