The Man In The Brown, Rumpled Suit At The Biltmore Estate

romanticasheville.com

As they walked toward the Biltmore Estate, they both knew that this would be a great day.  The weather was picture perfect and their early June trip would miss the hectic summer crowd.  She was already taking pictures as they walked the long promenade toward the entrance.  The navigator was glowing with anticipation of seeing inside the beautiful mansion.  Opening the large entry doors, they paraded in with a throng of others making their way to the ticket
counter.  As they approached the counter, a rather large man in a brown, rumpled suit walked between them  placing his arms around their waists and said, "Come with me".  

The large man moved them rather quickly not giving them an opportunity to protest the action.  A door opened and they were whisked inside.  It was clear to them that this was the Security Office as there were banks of monitors watching over the crowds enjoying their tour of the Biltmore.  The navigator spoke first, "What's the problem?", she asked.  The large man in the brown, rumpled suit only motioned for them to take a seat.  Clearing his voice, he said, "We have a problem". 
"Alright, what can we do for you?, he asked of the large man in the brown rumpled suit."  "Wait a minute, can we see some identification?", asked the navigator." 

The man in the brown, rumpled suit pulled out his Biltmore Estate security badge and handed it to the navigator.  "Okay, Mr. Hunter, what is the problem?"  He could tell that his girl was now getting annoyed and a little alarmed. 

"I happened to be sitting near you at breakfast this morning, had my back to you so you probably didn't notice me.  You had a pumpernickel bagel and he had a sesame seed bagel."  They had stopped at a little bagel place for a quick bite to eat before entering the grounds. 

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation.  It wasn't that you were loud but your conversation fascinated me because of a problem we have here."  Both he and the navigator were trying to remember what they talked about over breakfast.  "Please, don't be alarmed, you're not in any trouble.  I just think you can help us with a problem we have, given your background and experience."

"Wait a minute, what background and experience are you talking about.  How do you know anything about us?", he asked. 
"Once again, I apologize for listening in but if I heard it right, you are a former youth worker and she's a drug counselor", said the man in the brown rumpled suit.  "I was impressed with how you both talked about kids.  I could tell you were good people."

The navigator looked at the man in the brown, rumpled suit and asked, "Okay, why do you need our help?" 

"We have a young girl, about 15, she's been hiding in the mansion.  We see her moving around but she is fairly resourceful and alludes us at every turn.  We know where's she at but we're just a little concerned for her." 

"What about the police?" he asked.  "We did have the police out earlier in the week and she was removed from the property but she has continued to make her way back", the man in the brown, rumpled suit said.  "What I am thinking is you two could talk to her and see if you couldn't get her to go home to her family." 

"I really don't know what we could do", he said.  "I'll talk to her", said the navigator.  He shrugged his shoulders knowing that she couldn't refuse such a request.  The man in the brown rumpled suit smiled, rubbed his hands together and said, "I really appreciate this, I really, really do". 

"I'll take you to where she's hiding."  The three of them walked down a long corridor, then went up a spiral-type staircase to what looked like a small half closet.  "She's in there", said the man in the brown rumpled suit.  "Do you happen to know her name?", asked the navigator.  "Her name is Bonnie, Bonnie Hunter." 

The navigator crouched down and sat on the last landing of the staircase.  "Bonnie, good morning.  My name is Katie.  With me is Jimmy, my boyfriend."  No response.  "We came down from the beach today to see the Mansion." 

"What beach?", a meek voice replied.  "Bonnie, we're from Myrtle Beach.  Have you ever been there?"  The man in the brown, rumpled suit was nodding his head.  Jimmy knew that Katie had her now.  It was just a matter of time before she opened the door and emerged.  Jimmy was also pretty sure that this young girl was somehow connected to the man in the brown, rumpled suit.  Same last name.  He acknowledged with his head bow that the girl had been to Myrtle Beach.

Moments later, Bonnie opened the little half door and appeared.  "Good morning young lady", Katie responded.  "How about we get you cleaned up, get something to eat and you can give Jimmy and I a personal tour of the Mansion." 

