asheville

I love to get out of town. I especially love to get out of town sans kids. Am I terrible?

The goal of our trip was to pick up a PA system that John bought. We grabbed that before heading into Asheville in a town called Old Fort. We mentioned to Larry (the seller and a bluegrasser who lives on a farm and hosts outdoor shows) that we love the breweries in Asheville and he recommended we try Hillman Beer in Old Fort. So we did, and it was a nice spot. I love the big old warehouses that breweries are refurbishing and this was a great one. Beer was pretty good, nothing super inventive, but tasty. There was a gorgeous little creek running through the back of the property and it reminded me of Whetstone Station in Brattleboro, VT (they have the Connecticut River running alongside their place).

From there we tried Cursus Keme which was situated in a really beautiful location: it was like a forgotten sort-of-residential dead end, wooded, with huge retractable garage-type doors so the space truly felt indoor/outdoor. Great bartender with a great mustache. Massive ferns and spider plants. Don’t try to take a cutting. It’s frowned upon (I asked!).

Then to the Burial Forestry Camp.

Burial is our favorite Asheville brewery. I’d tell you it is because of the vibe there (relaxed, inclusive, funky) and my husband would say it’s because they make some of the best beer we’ve ever had. I’d say it’s a combination of both. We’d never been to this other Asheville location and after checking it out, I’d say that it was pretty criminal that we’d not. It is a historic farm (but still located within city limits) and one of the taprooms feels like a renovated barn (I didn’t ask, but I’d say it actually is). I didn’t get pictures of the inside, but we sat upstairs in a loft-type area. John lounged in a cushioned window seat and I moved the remnants of Battleship from the table and sat there. I learned that they also have a wine project called VISUALS. Didn’t get a chance to try any this trip so there’s something to look forward to.

A couple of other notable places we tried were the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar (just take my money, ok?) and then Antedote. We wanted to see this gypsy jazz band, Delia’s Daydream, that was playing there. It had great atmosphere: on a corner, so it has an“L” shaped outdoor sidewalk seating area. There were artisans set up outside, too, and it was hard not to buy earrings) I had a flight that included Billecart Salmon Rose, Louis Roederer, and Veuve Clicquot. Here’s a pretty terrible video I took of the band.

We walked to some other breweries for tastes (Twin Leaf, Funkatorium, Eurisko) and also tried Antidote, a craft cocktail bar. It’s three stories of super funky apothecary-type decor, hulking black wood trim, plus outdoor seating with firepits. I had a Bees Knees, and friends, it was.

road trip