#I NEED to finish my Chris Anne Wolfe book

[the-sappho-of-lesbos]

These two might scratch the itch

[paranormalhousewife]

As mentioned in my previous post Mom, Magan and I went to Asheville for a few days. It was a family vacation so we could be together for the anniversary of Dad’s death. It was nice to have a few days to get away with them, especially my sister. Even though I was home visiting for 3 weeks, I really didn’t get to see my sister that much because she has a busy work schedule.

Our first evening there we decided to go to Sierra Nevada Brewery to check it out. It was about 30 minutes drive from our cabin. We arrived too late to take a guided tour but we were still able to walk around and see some the brewery. This wasn’t my first brewery that I have toured but it was more like a factory than the other breweries I had visited in Raleigh years ago.

After we walked around a bit, we decided to check out the restaurant. In the restaurant they offered flights of beer to try a variety at once. We each had our own flight of beers and some appetizers. Of all the beers I tried there I really like the Kellerweis. It was suppose to have notes of cloves and banana bread. I am not much of a beer drinker but this one I really liked and ordered a larger glass of it to enjoy while we finished our appetizers.

The next day, we went to a tattoo parlor. Magan and I got matching tattoos. We had been talking about getting them for a while but since it was the anniversary of Dad’s death we felt it was appropriate to do it. The tattoo has several meanings to it. The teddy bear represents the teddy bear statues Magan use to get my parents for their anniversary. The shooting star to remind us of a trip we took with Mom when Magan was 8 and I was 13. We had driven in Mom’s mustang convertible down to the Outer Banks to see the light houses. On our way back from Ocracoke Island, we took a ferry back to the mainland after the sun had set. We had the top down on the convertible and we watched the shooting stars for a couple of hours. 20 years later and that is still one of most memorable trips. Magan’s tattoo is the same as mine but I had pink put in my star’s tail and had more color in the tail as well.

For dinner that night we went to dinner to a different brewery. This one was called Wicked Weed Brewery. Magan was excited to take me here because it is a Henry VIII themed bar. One of my many obsessions is the Tudors (the people not the show because the show was crap). I have had an obsession ever since I found out that Anne Boleyn maybe from same line of Butlers as my Dad’s family is from. The name Wicked Weed comes from a quote from Henry VIII saying “Hops are a wicked and pernicious weed”. One wall in the bar is a giant portrait of Henry VIII. On the door of the women’s bathroom are miniature portraits of Katherine Parr, Catherine Howard, and Anne of Cleves. We arrived too late to tour their brewery but the food was delicious. I wish I had gotten pictures of my food but it smelled to delicious and I was too hungry to remember I was suppose to take pictures. I’m sorry. We had a pear beer called La Bonté. This was the most delicious beer ever. I wish I could growler of this stuff sent to me in Japan. It was sweet but not overly sweet. It didn’t have the same bitterness that beer usually has. Definitely try it out if you are in Asheville.

Our last day in Asheville we decided to go back to downtown Asheville to try a taco shop Magan’s roommate, Chris, recommended called White Duck Taco Shop. I tried a molé roasted duck taco and a lamb gyro taco. Everything is fresh made and really delicious.

  Before we headed back to Burlington, we drove up to see the real monument that inspired the story “Look Homeward Angel”. During the last trip I had up to Asheville with Mom and Dad  we had gone to see the Thomas Wolfe house. Magan, Mom, and Dad had already seen the statue but I hadn’t seen it yet. I read the book and seen the play in high school. Mom drove Magan and I to the cemetery to see it. We didn’t stay too long because of the forest fires going on around the area. We could see the flames but it was hard to breathe with the smoke so thick in the air. With as close as the fires were to Asheville, we were lucky that this was the only time the we were bothered by them. By the way, this is the only picture I could get of my sister’s face during this whole trip. She absolutely hates having her picture taken. She will probably kill me now that its on the blog but oh well.

Even though it was a short trip, we got to do a lot of things and got to spend some much needed time together. I think it was a great way to honor my dad and that if he was alive, he would have enjoyed this trip. Asheville is one of my favorite places to visit and once we are back in the states, I plan to go back often. I always discover something new to do or see. I plan on taking lots of little road trips when we stateside again. I miss doing that.

  Making New Memories In Asheville (Asheville Part Two) As mentioned in my previous post Mom, Magan and I went to Asheville for a few days.