Touring the facility with Bonnie was like having your own personal tour guide.  She was the granddaughter of the large man in the brown, rumpled suit and grew up knowing all the nooks and crannies of the Biltmore Estate.  Her tour took them on one the public would never see.  As they walked, Katie and Bonnie talked and talked and talked.  Mostly about stuff. 

At the end of a long, exciting day, the man in the brown, rumpled suit came over to them and said that Bonnie was with her grandmother now and doing well.  "I can't thank you good folks enough", he said with tears welling up in his eyes.  We just don't know what to do sometimes. She's such a good kid and we love her so much."

Katie responded, "you're doing just fine.  Bonnie just misses her Mom and Dad.  You will all be fine."  As they walked through the entrance doors to leave, Katie was exhausted from her day.  Jimmy knew it would be straight to sleep upon their return to the hotel.  Oh well, he thought, there's always tomorrow.   

Chicago - Love That City - Not This Trip

It's an admission that I do not care to admit but for the first time ever, I didn't want to travel to Chicago.  I love Chicago.  One of our nation's greatest cities.  So much to do, so much to see.   I was going for a conference.  Work wanted me to go.  The conference involved a program that we were ready to dump.  Why should I be wasting my time going to a conference on a program that we wanted to eliminate?  Made no sense.  Like the good soldier I am, I obeyed my direction and would go to Chicago. 

gochicago.about.com

What made it worse, I was going alone and that made me unhappy.  My navigator would not be coming along and trips anywhere without her just don't measure up.  As part of my agreement to attend this conference, I negotiated a few extra days to be able to make a couple of stops along the way.  The first stop would be London, Kentucky.  This little city, right off of Interstate 75 is home to my daughter.  A year earlier, she had accepted a new nursing position leaving her home behind and venturing out on her own. 

Ever the proud father, I wanted to stop and take my little girl out for dinner.  Thought I would take a nap, grab dinner and then get back on the road.  After spending a few hours together and not getting the nap in, I decided it was time to move just a little closer to my final destination of Chicago.  Next stop, Dayton, Ohio. 

Dayton was not actually a direct route for me but then who would not stop to see their 91 year old mother if you were even close to her vicinity.  It had been almost a year earlier when my navigator and I visited Mom.  This visit would be a brief one but it would still be coming home for me.  Arriving in Dayton, Mom and I caught up on all the news.  She had baked a cherry pie for me and as remembered, it was great.   Unable to sleep, it was time to move forward with the journey to Chicago.  This was going to be a whirlwind trip and I was wasting little time stopping.

I have always enjoyed driving through the night.  It was peaceful and quiet this night until I came upon a distant light on the interstate.  At first, it looked like emergency lights, perhaps an accident.  It was still a few miles ahead.  Getting closer, it was still difficult to figure out what was the problem but now it appeared that there were no emergency vehicles or flashing lights.  All of a sudden, I noticed that it was a fire.  Slowing as I approached the blaze, I saw that it was a tractor-trailer engulfed in flames.  The flames were shooting out over the highway into both lanes.  There were several other vehicles present but no emergency vehicles had arrived yet. 

Seeing that there were other stopped vehicles making sure no one was hurt, I decided to play Evil Kinevil and drive straight through the flames.   It was exhiliarating.  Coming out cleanly on the other side of the flames, I continued on with my journey getting closer and closer to Chicago.   I was closing in on Chicago and I wish I could say that I was excited but clearly I wasn't.  All I knew  was that I needed to go downtown.  I had no maps and more importantly, my navigator was absent and not pointing me in the right direction. 

I safely reached my destination,  although not without multiple wrong turns and mistakes.  None of which would have happened had my navigator been with me.  The highpoints of the next three days were only my excursions over to Michigan Avenue to browse this wonderful street of Chicago.  I spent much of my time looking at the architecture of Chicago as it provides some of the best designs anywhere in the world.  Enjoyed some of my favorite food that only Chicago offers and  did participate in a conference trolley excursion tour seeing the city which was fun but very cold.  The rest of the time was spent inside at a comfortable hotel learning about a program that we wanted to dispatch from our operation. 

