Itinerary
Oct 4 Monday Boise to Atlanta
Oct 5 Tuesday Drive from Atlanta to Franklin North Carolina to stay in a spectacular Mountain House
Oct 6 Wednesday Spent the day with friends (the owners) of the Mountain House (a very special time)
Oct 6-8 Wed-Fri Debbie and I spend time at the Mountain House
Oct 8-15 Fri- Fri Spend time with Mike and Debbie (Brother and Sister-in-Law) at the Mountain House
Oct 16-20 Sat-Wed Bill & Debbie in Paris
Oct 21-24 Thu-Sun Paris with Nick and Heather (Son and Daughter-in-Law)
Oct 24-26 Sun-Tue Disneyland Paris with Nick and Heather
Detailed Itinerary
Oct 5-7 Tue-Thur Mountain House - (Franklin North Carolina):
Bill & Debbie enjoying the scenery
Our hosts at the Mountain House
They were able to meet us there and spend some time with us - super special!
Oct 7 Thursday Spent the day (after we finally got up - so afternoon :-) ) in Helen Georgia today.
A Bavarian Village in Georgia
Helen, Georgia
With traffic and stopping at a Traders Joe's (to get Croissants - they are great!) we were a little late (30 minute is all). It was great to see them although is was hard to visit with me driving in traffic and Debbie navigating. Debbie VV (We do VV because there is two Debbie's) found a restaurant in Buford Georgia at Rico's World Kitchen, in an old gas station. It was really good.
Oct 9 Saturday Nice drive to Highlands North Carolina through a very narrow canyon with lots of waterfalls including Dry Falls and Bridal Veil Falls that you can walk behind. Highlands is a very crowded little town with lots of shops (very high end). We ate at lunch at Wild Thyme Gourmet, it was very good. And spent time poking through the shops, and had a great time.
Oct 10 Sunday Exploring the local Franklin North Carolina area. Walked the old downtown area, it was Sunday so only a couple of stores open, but did a lot of window shopping. We ate at El Charro, it was good. Then the rest of the afternoon and evening just
'chilling' at the Mountain House, sometimes it is just nice to enjoy where you are staying and not always going, going, going. It is super quiet, with just forest sounds on the deck.
Oct 11 Monday Exploring Asheville and the Biltmore Estate - all 8000 acres of it (well maybe a small fraction of the estate and house. What a fantastic house!
Mike & Debbie (Brother and Sister-in-Law) and that other Debbie (my wife)
Biltmore House
Detail on the Biltmore House
Monarch in the Gardens
View of the Garden
View of the Biltmore
View the front lawn
Oct 12 Tuesday Train trip Great Smoky Mountain Railroad Train Tour. Very relaxing watching the scenery roll by and good conversation with my Brother and Sister in law. On the return trip we met and included a very nice couple from San Diego California in our conversation. They had traveled to lots of the same places we have traveled and also areas that we have on our list for the future. When we talked about all the trips we have had to cancel because of Covid, they said "delayed" not "canceled" which I really liked so now we have no canceled trips only delayed trips :-) a great positive way to look at things.
Bill & Debbie - Debbie & Mike
Oct 13 Wednesday Biltmore Estate Tour, which we really enjoyed and the estate grounds and gardens were also fantastic to explore. There are 8000 acres to explore so we did a very (very) small fraction of the grounds.
Oct 14 Thursday Went to Cherokee, North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Looked around town (shopping) and had dinner at a Mexician Resturant
With the highlight being the Elk that were reintroduced in 2001 to the park.
The Dominant Male Elk watching the herd Crossing the River
Most of the Herd Crossing the River
Oct 15-16 Friday & Saturday Flight to Paris - We got up early (yes retired people do get up early when it is required). Drove from Franklin North Carolina to Atlanta Georgia Airport. Short flight (2 hrs) to Newark, New Jersey with a quick 30 minute walk to catch our flight to Paris. The flight to Paris was on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner (a very nice plane). Debbie booked us toward the back, aisle and window with a center seat between us. As normal nobody booked a seat between two people so we had the three seats for the two of us - Debbie plan worked again. 7 quick hours for the flight and it seemed short with a couple of naps and a couple of movies and two meals. Wine included on a flight to France even in coach class :-) . A while to get through customs and show our Covid Vax records. The train line to the airport was under repair and not running, so a 10-15 minute bus ride to the closest train station. The train to Gere de Nord took about 35 minutes. Then we spent some time exploring new areas of Paris, some people might say getting on the wrong train and going the wrong direction. So we came back to Gere de Nord and started over again, this time taking a more direct route (the right one :-) ) We had a little walk to our hotel uphill with suitcases, but not to bad. Dropped the suitcases off at the hotel and explored the area and had lunch/dinner. After 3 hours it was time to check in to our hotel. We went to relax and fell asleep at about 4pm getting up at about 8:30 stayed awake until about 1 am and then sleep really good til 9 for Bill and 11 for Debbie. This gave Bill a change to run and explore the Montmarte area of Paris.
Oct 17 Sunday
Running and Exploring Montmartre Area of Paris.
From my path it looks like I had a little to much wine before my run :-)
. The Tour guide moved the group over to the side and let me pass. I did 4 miles with lots of hills, it felt great. Had not run for a week or so.Well walking back from my run I noticed Debbie normal hotel location strategy :-)
We then walked all over the area, including Montmarte Cemetery, which is huge.
