north carolina's blue ridge

11.06.2013

i spent last week in north carolina as part of my twin sister and my annual birthday celebration vacation. normally we'd take off around our actual birthday but this year we put it off until the end of the month because of my sister's marathon. (the perfect carrot to dangle in front of her, no?) so hours after my sister crossed the finish line, we packed up and drove south for a much needed and well-earned holiday.

it's been six years now that my sister and i have been making these trips. we pick a spot on the continental u.s. and steal away - just us twins - for a week of urban hiking, photo-journaling, window-shopping, dining out, and some pampering. you know, two single ladies just jet-setting, eating some good food, and getting their nails did.

since babies have entered the picture, keeping the tradition has gotten a bit trickier (monies and time away from the family are tight) but we've found ways to make it work. we started bringing one lucky baby along for the exclusive trip and this year was my son's turn. destination: the blue ridge mountains of north carolina.

asheville was the main draw with it's hipster vibe, foodie culture, and arty scene, but we stayed just outside in the quaint town of black mountain, which  proved to be just as charming, if not more "authentic". we arrived late monday evening and checked in at a lovely b&b off e.state street called the inn around the corner. our host, nancy, greeted us with all the hospitality you could expect from good southern folk and gave us walking directions to, fresh, the local pizza joint that was supposed to be the best in the area (big-time ashville included). a couple slices of wood fired pizza and one glass of wine later, it was confirmed: delicious and highly recommended if you're ever in those parts. even my son couldn't resist to try some as he carefully watched the food go from the plate to my mouth. he made a go at it, grabbing a leaf of the arugula that was piled on top of the pie and pressing it to his mouth. he got as far as slobbering on the green before sneering with disgust at its texture. soon enough, buddy. how about you get some teeth first?

the next morning, after a beautiful night of rest in which my son was an angel and let us sleep in, a quarter past eight, we woke up slow and to the smell of pumpkin pancakes and real maple syrup. with our bellies full of that hearty homemade breakfast, we took to the streets of black mountain for a bit of exploration. it was the most perfect foggy fall morning as we walked through a dreamy scrim, past bakeries, boutiques, and even an old-timey general store that sold every.thing. with so much to see, we stopped to take photos pretty much every 100 meters.

{a gratuitous, fashion-blogger inspired photo sesh. because we're girls. and i got a new camera for my birthday. and we were snap-happy. and DON'TJUDGEUSWE'REGIRLS.} anyway. all the obligatory shots were covered: the birds eye feet selfie; the thumb-in-pocket, let-me-check-myself pose; and the head-tilt into a shoulder-shrug with a little knee-pop for good measure. you can mock all you want but she looks cute, doesn't she? SO. after all that nonsense, we jumped in the car and drove into ashville for the rest of the day. but before this post gets crowded with any more hyphens, i'll save those stories and allllllllll those pictures for another day. maybe tomorrow. i dunno. i guess you'll just have to check back and see.    

2 comments:

Teresa said...

...am waiting the continuation...

Unknown said...

Already missing it all... Love the writing... As usual. But the pics!?!? Gorge. ;) xoxo

 

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