Artsy Fartsy

We're not going on a vacation this summer because we are saving for a big trip next year when we will be celebrating our 15th Anniversary.

The first week in June is when we like to go to the beach because it hasn't gotten crowded and so hot yet. Hello, Destin, we miss you!

Early in the year, before we were sure that we would not go to the beach, Paul scheduled himself to be off the first week in June. Once we were sure we were not going to Destin, we decided that we would spend the week at home doing some projects.

Mid week, we decided to go away for one night to Asheville, North Carolina - a favorite close-to-home spot. This is where I am getting to the artsy fartsy part of the story.

Asheville is a really cool town. It is eclectic, artsy fartsy, "granola," small townish, good eats, in the mountains, close to other cool places, and much more.

Here is a small sampling of what we like to do:
Stay at The Grove Park Inn . But we didn't stay there this time because it is pricey. Abbie calls this place "that place I think is heaven." Hands down, it has the best spa anywhere. I have not been to many spas and am certainly no expert, but I really don't think anyone can beat this spa. I'd like to go there for a facial every week. And float in the mineral pool. And sit under the waterfall in the hot tub. And relax with a book in the sitting area. And eat at the buffet (in the hotel, not the spa).
Eat at Salsa's. We never skip this place even though there are plenty of other unique places to try. It is NOT a chain. It is like a mexican/cuban/south american fusion thing. Not really sure. We start with the nachos with mango salsa - FRESH is the word. And I always order fried plantains if they are in season. Yesterday, Paul and I split the Jerk Chicken platter (I usually get the pork platter but I'm off pork now). It's a plate full of yummy stuff - I can't even name some of the ingredients. We just shovel it in. And they don't serve regular sodas, but the drinks are really good too. And the waitresses are tattooed and dreadlocked. And Abbie wanted to know why one of the guy waiter's came out of the women's restroom. And the place is small and there is usually a line to get into the joint. And they feature a different artist all the time so the artwork on the walls changes all the time. I was pretty full, but there was mango salsa left, and I didn't want it to go to waste so I shoveled the rest of that in - I'm pretty sure I hogged most of the salsa.
Shop. There are a lot of little eclectic shops in Asheville. And there are a lot of galleries. One new place we went this time is the Kress Emporium. It is a big place with a bunch of different booths for various artists - there is jewelry, metal sculptures, photography, cards, pottery, acrylic painting, watercolor paintings, funky stuff, cool stuff, stuff you have to touch, etc. I discovered a new artist this time. I didn't buy it......Paul says he will make me one of these. We'll see....I'm not giving up on this. I also found a pretty watercolor that I would like to have for the kitchen, but I didn't buy it either. I wish money grew on trees.
One thing I would really like to collect is art!!! I also found a photographer that had really vivid close ups of animals and nature - he printed them on large squares, maybe 15x15 and then attached it to a square solid black wooden piece, maybe 18x18 - I'm just guessing on size. The black really made the photo POP. I wanted about 3-4 of those. But where would I put them? I'd like to have a room dedicated to all of the art that I love. Eeeee! It makes me happy!
And we eat again. The Tupelo Honey Cafe is just so good, and there is always a huge wait. Everything is fresh and yummy and unique. When they say the sweet potato pancakes are served with peach butter, you are actually going to get butter with chunks of peaches in it. How am I ever going to get to try any new restaurants in Asheville when I keep going back to my favorites?
Then we went to a new town on our way home. We've never been to Black Mountain before, but it is a sweet little town with 2-1/2 streets that are fun to stroll on and shop. We were too full to eat anywhere but there was a restaurant called "My Father's Pasta and Pizza" that we'll probably be sorry that we missed - the smells wafting out of there were unreal!
Now we are home, and I just finished mopping and that is not the least bit artsy fartsy, but I was thinking about all the art I saw!