Walked a total of 5.5 miles not counting my 1/2 walk after my 4 mile run. So a total of 10 miles today.
Oct 18 Monday: Hardrock Café to buy the required T-shirt :-) and decided to have lunch there, not Paris street restaurant, but always a little taste of America especially having a Vanilla Milk Shake for Bill. We got a great waiter that was real enjoyable and he pulled off the Best Comment/Joke by a waiter ever. We try and speak/learn as much as the language as possible, but are not very good with French and unsure we are correct when speaking. Well the waiter helped/corrected us several times, so he knew we were unsure with the language. One thing we think we have down pretty good, but still not 100% sure is asking for "the Check, Please" in French "l'addition, s'il vous plait". So when we asked for the check - the response from the waiter was "what did you just say about my Mother" followed a few seconds later with a smile so we knew we had it right - very funny!!!
Tuileries park - What a great place to walk and set at a café' and people watch. Paris is such a great people watching city. They are so fashionable, even as we try and dress up a bit, we still feel under dressed.
We Check out the next place we are staying with Nick and Heather (Son and Daughter-in-Law), it is very nice.
And of course right by a bakery - but Heather made the reservations at this hotel, not Debbie. Well maybe Debbie gave her some advice on location :-) . I am not much into conspiracy theories but feeling a conspiracy here.
Oct 19 Tuesday Another walk in the Tuileries Park. With my morning run and walking Paris we did over 10 miles today.
Tuileries Park and the Eiffel Tower
Debbie and Bill in the Tuileries
Dining in Paris - I think it would be hard to find a bad restaurant in Paris
Italian dining today - almost a different kind of food everyday.
Except Croissants for breakfast everyday and Eclairs as an evening desert.
Oct 20 Wednesday Stay at the Citizen M (a very fun modern hotel) at Charles de Gaulle Airport, so we are close to the airport and don't have to get up as early to meet Nick and Heather. The flights were almost full but they got on (flying standby so only on it there are seats).
Oct 21 Thursday Met Nick and Heather at Charles de Gaulle Airport when their flight arrives. Went to the Hotel Royal Garden Champs Elysees - a fantastic 2 bedroom apartment and really big, which surprised us, especially for Paris. We then went to the Ace de La Triumph. All of us have the same idea about food and dining, we will stop at one place for croissants and drinks, another for a mid day snack, and other for a mid after noon snack, and dinner at other then find somewhere to have desert. It gives us lots of light meals and we get to experience lots of different places. Sampling the Beer and Wine as we went also. Some places better then others, but I still thing it is hard to find a bad restaurant in Paris.
Eating and Drinking our way across Paris - also staying out of the rain.
A little rain on Nick and Bill between the awnings.
Oct 22 Friday We continued to eat our way around Paris today. Well we also did visit some places besides restaurants like Sacre'-Coeur and explored the area around it. Also visited the Museum Rodin which was his home, with lots of his sculptures both inside and outside in the fantastic garden area. It had both the Thinker and the Gates of Hell sculptures, two of his more famous sculptures. Off to the Eiffel Tower and exploring the area around it. We eat at famous and well known places and then little places that just look interesting.
Debbie and Bill at Sacre'-Coeur
The Thinker (which as originally called the Poet)
From Rodin's Gates of Hell collection
From Rodin's Gates of Hell collection
Oct 23 Saturday Nick and Heather off to the bakery (you remember that, the one just by the hotel, I am sure just by accident :-) ) to bring back a morning snack/breakfast, hard to define meals because we are just snacking our way through Paris.
Notre-Dame restoration is coming along, but a long way to go.
Sacre' Coeur area touring again
The road to Sacre' Coeur
Nick and Heather fine a Brew Pub in Paris
- not something that is very popular in Paris
Oct 24 Sunday Started the day with a great breakfast in our apartment. Nick and I went to the store got fresh squeezed orange juice, croissants, cholate croissants and eggs. Nick cooked the eggs and we set in front of a big window and had breakfast, a great way to start the day.
Nick getting Orange Juice
Oct 25 Monday Disneyland Paris
Having Dinner at the Rainforest Café at Disneyland Paris
Our bakery tour continues :-)
Going into "It's a Small World" at Disneyland Paris
Main Street at Night
We spent all day at Disneyland Paris, we took lots of rides, Pirates of the Caribbean (twice), Robison Treehouse, Small World, Snow White, Star Tours, Hyper-Space Mountain and lots more.
Snacked, Ate and had Drinks at various places during the day including a very nice lunch at Captain Jack's (at Pirates of the Caribbean), and Dinner at a nice place in Disney Village (Downtown Disney). We did Uber back and forth from the Apartment we were staying in, a very nice and big apartment with two bedrooms - which was great to each have a bedroom.
Oct 26 Tuesday Slept in and then took Uber to the Citizen M at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Got and passed our covid test. Nick and Heather when back downtown Paris and Bill and Debbie chilled at the airport and the hotel.
Oct 27 Wednesday Flight Home :-( at 10:35 a flight to Chicago) Nick and Heather planning on going all the way home, Bill and Debbie are going to over night in Chicago and home the next morning. It has been a great trip, but always a time to go home.
(We Continue - Debbie has not profed this yet so sory for any speling erors :-) )
Oct 28 Thursday Rest at home
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