When I go to visit, nine times out of ten, we fly into Atlanta, then drive three and a half hours north to my mom's house, or stop at Scotty's parents about an hour and a half north of the airport in Georgia.
And this year, we were able to be there for Christmas!
Mom got a Christmas tree from the farmer's market and we decorated it together on Christmas Eve using the ornaments she gave my brother and I each year.
Success!
My brother showed us the new and entertaining game, "cat-catching-with-a-paper-bag". We may have also played Scrabble like normal people...
We also made it to Gainesville for a Christmas Eve dinner with Scotty's mom and his brother's family. And on Christmas, Scotty's mom drive all the way up to meet my mom and spend the day with us in North Carolina.
After leaving my mom's house, we drove back to Georgia to stay with Scotty's dad and step-mom before departing for Dominican Republic.
In all, we spent about a week combined in both North Carolina and Georgia.
Here are some of the many fun things to do in and around Asheville:
1. Visit the Folk Art Center
Mom took me here on my first visit to see her in Asheville. Everything is so beautiful and it's really refreshing to browse and buy things that were handcrafted and made with care.
Plus, you're supporting local communities and artists, promoting sustainability, and cultural traditions. And admission is free!
2. Travel the Blue Ridge Parkway and visit Chimney Rock State Park
"Going for a drive" reaches a whole new level of entertainment in Western NC and northern Georgia. Talk about gorgeous country. Here are some photos of our past outings in the area:
Tallulah Gorge State Park
Tallulah Gorge, Northern Georgia, October 28, 2011
It's long way down!
Chimney Rock State Park
View from Chimney Rock, NC- October 27, 2011
That's a big rock!
One thing to be aware of is the not-so-cheap entrance fee for Chimney Rock of $12 or $15 per adult depending on current rates. But to help protect a beautiful and rare place, we thought it was well worth it.
3. Have a microbrew (or two)
Asheville is known for its exceptional culture of craftsmanship and this doesn't stop with beverages. In fact, this part of the country is a place where tradition remains strong and homesteading skills are still a way of life for many. What better way to enjoy the culture than by visiting a brewery or bar and chatting with the locals?
Our choice of venue, The Thirsty Monk, was a fun place with knowledgeable bartenders and many different beers available, many of them locally brewed.
4. Shop and walk in downtown Asheville
You know those towns that look really boarded up and forlorn? Yeah, Asheville is the exact opposite. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a livelier, more vibrant mid-sized town. Though Asheville repeatedly makes the list of "Top Places to Retire" and is also known as a college town, thanks to outdoorsy and left-leaning Warren Wilson College and the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Still, there seem to be a good mix of all ages out and about, enjoying the fresh mountain air and browsing the many art galleries, craft stores, clothing shops and bookstores. The cobblestone streets and mountain vistas only add to the ambiance.5. Eat some really good food at:
Mela
This place serves up the best Indian food I've ever had. We all went out to dinner together the day after Christmas. We decided to order a variety of dishes to share, including the vegetable samosas, sag paneer (cheese cubes in seasoned spinach), chicken tikka masala, and the spicy vegetable vindaloo. The full menu can be viewed here.
6. Pick up local products at a farm store...
Hickory Nut Gap is a little farm/ farm store we visited the first Scotty and I went to see my mom in Asheville. I didn't take any good photos of the actual shop, but the resident goats somehow got press time. It was pre-blog, so who knows what I was thinking. Anyway, this lovely blogger who I've been reading for a while, happened to cover it recently so if you're interested in seeing more, check out her post about it, here (along with some cute pics of her kiddos).
7. ... or stay in town and shop at the French Broad Co-op
Close to the heart of downtown Asheville, this small store is a convenient and well-stocked place to browse a surprising variety of dry goods, local and foreign wines, or stock up on spices in bulk.
8. Stop for some boiled peanuts
(This image found here)
The first time Scotty suggested we stop for boiled peanuts, I thought he was either kidding or crazy. But boy had I been missing out on one of the tastiest (and healthiest) roadside snacks!
Boiled peanuts are something common in the South, made from mature, raw green peanuts brewed in salt water.. You can get them at gas stations, farm stores (like this one we've been to several times) and sometimes simple stands in front of someone's house like this one we stopped at a few days after Christmas. The lady's accent was so thick I could hardly understand her, but when I said, "I'm sorry, what did you say?" she just smiled in understanding and repeated what what she'd said. Clearly I was not from around those parts.
I couldn't resist snapping a shot of her little open storefront/ garage sale in the yard. It may not look like much, but those peanuts were the best I've ever had.
So, in a (pea)nutshell, Scotty and I had such a peaceful and happy holiday time with family and I can't wait until our next visit!
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