Asheville NC Dining & Shopping (May 11, 2017)

I absolutely love this town!  Started the day walking the Blue Ridge Mountains (https://adventures4real.blogspot.com/2017/05/blue-ridge-mountains-graveyard-fields.html).  Next stop was Sunny Point Café https://adventures4real.blogspot.com/2017/05/blue-ridge-mountains-graveyard-fields.html, a local favorite for inspired dishes and fun atmosphere. It's not a fancy place by any stretch of the imagination, but it does bring out the free spirit hiding within.  It was too crowded to sit on the patio with all the dogs, even though plenty of people had dogs with them.  We opted for sitting in the garden area where beverages are allowed.  I ordered a pot of green tea for me and latte for Russ. Logan and Frye joined us and both got plenty of attention.  When she could, Frye would sneak a lap of Russ's latte.

We drove into downtown Asheville, the part of town Russ was more familiar with as he used to do business with Malaprops Bookstore.  Yet he never recalled seeing this iconic church building on the street corner.
Our destination was The Asheville Bee Charmer http://ashevillebeecharmer.com/.  We read reviews of visitors who really enjoyed the honey bar tasting.  So, when in Rome...
The sugar high was worth it.  I didn't realize that the flavor of honey could vary so widely.  We preferred the subtle taste of Sourwood, the creaminess of the Italian honey HoneySuckle, and then found two infused honeys interesting to try, Chai and Cocoa.

Next door, the unplanned stop, was the Asheville Market Basket.  It was a quaint store with some interesting cloth materials and craft pieces. I had planned on getting souvenirs from the Lexington Glass and New Morning Art Gallery.  That will have to wait until next time.  My treasure from this trip was a Kantha quilt.  I was drawn to the colors and when I touched the fabric I could not believe how soft and light it felt. 

And because the dogs were such good sports we made one stop for them at the Three Dog Bakery. Frye picked out another toy for herself, as she always does, while Braddock did his usual counter-surfing.
For old times sake we headed to Malaprop's Bookstore where Russ and I had been before when he used to be a Book Rep.  From there I bought a journal.  My final stop was across the street at the Spice and Tea Exchange.  I bought some loose leaf teas and spices.  A friend mentioned to  try the French Broad Chocolate Lounge next time.
It was an incredible day and so wonderful to spend it with the whole family.








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