Going to Asheville!

Hi, Bloggy Friends!

I'm going to try to knock this one out quickly, because we are due to meet Michael and Jeremy for brunch in a matter of minutes!

We left Carrboro yesterday around 11 a.m. to head to our second North Carolina destination, Asheville. It was about a three hour drive, but we kept it entertaining with lively sing-alongs and captivating conversation. When we arrived we immediately checked into our room and headed out to see the town. I really love Asheville so far. It is a lot like Carrboro in the sense that it is inhabited by an interesting array of open-minded liberals, eclectic art shops and several health-minded eateries. One big difference, however, is that it is much larger. It kind of reminds me of Seattle, but on a much smaller scale. There are very few skyscrapers, and we have experienced very little traffic so far. So it's like an urban oasis lost in the heart of the North Carolina hills.

We kicked off our evening with a bottle of wine and appetizers at a nice place called Santé Wine Bar. Here we met an interesting local who came up to tell me I was an old soul, who was once a mighty queen. She continued to explain my past life as a woman who had long flowing black hair, wore a large bejeweled crown, similar bracelets on my wrist, and commanded a massive army from atop a beautiful white stallion! She was such an interesting lady, check her out in the pictures below. Do you believe in past lives, Bloggy Friends? I have had people tell me I was an old soul before, but never a queen. Funny. I was a little flattered.

Afterwards we took in some downtown scenery, while waiting for a restaurant of Michael's choosing to open. We had a moderately delicious meal at a Thai place in town called Thai Basil. I had a green curry dish with salmon. It was pretty good, but I've had such good Thai food before that it's hard to compare. When dinner was over we tooled around downtown a little longer. We browsed some of the funky stores and visited what is now my favorite cafe in Asheville, The Green Sage. I had a delicious after dinner, cup of Green Mate. It was the perfect digestive.

After making our rounds downtown we returned to our respective rooms to freshen up for a night on the town. We hit up a local gay bar called O. Henrys. It was basically kinda lame. It just was. Then, we went to College St. Pub for a little karaoke action! Michael and I both loved doing karaoke together when we were in San Francisco, so it was sort of a reunion tour for both of us. It was a ton of fun. We sang some great songs, danced and met some new friends.

It was a fun first day in Asheville. I am anxious to get out and see what else it has to offer. There are a ton of restaurants, stores and cafes that I can't wait to check out over the next few days we are here. I'll let you know how it goes!

Have a great night. I'll talk to you soon.

Love, Josh