12 Bones and White Squirrels, A Weekend Vacation

School bells are ringing. Weather is changing. Folks run out of money after long trips. But don't despair the summer coming to an end. Make it last a little longer with weekend trips.  

Here in North Carolina there are plenty of weekends still ahead. Sometimes we head to the beach but this past weekend, we headed to the mountains to see my dad and his wife.

Nothing beats that first view of the mountains. Now, I know you western types are laughing. Those are mountains? Well, as my dad likes to say, yours are bigger but they're bald.  Ours have trees - and just wait until they turn!

The mountains of North Carolina around Asheville have plenty of great hiking trails. Asheville and the surrounding towns have great general stores, artist studios and antique shops. And there are always unexpected finds like this sage green dress from the 1870s. Several writer friends have already said they are claiming it for their heroine on their next book cover.

The restaurants range from home-cookin' to high-falutin'.  This visit we went to my favorite rib place of all time, 12 bones in Arden. The restaurant is in a rescued auto repair shop, stripped bare with papertowel rolls on the tables and plenty of seating. They need it. 12 Bones opens at 11am has a line out the door til 4pm.  Every day there is a selection of rib flavors. For your half rack (six bones) or full rack (12 bones), you can get nekked (my preference), brown sugar (ManO's fave), on up to exotic flavors like chipotle blueberry. All the sides are homemade from their collards to cole slaw to mashed sweet potatoes. And their baked beans, oh, their baked beans.  

Man's O's plate of brown sugar ribs. He got my cornbread.

Since my dad is recovering from heart surgery, we spent a lot of time just walking around the neighborhood and visiting, listening to family lore that stretches back to the Revolutionary War. I get my love of writing and storytelling from my dad. When you have Scottish rebels, Golden Knights, a dad who sang, with his church's kids' choir, to a hundred year old Confederate soldier, it's very entertaining.

And then there was dominoes. We always play dominoes when we go visit Dad and Selena.

The best excitement? The white squirrel arrived. He's a crafty thing who picks and chooses when he wants to show up but he did for our visit. These are not albino squirrels but a separate species and so plentiful the other side of the mountain, the town of Brevard has a fun White Squirrel Festival. I've been there and bought the tee-shirt, my grandkidlets' favorite.   

Before we knew it, the weekend was over and we headed back home. Full of memories and still money in our wallet.

So, what is your favorite weekend getaway in your neck of the woods? Do you have a favorite thing to do, restaurant or family tale to listen to when you're visiting?