Asheville, NC

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Sam
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Asheville, NC

Post by Sam »

Visited this lovely town over the weekend. Was thinking that there was nothing more than the Biltmore Estate. So wrong! The men's and women's conference tournament for schools in basketball - Samford was one along with Furman - was in town. Downtown was packed. Anyway, the downtown was walkable and was filled with artisans, shops, boutiques and restaurants. And it seems every eatery had a brewery next to it. I promise, at least six breweries. And each one had like 6 as a minimum of beers they brewed. Tried a rye ale for the first time (excellent), a Saison (not my cup of tea) and Catawba Brewery launched that weekend a peanut butter and jelly beer (peanuts and raspberry notes) and it smelled just as it is labeled.

Summer would be fun, you could walk all day, visit exhibits and stores, see art on display and for sale and eat like no one's business. Tupelo Honey, wow, great lunch. And Curate, my first authentic Spanish Tapas bar. Memphis, we have Mexican tapas and while good, could not hold a candle to this place. Canneloni's with beef and chicken liver ( I Know, but you could not tell if I did not tell you beforehand) and a bechamel sauce - scrumptuous. Summer I will go back. They have river arts district and you raft a bit, get off, get a beer, walk, raft some more, float to the next brewery, drink a beer.

About an eight hour drive from Memphis, and the hills (Smoky Mountains) between Knoxville and Asheville make the drive nice, but yet, so curvy
Gene
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by Gene »

Ah, Sam, I lived in Atlanta for 22 years, and always enjoyed going to Asheville.

I didn't get as much of it visited as you did, but I agree the area is beautiful! Wife and I drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway for a while, too ... and it is simply amazing!
Gene

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Kyle76
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by Kyle76 »

Sam, we had one of our best meals ever at Curate. We trusted the waiter to keep bringing selections, along with pitchers of sangria. It can be a tough spot to get into. Asheville has become a huge food location, in addition to artists' colony and music mecca. A very bohemian vibe downtown with galleries and street performers. The Grove Park Inn has hosted presidents, celebrities and royalty in its long history and boasts the best spa I've ever been to (granted, that's not a huge number). The inn on Biltmore Estate is a great way to stay on that huge property. The city is a great place to visit.
Jim
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Squire
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by Squire »

It's a great place Sam, glad you liked visiting there. Like Austin and Portland, Asheville has grown into something unique. One of the Country's high spots (pun intended) and on my short list of places to retire if I ever decide to settle on a permanent address.
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Squire
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by ShadowsDad »

Sounds like an interesting place
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by brothers »

It sounds like a very pleasant place to visit. I have noticed during our driving vacations that there is a difference between the "tourist attraction" location and the less noticeable area of a city where the stable residents actually live and work year in and year out. As I read Sam's description I'm thinking after a day or two I'd be growing quite weary, and wishing my wife would hurry up and say she wants to go home. :)
Gary

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fallingwickets
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by fallingwickets »

back to matters of real import: whats the shaving shop scene like in asheville???? :D :D

clive

p.s. Squire, I have recently started to look into moving to more temperate locales....NC because of taxes etc, comes up on the list of not so good places to pitch a tent!
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Gene
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by Gene »

fallingwickets wrote:p.s. Squire, I have recently started to look into moving to more temperate locales....NC because of taxes etc, comes up on the list of not so good places to pitch a tent!

Plenty of room for you in Texas!!

I think you would like Austin or San Antonio.
Gene

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
Mark Twain

"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Alan Moore
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Squire
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by Squire »

fallingwickets wrote: . . . . Squire, I have recently started to look into moving to more temperate locales....NC because of taxes etc, comes up on the list of not so good places to pitch a tent!
More than 60 breweries within an easy drive . . . Clive.
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Squire
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Squire
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by Squire »

Gene wrote:
fallingwickets wrote:
Plenty of room for you in Texas!!

I think you would like Austin or San Antonio.

Kerrville is on my short list as well.
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Squire
Gene
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by Gene »

Kerrville is nice. Small town out west of San Antonio. There is a lot of Germanic heritage in that area - Between Kerrville, Fredericksburg - lots of the towns. Fredericksburg is the home of Chester Nimitz, and there is a museum there I really want to visit - they even have a WW II PT boat on static display.

Fred
Gene

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
Mark Twain

"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Alan Moore
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by brothers »

We've been to Fredricksburg twice in the past few years. I can easily see myself living there. The people are remarkable and the World War II museum is first class and extremely well done. They also have on display one of the Japanese mini-submarines that were present during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The one they have was found washed ashore and abandoned after the attack. It was used in fund-raising around the country during the war. They have photos of it taken in old downtown Fredricksburg on one of the fund-raising rallies.
Gary

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Squire
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by Squire »

40 some odd years ago I was kicking around the Texas Hill Country with my then girlfriend (who was reared in New Braunfels) when some of the old timers told me on the QT they believed God himself created the area for his personal vacation spot.
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Squire
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Kyle76
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by Kyle76 »

Squire, Texans seem to think some godawful country is beautiful, as long as it's in Texas.
Jim
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Squire
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Re: Asheville, NC

Post by Squire »

Jim I've also heard them wax poetic about the Big Bend country which I view as a perfect home for scorpions.
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Squire
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