RWR Day 20 – Beautiful Asheville

Posted by ray on June 5, 2016June 5, 2016

Day 20 was the most event-packed day of Relay with Ray with a 7 AM start at Haw Creek Valley Overlook live on TV. We took a brief break before visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville. The day ended with a run through a tunnel almost one-quarter mile in length.

Day 20 Run

Asheville WLOS Live On-air Start to Day 20 RWR.

We were up early for a 7 AM live on TV start with WLOS. Hope Hanselman, the reporter, did 3 live spots between 7 AM and 7:30 AM. She also caught an interview around 9:30 at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitors Center. Here's a link to her story. Also, our Starting Video is a video of our live, on-TV start to the run today (see below).

We had a great time with several runners during the first 6 miles--Beth and Zach Durrett with their precious daughter Abbie, Stephanie Wallace, Alan and Virginia Ward, and Rita Larkin. Easy running and lots of conversation produced a fun start.

Getting ready to run through Pine Mountain Tunnel

I was solo after mile 6 with a rolling hills run across South Asheville. The crossing of the French Broad brought an end to the "rolling" and the beginning of a 7-mile climb. The highlight of the scenery was the Pine Mountain Tunnel--1320 feet long. When was the last time you ran through a tunnel that long?

Photos and Video

The App Ortho Photo of the Day

visitorscenter — Blue Ridge Parkway Visitors Center in Asheville

We placed today's photos on http://www.BRPWeather.com/. From BRPWeather.Com's Google Map, zoom into the Asheville area and click on the photo icons to see all the photos. By the way, you can upload your photos to BRPWeather.com also; just click on the Photo link and follow the process--it's quick and easy!

The start video is pretty neat in spite of low audio quality. It shows Hope Hanselman interviewing me at the start of today's run. The ending video comes from elevation 3350 with Mt Pisgah looming in the background.

Location Information

Besides the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smokey Mountains, the 8000 acre Biltmore Estate may be the most visited tourist destination in Western North Carolina. It's no wonder, starting with the amazing Biltmore House, completed in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, this grand destination features so much to do... unparalleled gardens, the winery, fantastic dining, two wonderful lodging options, shopping, hiking, a world-class spa. and so much more. Visit their website for all the details. You will never be disappointed by a visit to the Biltmore, and you could return 100 times without seeing it all.

Our stay at the Inn on Biltmore Estate has been wonderful. Between Rhonda and I, I think have tried everything on their informal dining menu--all terrific whether eaten on the beautiful Veranda (outside) or in the spacious Library dining area. I'm sure the fine dining is terrific as well, but after running 20-miles per day for 20 days, casual was more our speed. Tonight, the Hot Point Trio was so much fun--far more than typical dinner music.

Asheville is a great city--parks, shopping, the Craft Beer Capital of America, music venues, outdoor activities of every type, great dining, art, folk art, the possibilities are virtually endless. For places to live, it has to be one of best in America.

And RaysWeather.Com sites BRPWeather.Com and AshevilleWeather.Com have a huge presence in Asheville. We have stations in Downtown Asheville at Mast General Store, at the Parkway Visitors Center, at UNC-Asheville, and in Weaverville.

Parkway Attractions

The Blue Ridge Parkway Headquarters in located near the Parkway southeast of Asheville. The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitors Center and the Folk Art Center presented by the Southern Highland Craft Guild here as well.

The entire 40-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway is loaded with outdoor activities. Trails could be found all along the route, highlighted by the Mountain to Sea Trail and the DuPont State Forest Trails (among many, many more). Rafting, kayaking, etc. along the rivers was a common sight. Cyclists passed by in virtually every mile. There's far more than I can list in this blog.

Next...

The Day 21 (tomorrow will complete 3 weeks at 20 miles per day) will be a toughie. Our start at 3250' is the lowest spot on the route. We're going up, and up some more. The day ends at 5483'. With total climbing of over 5000'. It will be a long day in a beautiful office. Here's a link to the plan... http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/1101872012.

2 Comments on “RWR Day 20 – Beautiful Asheville”

Neal Stubblefield says:

June 6, 2016 at 8:35 am

Saw the WLOS segment at 7:30 yesterday morning – great coverage. Glad you survived all the activities in and around Asheville, too. You will be really sympathetic to mountain goats after all of today’s climbing!

1. ray says:
  
  June 6, 2016 at 5:57 pm
  
  Thanks Neal. 3 days to go!