Asheville, Revisited

We decided another to spend another day in Asheville, to explore the city once known as the "Paris of the South." It rained lightly on Saturday morning, but by the time we drove down the mountain and reached Asheville, the sun was shining. It was fun to see the famous Mountain Man neon sign on our way into town. (No, the photo is not backwards!)

We had some tasty dim sum for lunch at Red Ginger and then wandered around downtown. Asheville has an eclectic mix of clothing stores (some for hikers, others for hippies), jewelry stores, art galleries (converted from an old Woolworth and an old Kress store), and what I would call head shops (but Amy called smoke shops). There were plenty of other people there on this holiday weekend, enjoying the buskers' music and the sunny, breezy weather. Although we rarely saw anyone wearing masks outside, most shops still asked their patrons to please wear masks, and we were happy to comply.

It definitely feels different shopping now that everything we have with us must fit into our Z4. Normally we would browse the used bookstores, but this time it didn't really appeal. I did buy a jigsaw puzzle that I could assemble and then take apart and leave at the cabin for the next person. And we waited in line at Old Europe to get an assortment of pastries to enjoy later.

Restaurants were busy and booked, but we managed to get a table for dinner at Tupelo Honey, which is famous for its fried chicken and waffles. The waffles have macaroni and cheese in them. Really! I also recommend the rainbow bowl, with its beet hummus and fresh avocado, and the fried pickles, which were surprisingly good. We congratulated ourselves on another great day in Asheville.