Beer, Tiny Roads, and Lightening Bugs

We are freshly home from vacationing in Asheville, NC.  What's in Asheville, NC, you ask? Well, before this weekend I didn't really have any idea. The location was picked via a poll between my cousins to decide where our first 'cousin trip' would be held.  Honestly, I'm not sure I would have ever thought to go to Asheville otherwise.

But, I'm really glad we did go.

For one, North Carolina is a beautiful state. We flew into Charlotte and drove the two hours Northwest to Asheville.  I-40 into Asheville is a breathtaking welcome to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The weather was perfect while we were there. Cooler in the morning, not overly hot for the rest of the day, and the humidity was at a very tolerable level for us. I'm not sure if I've ever seen lightening bugs before this trip. If I have, it was a very long time ago and I do not remember it.  West Texas does not have lightening bugs. I don't even LIKE bugs but I was thoroughly enchanted by the magical little creatures. 

 And there are so many trees. Like all of the trees. Big, tall, green trees. Every where. I loved the change of scenery. However, after so many days up a mountain, surrounded by a whole bunch of really tall trees...I was really missing the wide open skies of home. They don't call Texas big sky country for nothing. In North Carolina you can't tell if there is a house, store, or naked hippie commune right off the road, for the trees. All you see are trees.

Lets talk about driving around in a town that is on a mountain.  Amusement park roller coaster rides have nothing on the roads of Asheville, NC. The roads to our Airbnb were heart stopping. Actually, I wouldn't even call them roads. They are the size of alleys. Sharply inclining alleys with hair pin turns with sharp drop offs. Honestly I'm not sure how some of those people get up out of their driveways. It kept my adrenaline pumping every time we were in the car. My cousin Briana was our driver and she did a fantastic job getting us around.

Our Airbnb was the upstairs section of a larger house. The owner and his son live in the downstairs section. It was just the right size for us, although the one bathroom was a bit of a pinch sometimes. The beds were super comfy. The towels were clean. And although the kitchen did not have an oven, there was fresh coffee beans and a grinder for coffee every morning.  There were no TV's, but every window made you feel like you were in a tree house and there was a deck of cards which we took full advantage of.

We visited the Biltmore Estate. The ticket price might make you feel faint, but we spent a large chunk of our day on the estate and the ticket comes with a complimentary wine tasting, so I feel like you get your moneys worth.  The house itself is ostentatious. I don't think I will ever wrap my head around living with that much wealth and doing things simply because you can. My favorite part of the house was the large covered outdoor sitting area with beautiful mountain views. I enjoyed strolling the grounds way more than touring the house. There weren't nearly as many people to contend with in the gardens. And oh'ing and aw'ing over flowers rather than looking at another sitting room is way more my style.

We rode on a LaZoom comedy tour, which was a lot of fun. It was a great way to learn a little about Asheville and see a bunch of it, in a short amount of time.  Our tour guide was really funny and entertaining. The skits performed along the way kept us all laughing. Their lounge room is super funky and comfortable, a great place to hang out and have a few drinks before your tour starts.

We spent time at Highland Brewing Company, where I promptly turned the lights out in the ladies restroom and scared the crap out of everyone (possibly literally). I leaned against the light switch while waiting my turn. Everyone had a laugh about it, that's how things seem to go in Asheville. It just happened to be Reggae Sunday, which suited our party just fine. We hung out outside, sitting in the soft, sticker free grass, listening to great live reggae music.  They had one cider option (for me, the one and only non-beer drinker on the trip), and it was very tasty. The food truck served tamales and empanadas.  Everyone was enjoying themselves and dancing to the music. It was fabulous.

Overall, Asheville put a spell on me. The roads might be tiny (and uphill....everything is uphill in Asheville), but the spirit of Asheville is huge. You can definitely feel the magic of the place...or maybe its just all the beer.

Milestones and Memories

Jeremy texted me recently with 'I want to get you a Mustang for your 40th birthday' (I'll turn 40 next year).  I've been dreaming of getting a Ford Mustang for many years now, but I've never been able to justify the purchase in my mind.  Don't ask me why...I guess I always convinced myself that it wasn't practical. And also I'm the queen of talking myself out of buying anything frivolous or not desperately necessary.

Getting a Mustang to mark my 40th birthday sounds like a lot of fun. And it got me thinking about what other things I have wanted, but never allowed myself to have. To be honest, I couldn't come up with a whole lot of physical things. What can I say, I'm a simple girl who doesn't want for much in the way of material possessions.  Instead what kept coming to mind are experiences and travel.

I want to eat beignets and get covered in powered sugar in New Orleans. I want to go witch watching in Salem. I want to enjoy the cherry blossoms and visit the National Museum of Natural History in D.C. I want to watch fish being tossed at Pike Place Market, buy fresh flowers from a street vendor, and visit the kitty café in Seattle.  I want to eat a Czech kolache in West, TX.  I want to pick my own flowers at Krugers Farm on Sauvie Island. I want to eat Voodoo doughnuts. I want to walk among the Redwoods in Northern CA and visit the Garden of Fragrance in San Francisco.  I want to hunt for pirates in St. Petersburg, FL and hunt for elves in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  I want to go back to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. I want to collect some driftwood on a beach on the Northwest Coast.

I want to visit old churches and grand universities. I want to walk the streets that our founding fathers walked. I want to go to quirky museums, dedicated to odd things. I want to wonder through book stores. I want to visit beautiful gardens.

And don't even get me started on Scotland. I am going to get there someday!

Maybe I'll get to do and see and eat all the things...all while cruising in my new mustang. Who knows....

But for now, we are visiting Asheville, NC at the end of July. I've never been to North Carolina so I'm very excited. There is a pinball museum in downtown Asheville that I have my eye on. And a trip to the Asheville Arboretum is on the schedule. 

Here's to milestone birthdays, dream cars, new experiences, and making memories.