We welcome you to Western North Carolina in the beautiful fall season. Arrive, check-in, and prepare for a wonderful week of interesting and fun adventures!

Note: Today you'll check-in to your room, register and pick up your program materials, have dinner, and attend a program orientation and reception.

Arrive To: After a short drive on the beautiful wooded entrance road you will check-in to your room at the Blue Ridge Assembly Conference Center. Check-in begins at 3:00 PM, however if you arrive early, you will find a comfortable lobby in which to wait and relax, or you may opt to take a leisurely walk around the landscaped grounds and streams to enjoy the views. Program registration and material pick-up begins in the Conference Center lobby at 4:30 PM.

Dinner: Program begins with a full dinner buffet inside the spacious, glassed-in dining area of the Blue Ridge Assembly. A salad and hot food bar are yours to enjoy, accompanied by drinks, coffee and desserts. Sugar free desserts are available by request.

Evening: As we gather after dinner you'll have time to get to know your fellow travelers and your program leaders. We will review the schedule and printed materials for the week, give you information about the campus and answer any questions you might have. The orientation/information session is followed by an informal reception in the hotel lobby. Wind down from your day and get acquainted with the new friends with whom you'll be enjoying this Western North Carolina/Asheville Adventure. There's a piano and a fireplace in the lobby; we welcome you to share your musical talents if you are so inclined.

Lodging: Blue Ridge Assembly - Blue Ridge Center

Meals Included: Dinner

Note: Self-guided tour through the Vanderbilt home; see the gardens and the conservatory; visit the estate winery and other exhibits at Antler Hill Village

Breakfast: Full buffet breakfast.

Morning: After breakfast we'll depart for the Biltmore Estate. En route a brief video will introduce us to the world of the Vanderbilt's. We'll spend the rest of our morning visiting the 250 room mansion, America's largest privately-owned home.

Lunch: Enjoy lunch on your own at the Biltmore Estate. The Stable Cafe Restaurant has a nice selection of sandwiches and gourmet lunches.

Afternoon: Our afternoon continues on the estate with an opportunity to walk through the beautiful estate gardens and visit the conservatory. Mid-afternoon we'll depart for Antler Hill Village, home of the estate winery. The first vineyards were planted in 1971 and eight years later in 1979 the first bottle of wine was sold. You'll have an opportunity to tour the winery complex and enjoy a complimentary wine-tasting. The remainder of your afternoon can be spent visiting the other exhibits and shops of Antler Hill Village.

Dinner: Full dinner buffet at Blue Ridge Assembly.

Evening: This evening a local historian will present a program on the unique and beautiful city of Asheville, North Carolina, in preparation for tomorrow's visit.

Lodging: Blue Ridge Assembly - Blue Ridge Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Note: Learn about the history, culture and architecture of Asheville aboard the Gray Line Trolley, then enjoy the remainder of the day visiting the sites of your choice.

Breakfast: Full breakfast buffet.

Morning: This morning learn about Asheville's early settlers, famous citizens and authors aboard the historic Gray Line Trolley. You'll also learn of the architecture, the history and the arts that make Asheville a very unique and special place.

Lunch: Lunch on your own in downtown Asheville.

Afternoon: This afternoon enjoy the hop-on and hop-off services of the Gray Line Trolley. Visit the sites that you want to see... the River Arts District, Pack Square, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, the Basilica of St. Lawrence, the Grove Arcade... you decide. Simply hop-on and hop-off at the designated stops along the tour route. Trolleys run throughout the day and pick up in 30 minute intervals.

Dinner: Full dinner buffet provided

Evening: An expert will present a program on the Cherokee Indians and the land of the Great Smoky Mountains, preparing us for our upcoming two day visit.

Lodging: Blue Ridge Assembly - Blue Ridge Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Museum of the Cherokee Indians, Oconaluftee Indian Village and Smoky Mountain National Park

Note: Exploration into the history and culture of the Cherokee.

Breakfast: Full Buffet Breakfast.

Morning: En route to Cherokee, NC we will enjoy an educational video of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Once in Cherokee we'll spend the remainder of our morning visiting the recently renovated Museum of the Cherokee Indian, where the Cherokee story is told using innovative displays and extensive artifices.

Lunch: Lunch provided.

Afternoon: This afternoon we'll visit the living Oconaluftee Indian Village, an authentic replica of an 18th century Cherokee community. Cherokee guides will explain the history, culture and life-style of their ancestors. Watch Cherokee craftsmen demonstrate their skill in making arrowheads, baskets, blowguns, beaded belts, ceremonial masks, dugout canoes, pottery and wood carvings. You'll also enjoy the 7-sided Council House and replicas of typical Cherokee homes as they were 250 years ago. You will have the opportunity to walk through the woods and see a variety of trees and plants indigenous to the western NC area. We will finish our afternoon with a drive into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a visit to an old mountain homestead.

Dinner: Paula Deen is known as the "Queen of Southern Cuisine" and tonight we'll dine in Paula Deen's Kitchen!

Evening: Enjoy a free evening after your busy day in the Great Smoky Mountains and the land of the Cherokee. Shop in the village, take a relaxing stroll, try your luck at Harrah's Casino or simply kick back and relax... you decide!

Lodging: Cherokee Quality Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Travel in style through the Great Smoky Mountains and see the beautiful fall foliage from your "Crown-Class" vintage train car . Afterwards, lunch and a scenic ride along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, "America's Favorite Drive."

Breakfast: Continental Breakfast included.

Morning: As a guest on board the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, you will enjoy the scenic beauty of the area as the train journeys across fertile valleys and across river gorges in a spectacular region called the Great Smoky Mountains. This section of western NC offers a wide array of ever changing vegetation and fantastic landscapes, especially beautiful during the fall color season. With the romance and mystique of an era gone by, you will ride a real train in one of their crown vintage cars.

Lunch: Lunch included.

Afternoon: After departing the train, we'll return to Asheville via the Blue Ridge Parkway! Seeing the fall colors from some of the highest peaks of Western NC is an amazing experience that you don't want to miss! We'll stop for pictures, so be sure to bring your camera!!

Dinner: Full dinner buffet provided.

Evening: Cultural presentation.

Lodging: Blue Ridge Assembly - Blue Ridge Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Biltmore Estate is a popular tourist destination at Christmas. We will end our week with a presentation on "Christmas at Biltmore." Check out and program wrap-up will follow.

Depart From: Program usually ends at approximately 10:30 AM.

Breakfast: Full breakfast buffet provided.

Morning: Asheville and the mountains of Western North Carolina have become a major holiday tourist destination in the winter. This morning we will wrap-up our week with a presentation on "Christmas at Biltmore," followed with an opportunity to ask questions and say good bye to new friends.

Meals Included: Breakfast