For the first time in our many years of marriage we took a trip in late April which proved to be a wonderful time to be on the road. We viewed wildflowers in Arkansas, then dogwood and redbud trees in Tennessee, while on our final destination to Asheville, North Carolina. The blooms were aplenty as we marveled in the beauty of the Appalachian and Great Smoky Mountains. Our main stop for this trip, however, was the Biltmore Estate in Asheville billed as America's largest home. Impressive is the word of description and since we were visiting during the Flower Festival I'll also throw in, Glorious! Christmas time is one of the most popular times to visit but the spring was optimum with colorful gardens of azaleas and tulips along with blooming trees and wisteria vines. Every corner brought forth a new scent of a floral bouquet that would rival a French perfumery. The weather was cool with temps in the 70's - perfect for strolling the grounds of the grand estate.
To save money we booked our accommodations with a hotel chain that offered one night free when booking three nights. This hotel package also included a full breakfast each morning which certainly helped with our budget. For travel eats I packed turkey and cheese tortilla wraps (recipe to follow), pretzels, fruit cups, cut-up oranges and granola bars. We carried fresh water and a few sodas. The drive was a long 18 hours which we opted to do in one day. Yes, it was l-o-n-g and the two of us are no spring chickens but we felt rested enough for our full day at the Biltmore Estate the following morning. Speaking of the Biltmore Estate, I bought our tickets online: www.biltmore.com from an email special offering $5.00-$10.00 off each ticket price. One more tip: It is worth the extra money to rent the audio version while touring the home. There are docents in most rooms, and they will certainly answer any question you may have, but the audio guide gives you much more information regarding each room of the home adding to the enjoyment of your tour.
Travel Tortilla Wraps
- Flour or Whole Wheat Tortillas
- Sliced deli meat of your choice (I used turkey)
- Sliced deli cheese of your choice (I used swiss)
- Whipped cream cheese and chive spread
- Baby spinach leaves
- Thinly sliced purple or white onion (optional)
- Parchment paper for wrapping; string or raffia to tie the wrap; plastic wrap to seal in freshness
Spread the cream cheese onto the tortilla then layer a few spinach leaves and onion slivers. Follow with a slice of cheese and a slice or two of deli meat. Begin rolling from one end of the tortilla to create a rolled wrap. Cover with parchment paper then tie with raffia. Surround the wrap with plastic wrap to seal in freshness. I made eight of these and put them into a large zip-lock bag for the ice chest.
