cute mountain town is cute

This is our selfie behind a vacant and dewy spider web:

I can't tell if it's because I've been cooped up in one place for too long that all new places cause a sort of fascination and enthusiasm.  Or I could be easily impressed (i.e. Pittsburgh wasn't so bad despite Bernard's less than favorable opinions).  It's possible both reasons go hand-in-hand.  I mean, I haven't been to a city I really didn't like (although the question of permanent residence is a different matter).

Regardless of my personal preferences and such, I easily saw why people run to Asheville for vacations and retirement.  The place is adorable and appeals to the nature-loving, wannabe-outdoorsy side of me.  If I had a good mountain to hike and a body of water to [water sports] in within reach, that's all I'd be doing on weekends.  That and frequenting the local breweries.  This is the kind of place you could imagine settling in if your main objective in life is to "take it easy."

We covered a good amount of ground visiting Lyd (no thanks to Nancy).  For one, the drive was not even that bad - so much regret for not going up to the mountains more during my Chapel Hill years.  I was also surprised by the number of ethnic food options, but that's another post.
We happened past a 'Before I Die...' wall, reminding myself that national movements/trends can, in fact, make their way to NC.  Meanwhile celebrity sightings (Bryan Cranston!!) were reported in Asheville that weekend, and since I didn't grow up in Hollywood or NYC, I was pretty excited about the prospect of running into them (we didn't).  I should really start giving more credit to the places I reside in.
Anyways.  Before I die.  I remember trying to come up with something unique, maybe clever.  I remember writing something in pink or orange chalk.  But I really can't remember what it was.  I guess I didn't really want to do whatever it was before I die.  Some were cliche, some cute and clearly written by a child, some I had already done, some I also wanted to do
...and then there was the below ambition, which needs a bit more clarification.  I know I'm cynical, but I can't be the only one who instinctively thought this was creepy.

After our successfully easy hike and scarfing down lunch, we searched for a much needed pick-me-up at Double D's, specifically an almond joy latte for me.  I've been on a bit of a coconut binge lately.

Convert a double decker bus into a little cafe?  Absolutely.  Minus the sweaty hotness of the top layer, this was too much.  I couldn't handle how perfectly this place fit into my fast impression of this town.  I'm even short enough to comfortably walk around inside...so you can add that to the benefits of being vertically challenged.  Ha.

Our next super strenuous activity (and reason for the latte, clearly) was tubing down the French Broad.  Rough life.  Although it's a good thing I didn't doze off during that two hour float in the sun.  I have enough annoying tan lines already, thanks.  Don't cringe until you try it and dislike it, but if you, like me, happen to have a gulp or two of latte remaining before packing up the beers and inner tubes and venturing into questionable waters, mix that shit with coffee stout/porter/whatever.  It's good, and you'll look like a different kind of chill with a coffee cup (instead of beer can) in hand.  Or you'll look underage.

At the end of our long, hard journey (with few bumps and minimal obstacles) is a courtyard-outdoor-BBQ-beer-garden-area thing, of which I didn't note a name, where the sun will dry you off and the cocktails (with the option of home grown rosemary) will loosen you up if the river (and however many beers you drank) didn't already.  If I hadn't been keen on trying another restaurant, I'd have loved to picnic until well after the sun went down.  Like I said, if your objective in life is to take it easy...

The silliest attraction we explored was Sky Bar.  They talk about the views, but I was unimpressed.  I should never see buildings in the vicinity (out of picture) that are clearly taller when I'm at a so-called sky bar.  (Maybe it would've been better if we caught the sunset as suggested).  But the (expensive) cocktails were delicious and the elevator dude supposedly looked like Adam Levine (not really, but he claims to resemble a young Joe Stalin) and there was a cigar case and it's a nice place to kick back at a table by the balcony with friends.

On a semi-unrelated note, I've just obtained a punch card for my new go-to coffeehouse.  Committed to this essential decision.