Hello friends! I'm finally back with another portion of our North Carolina adventure. It's hard to believe it was almost a full month ago now. Though it is still fun to look back at the pictures and relive the fun like it was just yesterday. For today, I'm taking you along for our visit to the North Carolina Arboretum. We hadn't originally planned on coming here, but I'm so glad we ended up adding it to our visit!
According to the Arboretum website:
For more than 30 years…Cultivating Connections between People, Plants and Places…amid a 434-acre public garden, The North Carolina Arboretum is located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest just south of Asheville and adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 393. Surrounded and crisscrossed by forested coves and meandering creeks in the botanically diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum is set in one of the most beautiful natural settings in America.
Given my desire to spend as much time outdoors, after researching the site, it was the perfect spot to go on a crisp, yet sunny Saturday morning. We got up, had breakfast, then made the 30-minute drive from our Airbnb to hit the trails. And boy were there trails. Initially I though the Arboretum would be similar to our Atlanta Botanical Garden, but despite many similarities, it was a wonderfully unique experience.
The trail map was a little overwhelming at first, but once you get out and start exploring it made for a wonderful treat just meandering through the woods. We started out on one of the closer trails, with signs posted throughout giving information about all the different trees and other life found in the forest. There was a meadow in the middle of the loop just past the main gardens that was quite lovely. I can only imagine it in the spring!
The trails were easy to navigate, with plenty of signage and while there were some hills to climb, nothing too strenuous. After looping around the first set of trails, we came back in to the main gardens and explored some of the exhibits there.
While a lot of the flowers were no longer blooming, I still can't get over how gorgeous the backdrops of the changing leaves were during our whole visit. The picture above doesn't quite do it justice, but you get a little idea.
In addition to the foliage, there were plenty of interesting sculptures throughout, like this one of Frederick Law Olmstead. Though the Arboretum didn't come to be until well after his time, it is apparently a part of his legacy as one of the many landscapes he left his mark on across the country.
In the photo above you can see the empty beds where they create gorgeous quilt-like designs out of seasonal flowers. I am a bit sad there were none while we were there, but it's good motivation to go back and explore some more.
Besides the regular sculptures and exhibits, they were also getting ready for the holiday lights displays. We were just a few weeks too early for that, but I loved some of what we saw already! Gnomes are apparently very "in" this season.
I can only imagine how the gardens look all lit up and glowing with Christmas cheer. It has given me the push to finally go see the lights here at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, since I have never been to those either!
There was a darling little train set up close in to the main gardens, as well. It wasn't running the day we were there, but I'm sure it's a big hit with the kids. And adults alike...
There was also a small indoor bonsai display, which teased at the outdoor exhibit just on the other side of the visitor center. I held back from buying any plants they had in the sale they had going on just on the other side of the bonsai, but kind of wish I had grabbed a few of the darling succulents and potted plants to bring home.
I was amazed how many different types of bonsai trees there are. As usual, Mother Nature is quite generous in her abundance. Also a reminder to do what we can to protect that...The enclosed area was nice to warm our hands for a bit as it was still chilly outside, especially back in the woods.
The outdoor exhibit was just exquisite, though. I loved the whole design, weaving around each corner to discover a new beauty. We left the bonsai exhibit to grab a warm cup of coffee (well, at least I did, 
Even after spending over three hours, we still didn't make it to the outer loop of the trails! It was well worth the $16/per car entry fee. I could absolutely see being a member if we lived closer. The trails are great to get some exercise (we saw bikers and a few joggers), plus you can't help but feel buoyed by the sheer delight of being outdoors.
After we left, there was an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway where we were able to stop and enjoy the views a bit. However that section of the road was blocked off, so we couldn't go far. We did follow the lead of a few others and walked a ways up the road. I'm sure it's not often you would want to be a pedestrian on such a winding mountain road!
We got back to our cozy rental with just enough time to clean up and relax for a bit before meeting up with 
If you're ever near Asheville, don't hesitate to stop at the Arboretum! I hope I've done it justice with my post because it definitely deserves a plug. This is actually the last adventure in North Carolina I have to share because our last day we actually ventured closer to our own home turf...
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