On my last morning in Chicago, I had parked my car in the same parking garage that I had used each day.  I chose to take a different walking route from the garage to the hotel this day and that was a mistake.   Walking only a few steps, I was quickly approached by a rather tall, pretty woman who wanted me to buy her a cup of coffee.  Somehow I gathered that she was looking for something more than a cup of coffee.  All I could think about was my navigator's reaction if she saw me walking with this woman. 

She put her arm through my arm and started walking with me.  It was 7 am and I was dressed in coat and tie for work.  I politely but firmly reported to her that I was not interested and moved free as she walked quickly to a taxi cab.  Then, I quickly checked to see if my billfold was still there in my back pocket.  Thankfully, it was.    

My trip to Chicago was now complete.  I had seen the architecture I love; ate at my favorite restaurants; saw my daughter and my mother and was solicited by a prostitute.  What more could one ask for from a boring conference trip to Chicago.   I'm hoping that someday soon I will return to Chicago with my navigator.  That would be a trip I would be looking forward to.  This trip was not much fun without her.  I think I might be able to influence her if I let her know that Michigan Avenue is a wall to wall extravaganza of shops and stores.  If need be, I'll pull out the big gun of influence and let her know that there's a Chico's on Michigan Avenue.     

Colonial Williamsburg - Special Place At Christmas Time



news2kilv.org

We both felt like we just stepped into a Christmas card when we arrived at Colonial Williamsburg.  It was the day after Christmas and we were ready to enjoy a few days away.  We had heard that Colonial Williamsburg was beautiful at Christmas time and we wanted to discover it together.  As always, my beautiful and trusted navigator made the trip to Virginia a fun time with ease of traffic and tranquil scenery.  It even included a ferry ride, most enjoyable and unique. 

historylines.net

We chose a hotel close to the historical district.  We figured it would make our weekend just a little easier.  That first night, we selected an Italian Restaurant for dinner called Milano's on Richmond Street.   It was a nice little Italian Restaurant with very good food and a romantic atmosphere.   We both were ready for a romantic getaway and knew we had made the right choice.  After dinner, we walked hand and hand through Merchant's Square checking out all the best places we wanted to shop for the next couple of days.

photos.igougo.com

Our first full day in Colonial Williamsburg was the historical district.  Although not all exhibits were open, plenty were and we had a great time exploring and learning about our nation's beginnings.  "The future learns from the past" is Williamsburg's theme and both of us embraced it.  Visiting every building and listening to the costumed storekeepers was fun.  Ever inquisitive, my significant other would engage with every shop owner asking questions and making the experience all the more richer for us.

Late that first morning, we came upon what they call, "street theatre".  It was our first experience with Patrick Henry.  Sitting right in the first row of the amphitheatre style seating, we listened intently to Mr. Henry's oration on today's and yesterday's politics.  It was immense fun.  Very entertaining and enlightening.  We both walked away excited and feeling almost giddy from the experience.  It really was fascinating. 

Visiting the homes, shops and trades along the Duke of Gloucester Street was great.  The Governor's Palace, The Capitol, The Bruton Parish Church were all most enjoyable to visit.  Our experience in Bruton Parish Church was extraordinary as we sat in the very pews that some of our founding fathers sat in over 200 years ago.  Although we didn't visit all the taverns in the historical district, we did enjoy lunch at the Brick House Tavern.   The day had turned chilly and a little uncomfortable but the robust fire and atmosphere of the Tavern was a good time. 

Loving our time together and enjoying the learning we were experiencing, we fancied time to shop at The Merchant Square Shops.  So many different stores with some very unique art and gifts.  A great candy store, my personal favorite.  Not hers, of course.   Like most visitors, we browsed more than we bought but we both found a number of things that we had to have.  I enjoyed purchasing a few Scottish ties from the Scotland House.  She found an attractive and unique wall sconce to match several existing pieces she has at the Shirley Pewter Shop.  Of course, no trip anywhere for her would be complete without a stop at Chico's.  Go figure, Merchant Square Shops has a Chico's. 

