While this hasn’t turned out to be The Year of Travel I had envisioned back in December, new experiences are always possible if you open the door for them. Rémy and I decided to take a quick trip to Asheville, land of our mini-moon, during the holiday weekend. And I mean quick – we left Friday afternoon around 1 p.m. and were back in Charlotte around 1 p.m. Saturday.
But you can do a lot in 24 hours. You can feel recharged and renewed after 24 hours.
We hit the road for the two-ish-hour drive with takeout lunch from The Common Market and tuned into the Fake Doctors, Real Friends podcast hosted by Zach Braff and Donald Faison. If you loved the show Scrubs, it’s hard not to get into this weekly rehashing of every episode – and then it’s hard not to rewatch said episode.
The purpose of this trip was to feel relaxed, so we took our time getting to town. I picked the first stop: Point Lookout Vineyards in Hendersonville. I’m by no means a fan of North Carolina wines (too sweet, never bold enough), but I’m drawn to the elegant leisure of vineyard culture. The slightly snobbish and enlightening quality of tastings, the purchase of a glass to sit and sip with a view and wine-addled discussion.
While tastings weren’t available due to circumstances and a commitment to plasticware, we picked out glasses of rosé and red blend and found two rocking chairs overlooking a stunning view of the Blue Ridge. As Rémy pointed out, we never really stop for this kind of mountain view on our Asheville trips; we always head straight into the city. So we were grateful for this sudden switch of perspective. The mountains always make me feel like the world has been unzipped and stretched open, blue and hazy and endless.
We finished our glasses (rather, plastic cups) and rolled back down through the winding roads and into Asheville to check into the Hilton Garden Inn. It was the cheapest downtown stay we could find this week (under $300) and we figured that a corporate entity with strict adherence to cleaning protocol was the best bet at the moment. Plus, we love being able to ditch the car and walk around downtown. It seems to cinch the whole vacation vibe. The hotel was great – it’s on College Street within easy walking distance of downtown dining and drinks, it’s dog-friendly (there were so many puppers with their families this weekend), it has free coffee and breakfast, $10 parking, was super clean, the staff enforced mask-wearing, and the elevators even had sanitary-wipe stands.
After check-in, we checked out Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing Company near the river. I was surprised that the seating was outside-only and reservation-only, but the staff was taking social distancing seriously. We waited about 15 minutes for two Adirondack chairs on the lawn, where contactless menus were set up for scanning. I had a sour (my summer love) and Rémy had a Fat Tire on draft, since that’s the beer this brewery is known for. The atmosphere was chill and almost beachy, it was so laid-back.
Somehow, we snagged an 8 p.m. reservation on the patio of Benne on Eagle downtown, an exquisite little restaurant we had previously brunched at. The intimate patio was strung with glowing Edison bulbs and overlooked a lush, circular lawn. We relished a slow meal that involved crisp rosé (French, not NC), the best fishcake of our lives, pan-fried trout and lemon chess pie.
Most places were closed by the time we wrapped up, so the city felt sleepy and silent, all of a sudden. We strolled back to the hotel and attempted to watch the first half of Hamilton on Disney Plus before passing out (I barely saw any of it, so I have some catching up to do).
I woke up early-ish and walked over to PennyCup Coffee Co. for a hot coffee and chai latte – it’s a bright little nook with big windows and an abundance of plants. Then Rémy joined me for a three-mile walk through the steep streets of downtown and the River Arts District (land of artist studios, galleries and glassblowing) to look around. Not many places were open since it was the Fourth of July, but it was an invigorating trek.
Stretched and refreshed, we checked out, and picked up a bagel and biscuit at City Bakery before hitting the road again. It was simple but exactly what we were craving. That was kind of the theme of this 24-hour trip, come to think of it. Simple, but exactly what we were craving. At a time like this, isn’t that all we really need?
