Barkwell's Pet Resort Doggie Vacation

We took a vacation last week with the kids near Asheville, NC. It’s a 7 hour drive, so we decided to break it up and headed down to our friend Susan’s in Winston-Salem, which would put us only two and a half hours from Asheville. The kids were very excited about going on vacation, and Stanley found one of Lily’s (English Cocker Spaniel) bolstered beds to get a good night’s rest.The next morning, we leisurely headed West, and stopped at Lake James Cellars along the way. The kids took a break on the patio, and the wine-tasting was brought out to us.It’s a beautiful drive through the mountains of North Carolina. We arrived at Barkwell’s, and the kids couldn’t wait for mommy to check us in. The greys slept in the back, while Parker rode in mommy’s lap in the passenger seat.A welcome note from Barkwell’s.We got the Snicker’s cabin, which is one of seven on the property.Parker gets the lay of the land from the porch.We hadn’t brought in any of our beds yet, so Jaime took the first one she could find. Doesn’t she look comfortable?In search of food, we went online to look for dog-friendly eateries. Asheville is a very dog-friendly area, and there were plenty of places to choose from. We decided to hit Asheville proper, and plopped down at the Westville Pub. A pitcher of local microbrew and fried jalapeno slices got us started.After we got back to Barkwell’s, we took a walk down to the pond. Looking back, our cabin is in the middle.Followed by a Lab, Stanley checks out the perimeter of the property. The Lab’s sister, Piggy, cannot be enticed away from jumping in the pond after a toy.Since the entire property is fenced in, we let everyone off leash. The girls decide to check things out together.There were lots of new smells, but a squawker means mommy has treats.At dusk, the firefly invasion began. The yellow streaks in this 10 second exposure are all fireflies.I took this 10 second exposure picture a few minutes later of Kris and the kids on the porch.Once it got really dark, we went back inside. The girls immediately claimed the couch.Stanley had to settle for the chair.The next morning, we headed south towards Hendersonville. Kris’ mom had grown up there in this house, that is now converted into a business.Conveniently, there was a pizza joint next door, 2 Guys Pizza. They had a pizza buffet, but with the kids, we decided on the patio.We got a glass of Craggie and Highland ale which are both Asheville microbreweries.After lunch, we headed to the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. He was a three-time Pulitzer prize winner for his poetry and biography of Lincoln.We mainly went there because Kris wanted to see the functioning dairy goat farm.Those ‘kids’ sure are cute. The babies weren’t shy about having their picture taken.Not being allowed inside the fenced area, our kids were not impressed.
The kids looked a bit pooped at this point, but we decided to stop off at the North Carolina Arboretum on the way back home. They had nice trails through the woods with signs, so we knew what we were looking at.After making the shortest loop through the trails, the kids were all tongues.One last picture with a ‘fingers’ sculpture. We almost had to carry the kids back to the car after this.We wore their butts out. They had no interest in anything but a nap at this point.They had chickens on the property. Hey, you talkin’ to me?This one was more interested in show off his pot-belly.Baby chicks are so cute.A patron at the Westville Pub recommended 12 Bones BBQ. We also read in the cabin journal that 12 Bones was a favorite among guests. BBQ from an old gas station.Only Jaime had the energy to come join us on the porch for a BBQ dinner.Parker in stalker mode. What could he be staring at?What would possess a bunny to feed in a compound full of doggies?It’s 9:39pm, and the kids barely had enough energy to make it to bed. Hey, where are humans going to sleep?Kris wrote in the cabin journal. The people staying in the cabin next to us actually said they stayed in our cabin the year before. All the way from Jacksonville, Florida. Sounded really far till I mapped it, and found out they were 5 minutes closer according to Mapquest. Check out the Locksley’s blog (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.1, 3.2), who stayed in Snickers immediately before us.A parting shot of the cabin.Kris took a video of the cabin for those who might be interested in staying there.
We had a great time, and plan on going back soon!