48 hours in Asheville.
October 29, 2018 • jetsetter, my people
bridal veil falls, dupont state forest.
We spent the first weekend in October gallivanting around Asheville, and the mini vacay couldn't have come at a better time. We were drawn there initially for J's best buddy's wedding, but you better believe we extended the trip a couple days to deep dive into a sampling of what the Paris of the South has to offer. If you haven't had the joy of unwinding in this glorious place, go already! It is teeming with art and culture, insanely beautiful views, and ohhhh man, the food. And for you Nashville folks, it's a little over a four-hour-drive due east, and more than manageable for a weekend escape.
Here's a little of what we'd suggest:
Do:
Get outside. Hike somewhere! We started the weekend by driving down to Dupont State Forest (roughly an hour south from downtown) for a long morning hike to Bridal Veil Falls, and High Falls. Full disclaimer: long stretches of the path to Bridal Veil Falls are not so much a hike as they are a long walk on a gravel road. We took the puppies with us and they absolutely loved it. Fun fact: High Falls was featured in The Hunger Games!
It was about six miles roundtrip, the area is exceptionally maintained and the incline is minimal. The terrain that got tricky was right at Bridal Veil Falls, which a bulk of is actually submerged, and therefore super slick. Wear shoes with some grip if you've got 'em, although hiking boots might be overkill for six miles of mostly flat land. That said, there were several teensy pools of water that the pups were more than happy to trot down into to cool off and sip on.
Check out this awesome resource for hike-planning, which offers maps, reviews, photos and everything in between.
Last year on a girls' trip, we hiked Catawba Falls (on the west side of Asheville) and it was all kinds of enchanting--misty waterfalls, tons of glorious greenery and tall, tall trees--one thing to note: while the sites say they're dog-friendly, I wouldn't recommend bringing pups along, as there can be a lot of variation in incline and hiking difficulty, especially depending on the weather preceding your trip.
There are countless areas to savor some nature (albeit most require a little bit of a drive outside of town)--and from what I've seen, they're all totally worth the time and navigating.
Next up: downtown exploring! Pounding that pavement! Downtown Asheville is quickly rising as a culinary hotspot in the southeast, and it's so easy to see why: each shiny eatery staggering the street is hipper than the next. It's also really concentrated and walkable--most of the bustling restaurants are situated on Market Street or Biltmore Avenue.
Okay. Time to discuss food. Something we noticed from the get-go is that Asheville is all about some tapas. Bougie small plates are all the rage. With that in mind, we tried a couple, Sovereign Remedies and Curate.
brunch at curate.
Both were pretty delicious, although admittedly, and as a shock to no one... pretty small portions. The space at Sovereign Remedies was so warmly eclectic in a way only Asheville could claim--upon entry, seemingly a hipster's paradise, complete with street corner prime real estate, walls of bright windows, and expansive bar offerings covering a wall, from waist-high to the ceiling--but as you weave your way throughout the narrow labyrinth of hallways upstairs, you can't help but warm up at the scores of simple houseplants tucked in unassuming shelf corners, and the charmingly mismatched chairs circling a hodge podge of small tables.
At Sovereign Remedies, we had the crispy pig ears, bone marrow tater tots and the bavette steak, with the tots being a standout favorite... but nothing was super earth-shattering.
The location at Curate was a little neater, a little sleeker and brighter--in a Spanish villa meets old downtown building kinda way. Lots of rustic influence, richly warm hues, and a wide range of comfy seating, including gorgeously detailed tables, and an impressively wide, inviting bar area. Both locations boast those dreamy tall ceilings that are indicative of old buildings rescued for the sake of a new crowd. Clearly, I was equally as drawn to the aesthetics as I was the menus.
At Curate, we had brunch -- the pisto manchego con huevo (fried egg over a potato puree with a smattering of insanely tasty roasted veggies) for me and he had the huevos estrallados (baked egg over chorizo and a bed of roasted peppers and onions).
Other places that remain on our list for the next trip are:
Cucina 24
Bull and Beggar
The Admiral
Nightbell (also a Katie Button restaurant--she is the brainchild behind Curate)
Limones
Rhubarb
White Duck Taco Shop
Buxton Hall
Posana
Tacobilly
Luella's BBQ
Smoky Park Supper Club
Also! We passed time between ceremony and reception at Pack's Tavern--a great bar downtown to take in a game (ahem, or in our case... to watch UT give OU the business).
Asheville has a strong brunch game too. We braved an early Saturday morning foray to Hole Doughnuts, rated Bon Appetit's 2016 best dessert--with very good reason. Their standard vanilla glazed was unreal.
toasted sesame and honey doughtnut at hole.
