Asheville

I was curious about a building we could see from our hotel window. It's the Jackson Building and was built in 1924 as a 15 story skyscraper. The lot was only 27 by 60 feet and believed to be too small for a building that tall. It now holds the record for tallest building on the smallest lot. There are wacky large gargoyles on each corner.

We spent most of our day at the North Carolina Arboretum. It was a beautiful day to see spring flowers and plants. First, we saw the indoor bonsai garden, with mostly deciduous trees. The coleus plant was colorful and unusual.

Another highlight was a garden dedicated to native North Carolina Azaleas. While their buds haven't bloomed yet, we still enjoyed the color and the many butterflies collecting nectar.

Dinner was our most adventurous to date. We ate at Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse. We tried raw salmon on a crispy rice cake, hamachi (raw fish), and raw wagyu beef. All were delicious! After a salad, we ate the cooked items; pork gyoza, mushroom bao bun, brisket, scallops and broccolini. Sake and coconut cake made the meal complete. It was quite an experience.Read more