The Wizarding World of Harry Potter @ Islands of Adventure | Universal Studios | Orlando, FL.

(HOGWARTS CASTLE)

I'm still surprised when I hear from some people that they haven't seen any of the Harry Potter movies. The books, I understand, not everyone enjoys reading. If you've read all of the books and refuse to watch any of the movies, well, that's just plain weird. Then again, maybe I'm the weird one because I rather enjoy reading about wizards that have magical powers. In any event, I think the Harry Potter stories are fabulous. The amount of imagination it took for J.K. Rowling to conjure such a fantastical and mystical world is beyond my comprehension. What I do know, though, is that the Harry Potter stories have captivated me since the beginning.

I've only read up to the 5^th installment of the HP series. However, I have seen all of the films (most more than once), including the most recent movie that brought the epic adventure to a bittersweet end. It was pretty sad to realize that we would see no more movies or read any other books, but it is comforting to know that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure is there to satiate any feelings of loss we might encounter.

(THREE BROOMSTICKS)

From the moment I heard about the Universal theme park opening up this new area, it became my mission to get there. Instead of having to imagine walking through Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts castle, we would have an opportunity to see it in real-life. Okay, so it's not the real deal, but Universal Studios did an incredible job of recreating this imaginary world.

(HOGSMEADE GATE & BUILDINGS)

I was completely enamored by the surroundings as soon as I stepped through the towering gate. The buildings stood tall and were all made of stone. Capturing images of the structures was quite difficult due to the amount of tourists lining the streets. It was impossible to get photos without a hundred heads popping into the frame.

(SNOW ON THE ROOFTOPS IN HOGSMEADE)

One thing that I found particularly odd about the buildings was that they chose to adorn the rooftops with snow. In the summertime it just didn't seem to make much sense. However, I can see that being something special they could do in the wintertime.

(CANDY IN HONEYDUKES)

We stopped in a few of the stores that didn't have lines overflowing out the door. Zonko's Joke Shop & Honeydukes were the only ones we managed to peruse. I made a decision not to buy anything from the candy shop at the time, but I'm kicking myself now for not getting a chocolate toad or flavored beans.

(HOGWARTS CASTLE)

After making our way through the streets of Hogsmeade, we headed toward the Hogwarts castle to take a ride on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. After waiting outside in a long and windy line, we actually got to go inside the castle. My camera was in the locker, so I didn't get any pictures of the inside, but it was wicked awesome. The ride itself was equally awesome. Read more about them in a previous post: My Favorite Islands of Adventure Theme Park Rides.

(BUTTERBEER!)

Once we rode a couple rides in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and visited a couple of the shops, the only thing left for me to do was grab a cup of butterbeer! I patiently waited in a 15 minute line so I could get a taste. It was well worth the wait, too, because I loved it. The flavor reminded me of cream soda, and the foamy froth on top was sweet. I'd love to have another one right now!

The only downside to the WW of HP was the large amount of people. Other than that, the whole place was amazing, especially for someone who's enthralled by the Harry Potter stories. I'm dying to go back already!

If you had a magical power, what would it be?
Have you followed the Harry Potter books or movies?
 Please share in the comments!

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Local Restaurant Guide to Downtown Asheville, NC: Sweet Treats (Part 2)

(TRAY OF CUPCAKES @ SISTERS MCMULLEN)

Last week I published a blog post about some of our favorite restaurants in Downtown Asheville, NC. Part 1 of the Local Restaurant Guide to Downtown Asheville, NC included great places to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner. However, there was one crucial component to a well-rounded meal that I left out. There's only one thing left to do once you're sufficiently stuffed, and that's to have some dessert! I mean, there's always room for dessert, right?!

Well, when you have some great places to grab a sweet treat, it's easy to find some extra space in your belly. There were a couple of shops that Cody and I tried while in town, and I'd like to share them with you.

(BLACK FOREST CUPCAKE @ SISTERS MCMULLEN CUPCAKE CORNER)

For the Best Bakery: Sisters McMullen Cupcake Corner — This unassuming little nook sits on a busy corner across from Pack Square. If you blinked while walking by you just might miss it it's so tiny, but that would be a crying shame. On a whim, we popped in to see what they had available. The small glass case was full of yummy looking cupcakes that were too tempting to pass up. It was tough to decide on which one we'd share, but the Black Forest Cupcake caught our eye. I loved the cherry pie filling they used on top, and the icing was light and not too sweet. We devoured it in a matter of minutes! Had we not taken the last Black Forest Cupcake, I would have gotten another one to-go it was that delicious.

(SIPPING CHOCOLATE CUPS)

For the Best Sweet Shop: French Broad Chocolate Lounge — Any place that you walk into with a line that stretches to the door is obviously the place to be. Their menu is positively massive with all sorts of chocolately options to choose from, most of which I had never even heard of before. At some point while waiting in line I overheard a lady talking about a liquid truffle that she just had. A liquid truffle?! That's a new one. I had to try it! After browsing through the liquid truffle flavors available, I decided to go with the lavender and honey. Cody picked the cayenne and cinnamon. They came in a miniature coffee mug and were piping hot. I was surprised by the amount of chocolate we received. This ganache-based hot sipping chocolate was velvety-smooth and oh-so rich. I loved it. Next time, we'll share one, though, because they were very sweet. However, we both savored every last drop.

(CHOCOLATE CASE & BEER FLOAT @ FRENCH BROAD CHOCOLATE LOUNGE)

We loved this place so much that we visited again the next night. Mainly, because it was a neat little hangout, but also because I couldn't stop talking about the Lavender Crème Brulee that I passed up the previous evening. I'm so glad that we did go back, because it was incredible. The caramelized crust on top was done just right, and the custard had the perfect consistency. A faint hint of lavender made this one of the best crème brulee's I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. Cody tried a beer float served with either a stout or a porter. I can't recall. Anyhow, it was topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I don't usually like those dark beers, but they were a lot more appealing to me in float form. Even though Cody kept dipping into my crème brulee, he seemed to enjoy his beer float. I didn't think it was half bad either. We've actually talked  about trying to do something similar at home :D

Not only does Asheville have some great places to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but they also have some pretty awesome places to stop in for dessert.

Did any of these desserts spark your sweet tooth?

I know I could go for a cupcake right about now!

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A Glimpse of Asheville Architecture

I can't say that I'm a huge architecture buff, but I like to photograph cool looking buildings when I'm out and about exploring a city. Downtown Asheville, NC is home to a wide array of architectural wonders, so there are always interesting buildings that catch your eye when walking down the street. While the handful of images I captured of the unique structures aren't nearly as exhaustive as the pictures taken of the places we ate in Asheville, I still thought it might be fun to share a few that I did manage to get. 

What's your take on architecture? Is it something that interests you?
Please share in the comments or on the WW Facebook page!

If you'd like to learn more about Asheville's Architectural history, I would encourage you to visit the National Park Service website where an in depth essay can be found. It's pretty interesting stuff! Click here to read more.

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