Other breakfast/brunch suggestions we read a lot about:
Vortex Doughtnuts
Biscuit Head
Over Easy
Early Girl Eatery
There are a ton of coffee shops tucked here and there, and we found Trade & Lore at the top of a lot of lists. To be honest, we skipped into the location while strolling through downtown, stood for 5-10 minutes with no movement in the line, and debated that we weren't really hankering for coffee badly enough to keep waiting on staff that didn't seem super concerned with serving their clientele.
Some sweet shops that you absolutely need to try out are Sunshine Sammies (outrageous ice cream sandwiches) and Kiliwin's -- a magical chocolatier. Get the turtles and chocolate covered oreos. We went to The Hop for ice cream and it was fairly underwhelming. French Broad Chocolate was also at the top of a lot of lists, but we didn't make it there. Next time!
kiliwin's goodness.
sunshine sammie situation.
Finally... the brews.
We spent ample time at Burial, Wicked Weed and Sierra Nevada--all very different breweries, all fabulous atmospheres. Sierra Nevada is a bit south of town, so plan accordingly. It's basically a compound near the airport--there's a full restaurant, gift shop and you can tour the space (we didn't). Wicked Weed and Burial are much more quaint--walkable to each other, downtown, and dog-friendly (I think most--if not all--of the breweries in Asheville love them some pups). Grab a flight, settle in and chat with a stranger.
sierra nevada boasts some good offerings.
stellar outdoor seating at burial.
Sidenote: when I went on my girls' trip, we also visited the Funkatorium (Wicked Weed) and Hi-Wire, which I also remember both being great.
One more thing worth noting--some of the coolest little haunts in Asheville are bookstores. Malaprops is a fantastic stop downtown, full of the latest and greatest, along with lots of quirky gifts too. There's a coffee bar off to the side, and oh yeah--dog friendly too. I am over the moon that Asheville is such a pup-friendly locale!
One stop we didn't have time to make is the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar. Literature and bubbles. No further explanation necessary.
In true hipster city form, Asheville has a ton of insta-worthy murals and artsy photo ops--lots of which are in the River Arts District.
As far as lodging goes, we chose to airbnb at a great cabin in the woods, just 15 minutes south of downtown, but if you've ever discussed Asheville in your life, you've heard of the Biltmore Estate (the wedding reception took place in one of the many, many buildings there and it was all kinds of magnificent). One more worth splurging on is the Grove Park Inn. Oh my gosh. Google it.
And if that's not enough for ya, feel free to check out my pinterest board for a little more inspiration!
Up next: Austin and central Texas this week!
just some things.
October 22, 2018 • just some things
- Repeat after me: "there are still good people in the world."
- My go-to line when I hug my girls after hosting them has turned into a book. Looking forward to reading this one.
- I've been making my own version of this salad lately, and we can't get enough. Perfect roughage for fall, and easy, easy to take to those potlucks.
- Another heart-wrenching tale of how someone is spending her numbered days.
- Are you watching The Romanoffs? Thoughts?
- Do yourself a favor and spend 15 minutes watching Natalie Portman give the business to the patriarchy.
- Grab your Kleenex. Way to go, Nike.
- Lucky me, my Texas girls are having babes left and right... clutch timing for me to scoop one of these up. Or 12.
- When the gray autumn days permeate your mood, join me in daydreaming about where to jetset next when you take your next vacay.
- All kinds of adorable, GW.
Have a great week, y'all!
I could quote the Anne of Green Gables line, but I'll spare you as you've all heard it a million times anyway. I mentioned this on an instagram post earlier today, but the control-loving, orderly and structured side of me is giddy over the idea that tomorrow ushers in a new day, new week, new month. I've been eagerly anticipating October for a while, largely due to our many autumn-oriented plans. Here's a teaser of what's on deck for me:
What do you have going on in October??
Also, I want to thank each and every one of you who took time out of your day to read this post, and reach out to me with so much love and warmth. It means more to me than you realize, and I am so very assured that the world we're living in is evolving for the better day-by-day due to the tender love and care, and utter refusal to accept anything but a better tomorrow by folks like you. Thank you.
so, here's the thing...
September 27, 2018 • dig a little deeper, worth a read
Well. Today was miserable.
The gradual build-up of the last few weeks to today's senate hearings has been static in the background of my news feed, but this morning, it forced its way to the immediate center of my focus. I couldn't shield my eyes from Christine Blasey Ford's exceptionally compelling testimony, nor could I stomach the entitled, whiny rebuttal offered by Kavanaugh. I've wanted with all of my being to believe that we've come so far, that in the midst of the #metoo movement, we've plowed past the days of Anita Hill, we're on the up-and-up, that we as women are unveiling an unstoppable, collective voice--that we are a force to be reckoned with, and we've finally earned the right to be believed, to be supported, to be equals.