Ending our time at Colonial Williamsburg, we had to stop at one of our favorite little eateries right across from the campus of William and Mary College.  The College Delly has great food and we enjoyed our last evening at this little college hangout.  Colonial Williamsburg was everything we had hoped for.  Romantic, charming, peaceful and relaxing - all the things that make it so special during the Christmas holidays.            

  

A Gift of Two Tickets - Raleigh, North Carolina

 It was all planned.  By planning, they had decided only on Wednesday that they were going.  He would pick her up at noon and they would start their journey to Raleigh.  This was their first time going away together and both were excited about the prospect of being away, not working and only for each other.  They had taken a day trip here and there but his work prevented them from getting away for a whole weekend.  They were confident that this weekend would be very special. 

They were going to see the Lion King on stage Saturday and then visit the Monet Exhibit on Sunday.  They were sure it would be a fun-filled weekend with some shopping, site-seeing, good food and lots of time together.  As planned, he was sitting out front of the high school right at noon.  She had arranged for a ride to school that morning with a fellow staff member so she wouldn’t have to leave her car at the school over the weekend.   He couldn’t believe he was actually getting away for a weekend with her.  His boss could barely function without him and always made him feel guilty even when he took one day off a week. 

He was looking at his map when she walked out the door.  She was smiling.  Neither one could believe they were actually getting away together for a weekend.  Pulling away from the high school, they both let out a big sigh knowing that their weekend together was going to be a reality.  Ever the navigator, she grabbed the map and pointed him in the right direction.  Arriving late afternoon, they decided on a hotel, checked in and promptly went out in search of a great place to eat.

Driving into the downtown Raleigh area, they quickly found parking and began their downtown walk.  Moments later they came upon a little restaurant called Caffe Luna on East Hargett Street featuring Italian cuisine.  Dinner was wonderful; the drinks were great and the service exceedingly friendly.  Timing was everything though as it was nice and quiet when they arrived and as they were leaving the Friday Night crowd starting coming in.  Their server pointed them in the right direction for some shopping and they ended up at the Crabtree Valley Mall. 

Visits to nearly every other store with featured stops at The Apple Store, The North Face, Macy’s, Brookstone, The Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and of course no trip would be complete without a brief visit to Chico’s.  Crabtree Mall was a nice shopping experience with a variety of stores to fit every need.  The Restoration Hardware store saw a purchase of a Circus Puppet Show for his daughter. 

She awoke Saturday morning to the aroma of Dunkin Donut coffee as he had stopped next door from the hotel to pick up her usual two cups.  The first item on Saturday morning’s agenda was a trip to the Farmer’s Market.  It was a great highlight of the trip browsing through all the produce and products available.  Breakfast came next right across from the Farmer’s Market at the State Farmers Market Restaurant.  After breakfast, the remainder of the day was sightseeing and shopping throughout Raleigh returning to the hotel to dress for that evening’s performance of The Lion King. 

The Lion King was everything they had hoped for.  Incredible costumes, wonderful music and just a great story.  The following morning it was off to the Monet Exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Art.  As they drove up to the entrance, they saw the sign indicating “Sold Out”.  In disbelief, they continued on in hopes that maybe they would be able to purchase tickets from a scalper.  Climbing out of the car, she engaged in conversation with the folks who had just pulled in next to them. 

Sharing their disbelief that tickets were sold out, the couple offered them their two tickets as they had seen the Exhibit several times and were just coming to let their two middle-school aged children see the Exhibit.  The couple asked if they minded escorting their children through the Exhibit.  Who trusts total strangers to do such a thing?  Of course, they said absolutely.  The couple gave them their two tickets without charge and only asked that they monitor their two children.   It was the last showing of the Exhibit and they had no idea that tickets would not be available.  

To this day, they are still blown away by the incredible gesture these two wonderful made on their behalf.  Their children were exceedingly well-behaved and interesting.  The Exhibit was exhilarating and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

It was a wonderful weekend for the two of them.  They made memories that they continue to share time and time again.  They highly recommend Raleigh as a great little city with much to offer.       

(The above story was a combination of two separate but great trips to Raleigh, North Carolina for this couple.)