Advertisement
Published: August 22nd 2009
Edit Blog Post
The Road to Asheville
The 4-hour drive to Asheville was filled with breath-taking views of the mountains. We heard so many stories, so many opinions, so many people who said, "You HAVE to go to Asheville!" When Allen asked me a week ago if I wanted to go on a road trip, I didn't hesitate. At that moment, our getaway became what we have called a "Yes Trip." Anything that comes our way, we have vowed to greet with open arms.
Having left our puppy, Misma, in the warm and loving care of Guille and Cris, we set off on our adventure. During the beautiful four hour drive, Allen connected his phone to Wikipedia and we revived an old tradition from our touring days. We took some time to read up on our new destination and learn as much as we could to help us provide context for the world we were about to enter.
Based solely on the numbers, the statistics, the words in the Wikipedia entry, we wondered if perhaps we had been set up for disappointment. We wondered what the big deal was and if perhaps, the mountain air held some sort of bizarre effect that we couldn't foresee. We had no idea! We should have known during the drive that the most
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
We were greeted in Asheville by this beautiful sight. important things are in between the lines. A couple of hours into the drive, we were passed on the mountain road by a car toting a "New Zealand Vietnam Vet" bumper sticker, followed by a caravan of AARP cadillacs, topped off by a bright red striped race car going an even 60 mph to stay within the speed limit! When we hit the Asheville valley, a storybook rainbow crossed the sky.
We arrived at the amazing Firestone House where Jenna greeted us with a short tour of our home away from home. She expressed her relief that the rain had stayed away despite the 80% chance in the forecast. It seems that we have been blessed because despite all of the weather warnings, we have seen nothing but blue skies!
We ventured out into the famous Downtown Asheville for a dip into organic, sustainable city living. The first thing we saw was an amazing drum circle that gathers once a week in a small urban park. Folks from all over the area come into town with their drums and lights to dance and celebrate and rejoice in being alive. Every corner we turned held a different busker (street
The Firestone House
Our home away from home. Check out VRBO.com for more info. musician.) Restaurants were packed, families gathering with little ones on their hip or in a stroller. Couples with broad smiles and people of all ages, colors and sizes crowded the streets. Art galleries, live music, clear night air... we had NO idea!!
Imagine our surprise, when as we walked down Lexington Avenue, we ran into our next door neighbor... from Gainesville! Raamy and her husband were also away for the weekend exploring Asheville. After sharing warm greetings and amazement at seeing each other, we bid farewell and turned down one of the bustling downtown streets to explore more of the Art Deco architecture. As we recently learned, Asheville is one of the greatest surviving treasures of Art Deco, surpassed only by Miami. But the story of how these beautiful buildings were preserved nearly surpasses their magnificence. It turns out that Asheville was nearly devastated by the Great Depression because the city had taken out over $50 million in loans and bonds. When the Great Depression hit, all six of the city's banks failed-- on the same day! The only bank to survive was Wachovia, which was financed by Northern investments and which stands to this day overlooking the beautiful mountain town. While other cities continued their skyward and outward expansion, the citizens of Asheville were determined to pay back their loans and did so over a period of 50 years. This, as it turns out, became the great salvation for the art deco buildings as they did not fall victim to the hands of "progress."
Intrigued by the pleasant smiles of happy couples and families, encouraged by the sighting of zero-emission police vehicles and entertained by countless street musicians (literally on every corner!), we ducked in and out of the local shops and galleries. We encountered a hillbilly waltz band, a fiddle player, a saxophone player, a snare drum statue (female drummer painted head to toe in silver and apparently coin-operated) and a puppeteer band!
Asheville, it seems, is a safe haven for local businesses. After nearly three hours of walking, through a bustling downtown where nearly every restaurant was full, the only sign of corporate America we found was the sight of a closed Subway. Among the stores that caught our eye were The Nest - sustainable living for your home, a local store with handmade and organic clothing for the whole family, an art gallery with stunning quilts, and a corner building shaped like a flat iron with an enormous flat iron statue in front.
Tempted by the various local eateries, we followed our tummies to Kampai Sushi and Thai, where we enjoyed out-of-this world Chicken Pad Thai and 3 (!) rolls of sushi for under $30. Clearly, Asheville's culinary renown is well-deserved.
So much excitement, so many sights and sounds reminded us that this was just our first day and that we needed to pace ourselves. With happy hearts, full bellies, and lungfuls of refreshing mountain air, we made our way home.
Stay tune for more about Asheville, including the Sunny Point Cafe, more downtown, and so much more...
Advertisement
Tot: 0.066s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 6; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0429s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Ricki
non-member comment
Sign us up!
Woo! Sign us up for the next road trip to enchanted places with eco-friendly living and happy families. Have an awesome weekend. Love you.