But as I sift through my Twitter feed, and read confirmation after confirmation of politicians still planning to confirm Kavanaugh's seat, I am numb with devastation. How is this the country we live in? What have we been fighting for?
I was raped during the first week of my sophomore year of college. He was an acquaintance, and there had been drinking involved. In the immediate aftermath, I fell into the darkest of depressions, resulting in bruised relationships, a failed year of classes, and ultimately, the robbing of a piece of my soul and identity, never to fully be regained.
I've considered time and again whether writing about my trauma would be cathartic--especially in light of the endless scandal at my alma mater and the ongoing echoing of women who have experienced what I have and much worse--but was never convinced that sharing would offer any sort of healing or benefit for me. Tonight, I've been ushered over that threshold, and feel compelled to admit the absolute worst experience I've ever endured, because after years of expensive therapy, countless anti-depressants, the deepest of conversations and more gut-busting tears than I could ever count, a full decade later, I know it's not my fault. One of my best friends served as a sort of inspiration for me to share my story. She wrote about the way she's processed the #metoo movement for Cherry Bombe, and it's an exceptional piece.
I echo her exact sentiments with this line, and therefore won't attempt to craft it any more poetically: "it has been exhausting and, while cathartic for many, I am tired of women having to lay bare their deepest pain for people to finally take harassment and assault seriously."
I still doubt my own voice, which is utterly and completely wrong, but I blame the environment we exist in. While I don't believe someone should be required to have their body, dignity and safety violated to have an opinion on this matter, I absolutely believe that having experienced this gives me perspective that I likely wouldn't otherwise have.
Watching Ford shakily give her story stirred within me a suppressed anger that has been building steadily for most of my adult life. Make no mistake: the woman is a hero. I read a tweet a week or so ago that stated how she knew her life would be decimated beyond measure, that the lives of her beloved family would be completely upended, and yet she faced the senate committee to face demons that have no doubt haunted her for her entire adult life as well. While my strong, sick suspicion is that tomorrow's vote will result in Kavanaugh being voted in, I have to find the slightest inkling of hope in that Ford stood her ground, she refused to be silenced--and by the looks of Twitter and other news sources--the woman is believed! Our country is just so backward that the privileged, white boy is getting what he wants anyway.
Here's what else I absolutely know:
This happens entirely more often than you want to believe. In varying degrees, to women (and men) of all ages, backgrounds, races. In high school parties, church camps, at concerts, with friends, boyfriends, husbands. I can't tell you how many times the topic has bubbled up in conversation with girlfriends over wine--there's a reason the hashtag reads "me too."
The crystal clear clarity of some memories never escapes your mind. While thirty-plus years have passed since their incident, and ten-plus have passed since mine, I still remember the new jeans I was wearing. I still remember the texts he sent as I rushed out of the house. I still remember sobbing in the shower when I got home, sick in disbelief. I still remember the sunlight cutting through my blinds at early dawn, me wishing the night away. The fact that it happened on my brother's birthday. Breaking down about it to a total stranger the night of a Halloween party at my apartment. Some memories bury themselves deep within the folds of your mind.
I believe you, Dr. Ford. I have to believe the tides are turning, that with every voice that shakily emerges from the depth of our collective, forced silence, we're trudging on. That we're changing the narrative, and that there is immense strength in our sharing. I have to believe this.
Keep fighting, ladies. I am with you. So many are fighting alongside you. And America, I'm just beyond disappointed. And I have no doubt this will factor into voters' decisions here in about six weeks.
Tomorrow, we wake up and try again.
suggestions, please!
September 16, 2018 • up next
weekend, I love you.
so, now I come to you, asking for help. we're jetsetting a little bit in october and november, and would love any suggestions you have for what we need to embrace in asheville, austin and san francisco!
I grew up an hour north of austin, and know the touristy high points. so what I'm asking for here is what you would absolutely push us to see/do/eat, knowing we'll be there for less than 24 hours. is there anything new-ish (within the past five years) that would be life-changing for us to experience?
october is taking us to asheville for a wedding weekend, so we're jazzed to do all of the hiking and brewery bouncing. we've been to sierra nevada, wicked weed, hi-wire, burial... and we know the biltmore is beautiful and all, but please! all brewery/coffeehouse/unique hike suggestions welcomed!
and november will usher us out to san francisco--mostly so J can attend a work conference, but I'll have a lot of solo time, and we'd love to know your eatery/coffee/bookstore recs especially.
I will always gravitate more toward hole-in-the-wall establishments, and tend to avoid the mainstream "top ___ dinners" lists that anyone can google from their phone. so, the more obscure or tucked away, the better.
thank you, thank you, thank you! now, feel free to go about your weekends.
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