Frank says it's full of hippies and lesbians, but there's also tons of art, outdoor activities and lots of beer - they've got 5 local breweries! We wanted to go kayaking or white water rafting while we were there, but it was a bit too chilly still. We did a lot of wandering around downtown, checking out the shops and whatnot. Downtown is totally walkable, which was nice are there's tons of cute stores and galleries to check out. We went to the Biltmore one day and to the Arboretum, more about those below. We will probably go back, as we'd like to go camping and do some kayaking. A lot of the locals were friendly and the beer was plentiful.
It was great to get away and spend some non domestic time together. We got along really well and had a lot of fun together, save the last evening when Frank started to get cranky and whined about driving and being stuck in the car, but he always gets like that when it's time to go home (especially if he's driving!). :-)
So, below will be a review of places we stayed/drank/ate/drank/went/drank/ate, etc.
Bent Creek Lodge: Great location tucked into the woods, simple comfortable room, fabulous homemade breakfast in the morning (we had quiche, blueberry granola pancakes and omelettes all served w/ fresh fruit and bread and bacon or ham). The grounds are beautiful w/ lovely walking trails and gardens. Right by the arboretum and the Blue Ridge Parkway, took us about 10 min. to drive into downtown Asheville.
Biltmore Estate: We almost didn't go, as it's $45 per person, but we did and while I don't think we'll go again, it was great. We did the self guided tour and the one thing I regret is that we didn't spend the extra $8 or so for the audio tour. I think we would've enjoyed it more if we had. However, the house is amazing and the art and furniture was sooo freaking cool. I'm glad we went on a rainy morning 'cause it wasn't really crowded when we arrived, but was starting to get packed when we left. We also went to the Winery 'cause a self guided tour and tasting are included in your ticket price. It was pretty neat & I found the wine tasty. The wine shop after the tasting has some really great stuff in it too! Aside from that, we drove through some of the gardens and the property...it's really quite stunning. If the weather had been better we would've considered grabbing a bottle of wine or two and some snacks and lounging about the grounds w/a picnic!
Arboretum: The arboretum is beautiful. it's free on Tuesdays, otherwise it's $6 to park and you can come and go all day. There are tons of walking/hiking/biking trails, a variety of gardens and some great wooded areas for picnics and relaxing. The bonsai garden is really freaking cool, but my favorite thing is that there were butterflies everywhere! Now, you can take free guided tours or wander around on your own, but Frank and I like our nature walks to be a little more interesting, so we did the SEGWAY tour. That's right, we rode Segway's through the lush Arboretum and it rocked! We learned a lot of cool stuff, saw a lot of beautiful nature and had a blast hauling through the woods on Segways. It was $45 per person, but totally worth it!
We tried to go take a tour of a brewery, but we were there too early in the day. If we go back, we'll definitely back secure plans to do so.
12 Bones Barbeque: We heard so many great reviews about this place that we went out of our way to make it on our last day. They're only open for lunch and we were always so full still from breakfast that we kept skipping it. We went about 2pm on Thursday and had to wait about 15 minutes or so in line! Be warned: the place is small and crowded, not fancy at all. We sat out back on a picnic table adorned w/ a giant napkin dispenser. :-) We ordered a full rack of ribs w/ the chili ginger sauce and also a beef brisket plate - we also got horseradish mashed potatoes, buttery garlic green beans, vinegar slaw, cucumber salad and cornbread! Whew! We had a ton of food. The ribs and sauce we awesome and so were all the sides. Our biggest disappointment was the beef brisket. It was just not good at all - no flavor and a weird texture. They had a bunch of local brews on tap too. Overall, we would head back again sometime for the ribs, and would recommend it to others, but we received more hype about it than we thought it was worth.
Cost of 2 meals & 2 big drafts: $35
Salsas: This Mexican/Caribbean restaurant was the best meal we had during our trip. It's a hole in the wall place on Patton, smack in the middle of downtown. It's tiny and crowded and the service rather sucked. However, the food was awesome and the margaritas we tasty! Frank and I both had specials of the day - I had a dish that was a giant roasted plantain topped w/ mahi-mahi then stuffed w/ crab meat, also on the plate was roasted brie (I passed) and 2 different kinds of awesome salsa. Frank had a curry grilled lamb burrito stuffed w/ goodness. We also got chips and 3 of their 10 different salsas: tomatillo/cilantro, guacamole, and a chipotle something or other. The portions were HUGE. I wish we'd been able to take our leftovers 'cause it was sooo good. Cost of app, 2 meals, 2 margs: $75
The Lobster Trap: This is another place that we heard tons about, so we had to check it out. Weeeeellllll....we were a little disappointed. The bisque was awesome, the sourdough baguette was good and dinner was ok. I got lobster and steak and the lobster was tasty, but the steak kind of sucked. Frank got the "double lobstah". Don't get me wrong, the lobster meat was awesome, but we weren't expecting the WHOLE lobster to arrive on our plates, so the place lost a bit of appeal for us there & lobster insides are really, really, really gross. I think if we'd been prepared for that it wouldn't have been so bad. We'd probably go back, but would request that they crack and clean the lobster for us. Total cost of soup, bread and dinner: $110.
Bier Garden: We went here two afternoons in a row for drinks. They've got a great beer selection & who doesn't love a place that has Guiness listed as an appetizer!? They also have some killer Vidalia Cider Soup. Friendly staff, good location, great beer, reasonable prices.
Thirsty Monk: A funky little bar serving awesome beer all done in the Belgian style. They also serve baguette sandwiches, a cheese plate, and a chocolate plate. Pricey, but awesome. A great place to stop for a few if you're a beer lover.
Yacht Club: We stopped in here one evening for a drink. Fun place, good location, we didn't eat there, but the menu looks great, friendly staff.
Jack of the Wood: Funky little pub in the heart of downtown. Good variety of local brews, decent prices. We ate here our first night in town and I wish we'd held out and eaten at the Yacht Club instead. We had fish and chips and shepherds pie, both of which were ok. In a town with so much food it's disappointing to have a mediocre dinner. So, stop by for a few beers and some live music, but have dinner somewhere else.
Barleys: Great taproom! They've got 55 beers on tap and some good pizza to go along with them. A great variety of local brews and national favorites. This place is huge w/ a downstairs dining room and bar (non smoking) and an upstairs bar w/ 4 pool tables and 5 dart lanes. This was a great place for hanging out, drinking and meeting people.
That's all for now, if I remember anything else I'll post it. Ahhh, it was great to get away!
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