~Sunday, May 2, 2021~
Day 322
Trying to figure out why I’m so wiped out. Of course my first thought is “oh my gosh, do I have COVID?” You know how you feel when you don’t quite have your energy and there’s that little scratchiness that you have in the back of your throat? Maybe I’m coming down with a cold, who knows? We have packed quite a lot into this little visit of Asheville so I think it’s also exhaustion. I know, you’re like, “how can you be exhausted from having fun?” You may have had similar feelings of going on a trip, where all you did was pack in as much as you could, only to arrive back home, needing a vacation from the vacation. This is what we feel like. I told Jeff in hindsight, we should have put in a few places that aren’t so much of a destination, but a place to just chill for 3 days, before heading to the next packed thing. Kind of hard to do now that we pretty much have the next 7 months booked.
Today was a bit more relaxed in terms of sightseeing. First was a stop to Camping World to pick up a new propane hose for the campstove. The old one shouldn’t have pooped out as it’s a good one, but something seems to be blocking the line so maybe something broke off inside. We don’t know, but luckily they had 1 left that fit our particular stove.
Next was a drive through downtown Brevard, just minutes from our campground. It was kind of a dreary Sunday and very quiet. It appears to be very nice, but we also had plans to see Hendersonville and the Arboretum today, so decided to make Brevard just a drive by.
Next was a stop in Hendersonville. We’ve been told that this is one of the best places for retired folks. The town is just south of Asheville, in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a population of about 14,000. Very dog friendly, beautiful neighborhoods (mostly older homes), great dining, brewery and outdoor activity scene, it certainly piqued our interest.
A little “sleepy” today with the overcast weather but still fun to walk around and check things out, we did find a place that wasn’t so sleepy. On a side street, we could hear a guy on a microphone luring people into this brewery. Yep, another brewery, and what’s funny, is this was the one I had on our list to see anyway. Oklawaha Brewing Co. with their logo of a hop, is known for their small-batch Artisanal beers and hop forward IPA’s.
With it pretty loud inside, we opted for the perfect spot outside where Sadie could chill with us. Had a few raindrops, but nothing too bad. Our timing was perfect for beer and live music, since they only played about 30 minutes before moving onto their next gig.
Our synopsis on breweries (at least the ones we visited): Our favorite brewery for beer/music…..definitely Targua. Who had the BEST beer…..Burial…..hands down!!! 🍺
Next was a drive to the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. There are over 400 acres of botanical gardens, biking/walking trails, exhibits, bonsai collection, and stream garden. The arboretum began with its landscape architect and visionary, Frederick Olmstead in 1898; the same man who designed the gardens at the Biltmore Estate. Unfortunately, we stayed too long at the beer place, and we didn’t get to the arboretum until 5:00 when many of the exhibits were closed. The grounds are open until 8:00 p.m. So we decided not to pay the $16.00 parking fee and return when we can take full advantage of the grounds. We were exhausted and not really in the mood for a big hike today anyway. Just can’t see everything. At least we know it’s on the list!
Last stop of the day...Ingals Grocery for a few items to get us through the next few days while in Washington, NC before we get to the Outer Banks.