The moms had to take a trip to
Asheville and wanted to drive the Fini but wanted company for the long drive from Maryland. Being the good son I am and knowing that Pisgah National Forest was next door I was happy to oblige.
Killing time at Sky Harbor. A man has got to stay properly hydrated on vacation.
Screw pillow mints - this is how it's done.
Fini the rocket car waiting to go. I drove a thousand miles in this car
and I can't even describe how fun that was (especially since I didn't get any tickets).
Navigator not askeered when the pilot breaks 100mph.
Our very odd hotel.
After some walking around and a surprisingly excellent dinner at the hotel it was time for a night cap. Or two.
In the morning it was off to
Pro Bikes in West Asheville (good folks) to see if they would let me try to fit a Yeti 575 in the Fini.
It works as long as you don't have a passenger.
I hooked up with local
bikepacking aficionado, Shaun who offered to guide the ride.
We rode Laural Mtn, Pilot Rock and Slate Rock trails in 100% humidity. 15 miles and close to 3K feet of climbing was enough to punch my ticket.
Pilot rock had some nice technical bits that we took no photos of but I did clean the rock garden.
Creek crossing on slippery logs was the most treacherous part of the ride.
After post ride libations and recollections it was time to drop off a dirty bike and get ready for dinner at
Reza.
Incredible food.
On Saturday it was off to find a little family history in the form of a park that my
great-great-great-grandfather donated to the city.
Sadly it was mostly under construction and being renamed to the highest bidder.
Then it was time for a quick lunch (Reza again) before we raced back to Maryland.
One last good meal before it was time to get on a plane on Sunday.
It was a good trip and a nice break. Thanks.
