24hr Adventure in Asheville

 

Nestled between the Blue Ridge mountains and the Great Smokies, the city of Asheville is centrally located amidst an array of activities that draws visitors from all over the country. From major historic attractions such as the Biltmore House to more outdoorsy explorations bordering the city, there is something for everyone in this high-traffic town.

Asheville is a melting pot featuring an eclectic mix of natives, transplants and travelers (most of which who were converted to residents long ago). It's not hard to see why anyone finds it impossible to leave once this town has cast its wondrous spell.

Due to the hurried nature of this recent trip, we weren't able to get much planning done before leaving. Truth be told, I actually enjoyed not having to worry about the extra details beforehand. Given all that there is to do in this mini-metropolis, making it up as you go along is the fun part! It's then that you sometimes stumble upon the unexpectedly interesting stuff like we did.

What would normally take days to unearth, our time in Asheville was limited to a 24 hour period. I'll tell you what, though, a single day is not nearly enough time to see all the surprises this sprawling city has to offer. Despite the numerous hours we spent on-foot happily exploring the downtown district, we barely scratched the surface of this artsy community. We made the most of what little time we had and strictly stuck to the downtown area. Along the way, we managed to happen upon a few notable stops that helped to round out our fleeting retreat.

One thing that drove the direction in which we traveled across the streets were our desires to gratify an intense thirst or to rest our weary feet. It wasn't 10 minutes after landing downtown and parking our cars, that we found ourselves in need of something refreshing, which lead us straight to WOOLWORTH'S.

This landmark oozes history when you walk through the doors, and the old fashioned Soda Fountain is the first thing to draw your attention. After a prolonged wait in line, we settled on a couple Nehi sodas in those nostalgic glass bottles and a vanilla malt because we couldn't resist. Still full from breakfast, we skipped ordering any food, although the Carolina Reuben looked tasty.

Securing seats to pop a squat might be quite difficult since this place is pretty packed at lunch time. Luckily, Cody was able to grab some for us at the counter where we could sit down to enjoy our refreshments.

While our first stop at the Soda Fountain was a big hit, it was the mid-day because-we-have-tired-tootsies rest stop that we weren't too thrilled about. They may boast one of the biggest and best beer selections in Asheville with over 200 different options to choose from, but the BEIR GARDEN disappoints in other areas, particularly the food.

Our group was extremely satisfied upon receiving the drinks ordered, but when the Tuna Salad Satay Wrap arrived things began to go downhill. The flavors were completely off when compared to the menu description; we were expecting a peanut satay sauce with pineapple salsa and instead got some yellow radioactive looking curry flavored mishmash that was barely edible.

The waiter quickly dismissed our inquiry about the wonky wrap, and we left virtually the entire thing on the plate with only a few bites missing (the sweet potato fries were ok, though). I can't say that we'll be planning to return the next time we are in town, but maybe they have better edibles on the menu for anyone else looking to give them a try.

There was a point during our tour of the town, somewhere between “I'm ready to go take a nap” and “Let's check out the nightlife” that we needed to put a little pep in our step. Almost as soon as Cody said “I need an espresso...”, a hole-in-the-wall cafe appeared in the distance.

IZZY'S COFFEE DEN seemed like the type of place that mostly caters to locals, it was quiet, quick and had free wi-fi based on the amount of laptops I spotted.

Gazing above head at the extensive menu wasn't really necessary, since shots of espresso were the required wake up. We didn't stay for very long, although this would be an ideal place to enjoy some peace and quite if needed.

Early in the evening, we decided to head back to our homebase so that we could relax before experiencing the nightlife. Once our bellies began grumbling loud enough (which wasn't very long) and the ladies got ready (guess which took longer), a place to eat was selected from an Asheville map with local advertisements.

I don't usually make such hasty selections, but I had eaten there on a visit to Asheville years ago; I just didn't know it was still open until I saw it on the map. When I did, though, that was it. I wanted to eat there!

The walk to the restaurant looked as though it might be quite a distance away, however, we were surprised to get there after a mere 2 blocks. After shuffling through the happenings taking place along the sidewalks and immersing ourselves in the electric atmosphere intermingling through the streets, we would have gladly walked further, though.

The familiar red lanterns brightly hanging above the open-air dining area signaled our arrival at THE NOODLE SHOP which is tucked in a small, but busy corner pocket across from Pack Square. There was so much going on around the noisy intersection, it was difficult to take it all in, but we tried.

We didn't have to wait long for a table and were promptly seated away from the crowd. Once settled, a quick scan over the menu set our sights on a familiar dish we repeatedly order from other establishments. As usual, the pad thai looked too good to pass up, so much so it's what our table of three all ended up eating.

My friend and I decided to share an order, because after looking around at the portions sitting in front of other diners, I didn't think that I could finish an entire meal alone. This ended up being a wise decision as we didn't even finish our entire plates, although we were tempted to stuff ourselves. I definitely remember a comment about it being the best pad thai they have ever tasted.

Not only was the food delicious, but the nearby street performers serenading us with soulful tunes and drum beats was an unexpected treat during our dinner, as were the extremely accommodating servers. Although somewhat small, this restaurant has a lot in its favor with the intimate ambiance, tastiness of the pan asian cuisine and price. Overall, we had a great experience and will be hard pressed to not eat there the next time we visit!

Don't ask me how we found the time to make so many stops in such a short period of time. All I know is that my feet hurt. Is your head spinning yet? Can you believe that this is just half of what I have to share from our day in downtown Asheville?! I don't want to make this post too long, though, so I'll save the 2nd half for Friday. Do come back for the next installment where I plan to share where we stayed in the heart of downtown, as well as some of the shops and boutiques we perused while walking around. Stay tuned!

EATING & DRINKING info

• Woolworth's, 25 Haywood Street; 828-254-9210; http://www.woolworthwalk.com/
• Beir Garden, 46 Haywood Street; 828-285-0002; http://www.ashevillebiergarden.com/index.html
• Izzy's Coffee Den, 74 N Lexington Ave; 828-258-2004; http://izzyscoffeeden.com/page/1663-Home
• The Noodle Shop, 3 Pack Square; 828-250-9898; http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-noodle-shop-asheville

Asheville