The Blue Ridge Parkway and Time to Say Goodbye

Even though it was cloudy and cold, Perrin wanted to visit the Blue Ridge Parkway and a few other sights town before she left.

She learned a lot about the Parkway on her trip, and she especially liked this sign.  She felt like it was made just for her!

She enjoyed getting stamps in her Passport book and helping us build a wooden arch at the Visitor's Center.  "It stayed up!  Hurray!"

Then we went to see all of the handmade goodness at the Folk Art Center, which is located on the Parkway.

As usual, Perrin made some new friends.  She was not even frightened of the big bear. She spent a lot of time talking to him and stroking his soft fur.

On the way home we stopped by the Grove Park Inn, which is where President Obama stays when he is in town (as did Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and many other famous people).  We tried to take in the view from the balcony, but it was a cloudy, overcast day.

So we settled on relaxing for a little while by the teeny, tiny fireplace.

Soon it was time for Perrin to head on to the next stop on her voyage.  The kids posed for one last picture with her as we got her ready to go.  We were sad to see Perrin leave, but she is such a sweet, fun girl and we loved having her here.  Bon Voyage dear Perrin.  Enjoy the warmth and sunshine at your next visiting place!

Perrin waits up for the Tooth Fairy!

We had a momentous occasion at our house while Perrin was visiting. One of our girls lost her very first tooth!  Perrin was fascinated by her new smile.  (Or maybe she was just fascinated by the hair in her eyes?)

Perrin was so excited when she heard what this meant.  "The tooth fairy?   Coming here?  Tonight??   YAAAAAY!"  She said.  At bedtime, Perrin was very excited, but she went to bed as usual.

But not for long.

She wanted to make sure she didn't miss her.

In the morning, Perrin couldn't wait for everyone to wake up so she that could tell us all about the Tooth Fairy - how kind and beautiful she was. And she really wanted to see what the tooth fairy had exchanged for the tooth (it was a bit dark so she couldn't see it very well during the night ).

"Look, a beautiful crystal and a shiny gold coin...and there is even some fairy dust in here!"  Perrin excitedly exclaimed.

Ever since that night, Perrin has been talking non-stop about meeting the Tooth Fairy.  Maybe Perrin will tell you about her, too, when she comes to visit you.

Arriving in Asheville, North Carolina and a Visit to the Biltmore Estate

The other girls were so excited for Perrin to arrive!  They were very impressed with her beautiful, colorful hair....and her clean nose!  Perrin spent her first day here resting from her long journey.  The next morning was a beautiful, sunny day.

"I want to see a castle"  Perrin said.  And so we took her to see a castle, or at least as close to a castle as we can get around here.  "Even the sign is big!" she said.

She wanted to pose for a picture as we approached the "castle", better known as the Biltmore House.

"Peek-a-boo!"

And you may not know what a brave girl little Perrin is.  She quickly made friends with the BIG lion.

And the SCARY gargoyles.

She made a LOT of new friends in the toy store.

But one of her favorite new friends was the beautiful fairy.  She admired her gossamer wings for a long, long time.

After she visited the "castle", it was time to visit the farm where, you guessed it, she made even more new friends.