asheville, north carolina

Asheville was a pit stop on the way to Cherokee, NC, so we only spent a couple of hours there. We walked around the downtown area, stopping for dinner at a Southern kitchen called Tupelo Honey. Biscuits, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, grits, and mac n'cheese. When in Rome, right?

As we gorged ourselves on fried food and local brews on the patio, we witnessed much of Asheville's vibrance. A man with a boa constrictor around his neck, a dog on a bicycle, and a car covered in glued-on baby doll heads are just a few of the residents that passed by us, certainly doing their part to "Keep Asheville Weird." All the while, the sound of drums grew louder and louder, and we knew we had to pay the bill and check out the drum circle across the street. 

We stayed and watched the park fill with more and more drummers, all greeting each other with familiarity, as it was clear that this was a regular occurrence. Then, we crossed another street to have a drink at The Times Bar. This was at the recommendation of my cousin who lives in Asheville. She was supposed to come meet us, but ended up getting rear-ended on the way over. Super unfortunate, but at least no one was hurt. 

We finished our espresso martinis and were ready to get back on the road. Asheville wasn't going to let us go without something to remember her by (something more than the fridge magnet we bought). On the way back to the car, I stepped in a pile of poop in the middle of the sidewalk. I really hoped it was from a dog. A parking ticket was waiting on our windshield when we returned, because the two hours of metered parking we'd paid for had run out just 20 minutes before the paid parking hours ended. No mercy. Thanks, Asheville.