We decided to take a spur-of-the-moment trip to Asheville via the Blue Ridge Parkway this past weekend. This was the perfect shake-down for the 328 to work out all of the remaining, post-restoration bugs.
We packed our little bag and were off...final destination The Inn on Biltmore Estate. Since our anniversary is coming soon, we decided to try the Inn. I told Jennifer this was going to be an adventure....boy, was I right.
We watched weather reports all week and the last report was a 50% chance of severe t-storms in the afternoon. The plan was to drive steadily, but not not rush, and get to Asheville before any storms hit.
The ride up the mountains was fairly uneventful. We fueled up in Hickory and I noticed the oil level was a little low. I monitored the pressure/temperature and it was perfect. Every time we stopped, I checked the level. Luckily, there was no movement in the level...it was consistently about a half quart low (the car takes nearly nine quarts!).
Our first stop was the Moses Cone Manor. A stunning house that had an awesome view of the valley below.
Our next stop was Yonahlossee Overlook. The skies were threatening, so we figured we better snap a photo. We're thankful for signposts and camera timers.
Back on the road, the skies got darker, and darker...and darker. I tried to pull up my handy-dandy weather radar app on the Droid....no luck....(on top of a mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway, one can't assume the cell coverage will be all that dependable).
We figured we better stop soon and put the targa on and prepare for some rain. We had no idea.....(last pic checking the oil level before the rain hit.....)
As this picture was taken, lighting was getting really close. Bolts could be seen in the not-so-far distance. About 60 seconds after this picture was taken, we were pulling out of the pull-off area when lightning struck the base of a tree about 20 yards from us. As the lightning hit the tree, the area that was hit turned as orange as fire. Truly an unbelievable sight! After we changed underwear, we were on our way.
A lot of people don't realize this, but Ferrari's will not melt if rained upon. This may blow a lot of people's minds, but it's true. Here's proof:
Would I go for a drive if it looked like rain...nope. She'd sit in the garage until a sunny day. But, sometimes, when you're out and about, Mother Nature wins and you have to play what you're dealt.
Ask any car guy and he'll say his biggest fear (weather-wise) is getting stuck in a hail storm. Luckily, we missed the hail, but drove through some. I've never seen hail like this...it was like driving on a snow covered road.
So, in a matter of minutes, we dispelled two myths....Ferrari's in the rain and Ferrari's on ice! (If you've ever seen the original factory literature for the 328, you'll recall a picture of a 328 on ice with guys playing hockey around it...I find this strangely ironic)....
Check out the hail that was on the road on this point of the Parkway. Note the tunnel ahead. The car approaching us looked like it had sat in the tunnel to wait out the storm. You should have seen the look they gave us as we passed by them. A true pie-eyed look of disbelief.
Here's another hail pic:
With a few miles to go, I noticed a slight vibration on acceleration. At low RPMs, everything seemed fine. Down shift or accelerate and there was something just not right. I spent about ten minutes trying to convince myself there was nothing wrong, but I knew deep down something wasn't right. I even said to Jennifer, "I think we're down a cylinder." My first thought was the rain. But, the shape of the car and the airflow over it doesn't let much rain into the engine area. It would turn out to be perfectly dry. Plus, during the restoration, we upgraded to an electronic ignition system. There's no longer any rotors to get damp to cause ignition malfunction. Luckily, we were at the end of our Blue Ridge Parkway journey and near a visitor center. We took a bathroom break and I popped the back to see what was going on....here's what I found:
Sure enough, the #4 cylinder spark plug wire had come off. Best I can figure, we followed a truck for a while going between 30 and 35 MPH. With the wet roads, I didn't keep it wound too tight. I'm thinking the added vibration of the engine lugging down worked the wire loose and eventually caused it to come off. No worries, I'll just put it back on.....except for the hairline crack in the extender that caused a very slight miss that just happened to surface as we pulled into the Inn's parking lot.
Spark was jumping from the extender to the valve cover. A call to my mechanic--Wade Nunez--confirming some electrical tape would be sufficient to get back home and we were good-to-go.
So.....
About 330km (Euro car....don't have miles on the odometer), some mechanicn' and a clean pair of underwear later, we arrived at the Inn. And let me tell you....we did arrive. Our first time staying at the Inn, but not our last. Good ol' camera timers:
Just last week, I asked Jennifer, “What is your favorite place we have stayed”. The answer produced a short-list of nice hotels (and even a couple budget ones), but our experience this past weekend at The Inn on Biltmore Estate just might trump all other places on that list!
From the moment we arrived, the experience was First Class. The room was clean, the bed very comfortable and the towels very plush. Thanks to a couple in a neighboring room, we did learn that the walls are a little thinner than first thought. This is simply further proof of the romantic element that the Inn embellishes. After all…spring is in the air!!
We choose not to eat in The Dining Room at the Inn because there was just nothing on the menu that really knocked our socks off. However, we did make reservations for The Bistro at Antler Hill. We arrived early and were promptly seated at a nice, private table. My wife had the Pancetta Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, while I had the Sea Bass. The food was delicious, perfectly prepared and presented. The pace of table delivery was spot-on. The portions were adequate, as we never felt miserable (even after the Artisan Cheese Plate, entrees and desert). Bobby was our server and absolutely made a good dining experience a “great” dining experience. Bobby took our picture, but the flash wasn't on. Although dark, we thought this was a better picture than the one with the flash.
We utilized the Inn’s complimentary shuttle service to get to and from various points on the estate. Each driver shared their extensive knowledge of the estate as we drove along. When you visit Biltmore Estate you cannot help being immersed in history. Learning about the pioneering scientific forestry techniques employed over 100 years ago was really interesting and something—although we had visited the estate several times before—that was news to me.
Our day at the house was very nice. The best we could recollect, this was our fifth visit to the estate / house—but the first visit to see the newly renovated Louis XV Suite.
Being the second weekend in April, the azaleas were just beginning to bud. The tulips, however, were at peak and beautiful. Give the azaleas a couple more weeks and they will really start to pop!
The happy couple (no timer this time....actually asked someone to take our pic and it came out really nice!):
Proving how customers come first, as we were leaving, we asked the valet staff if they knew where we could get some electrical tape. They looked, but didn't have any there. They called engineering. Jerry in Engineering got me some electrical tape to wrap the spark plug extender (while still cold...so it would expand while tightly taped).
Overall, our first stay at the Inn was a phenomenal experience!
The ride home was pleasantly uneventful. The electrical tape held and the car didn't miss a beat (literally).
Here's a picture for the ol' scrapbook:
Just one regret....Jennifer should have been in the picture (not taking it). The house was closing and there were not many folks around to ask to take our picture.
Guess we'll have to go back for another photo op!!! (Darn!)
I promised Jennifer an adventure....and kept my promise.
Safe Travels!
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