The Grove Park Inn dates back to the early 1900s. It is a grand building that has hosted many American presidents and celebrities throughout the years. Just to wander the halls of the common areas and read about the many famous personalities that have walked the corridors, slept in the guest rooms, dined in the restaurants, and drank in the view of Asheville is mind boggling.
We followed the Gingerbread trail around the common areas of the resort and stood in awe marveling at the craftsmanship of the "houses". These spectacular works intrigued both young and old. The entries were from all ages of bakers. We found favorites from every category and decided there is no way we would want to judge the competition. How they decided upon an overall winner is beyond me.
The above house was done by a fellow home school friend of ours. She is
10 years old and this is her second year entering the competition.
She is an aspiring baker. I believe one day we will see her creation
win the Grand Prize!
The winner of the competition was the top photo. You can see that it is next to impossible to pick a winner. These were only a fraction of the "houses" on display!
We stopped at the Great Room and went out on the balcony to take in the view of Asheville. The resort had a lovely winter scene display, complete with a sleigh, to take a festive picture. We made sure to get pictures of everyone!
After touring the gingerbread competition, we returned to the Great Room and ordered hot chocolate. It is absolutely the best hot chocolate we have ever had. It comes in a commemorative glass mug, so the nine dollar price tag isn't that bad considering you leave with a nice souvenir. We sat in the rocking chairs, in front of the fireplace and enjoyed every last drop!
We will definitely take the time from now on to visit each year and enjoy another round of hot chocolate!
