Visiting Asheville
After the Holidays, we landed in Asheville, North Carolina. I have always wanted to visit Asheville. Ben has been, but not me. I thought I would fall in love. I did not. It was a cool city, and there were plenty of things to love. That butterfly in your tummy feeling just did not wash over me.
We stayed at an RV Park that was on the French Broad River Trail. It was a fantastic trail for biking. There was so much green space and it was crazy that we were in the city of Asheville. It reminded me a bit of New Orlean’s simply in the fact that you could find such great parks in such a busy area. Very close to us, we found a bike loop and playground and the kids were instantly in love. But, the same thing that was great for us, was also not so great.
Picture this: You arrive at your campsite. You must back in your 36 foot fifth wheel. You must do this while bikers, walkers, skaters, joggers and lookie loos are directly in the path that your truck must turn into in order to back up. Oh, the ground is also sopping wet and muddy from weeks of rain and no sunshine. Did I mention it is only the second time you have had to back in to a space? Fun right?
Needless to say, the upside to the RV park with the river view, was also the downside. It was completely open to the public. Se la vie. We loved the paths and used them daily.
We were only in town for 4 days, and after parking the RV with an audience that would wow Lady Gaga, we were ready to see the sights. We wandered in West Asheville to see what was what. It was very hip and artsy, but lots of shops were closed because of our timing. We started looking for venues with outdoor seating to eat at came upon Itto Ramen and Tapas. The food was good, well priced and we all laughed a lot. The kids found a comic shop that I had to promise they could come visit later in the week – and they know if I actually promise, I will follow through.
The next day, after our bike ride, we did manage to do a walking tour of Asheville. Ben and I have long held the belief that when in a city, you walk and enter anything that calls out to you. We’ve had some of our best trips that way. However, it’s a little different with children and occasionally a dog in tow. Now, I try to find self-guided walking tours for points of interest. I found a scavenger hunt (do a search and you’ll find 20) and decided that was a good starting point. We didn’t get far. Kids were cold, we were hungry and there was a lot of complaining. Post Holiday melt downs, it happens. We did hit a few spots of historical interest and then found our way to yummy Tupelo Honey. We sat on the heated patio and had the place to ourselves. Their fried chicken is amazing! Highly recommend it!
Homeschool started up on Monday and we spent our time near the campsite. Grandfather Mountain was on our list, but snow kept us from visiting. We thought we would make it to the Biltmore, but it did not happen. Tickets for the lights were very pricey and we were all worn out after the holidays. We just didn’t have the motivation to make it happen. I’m sure we’ll be back someday and I can tell you about it then.
