Happy Birthday to Me . . . Again!

If you remember from my birthday post in September, I mentioned my birthday present from Jason was coming in November. I've been to the Biltmore House multiple times but have never been to see it decorated for Christmas. Two weekends ago, Jason and I headed up to Asheville to stay at our favorite bed and breakfast, the Hill House, and went to see the gorgeous Christmas lights at Biltmore. Of course, I forgot my camera, so you'll just have to depend on the links to imagine what our trip was like!

I think I should start by explaining Jason and I have decided we are the kiss of death for any restaurant in Asheville. The first time we stayed at Hill House, we went to the Melting Pot. Before our second trip, we decided we wanted to go again, so I tried looking it up on the internet and couldn't find it. We ended up being told the restaurant flooded, and since they didn't have flood insurance, they never reopened. So, we did a little searching and found another local place online and decided to give that a try. When we got there we rode up and down the main road through Asheville and could never find it. We gave up, ate somewhere else, and through asking around found out that place had closed as well. During that 2nd trip we found a local place called Cafe on the Square that we adored. We planned to go back this time, but while we were checking in, were told by the innkeepers that it closed after 20 years of operation. See? The Burleys can even shut down a 20 year old restaurant!

Thursday evening, after we checked in and realized Cafe on the Square was no longer an option, we drove around trying to find another place to eat. We eventually ended up at Atlanta Bread Co. I know ... don't judge us. There are no ABC's in the area where we live, and the one in Anderson closed way before we moved. So, it's been years since we've eaten at one. After dinner, we headed back to Hill House to enjoy the yummiest chocolate chip cookies (one of the best parts of Hill House is the bottomless cookie jar in the parlor!) and realxing for the rest of the night.

Friday morning we woke up and had a french toast croissant with orange peel and cinnamon muffins. Terry, the co-owner of Hill House truly makes the most amazing breakfasts! After breakfast, we did some shopping, had lunch, made a quick stop at The Chocolate Fetish (another one of my favorites!) and were back at Hill House by afternoon for naps and several episodes of My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding. Again, don't judge us ... we were on vacation with nothing better to do than watch ridiculous shows on TV! Friday evening was our Biltmore tour which was just beautiful! The lighted trees on the front lawn were my absolute favorite, and we spent a lot of time just looking at them and walking through them. After our tour, we found another great local place, Bistro 1896. Although the food was fabulous, we fully expect it will be closed the next time we go back. After all, the Burleys ate there ... Saturday morning we had potato fritatas and cranberry orange scones before heading out.

So, I guess my 30th birthday celebrations have finally come to an end now! I kind of like stretching my birthday out over 3 months! And by the way, I have the greatest husband in the world for giving me such an awesome birthday present!