Going where the climate suits my clothes: friends, family and 30th birthdays in Asheville

While camping in the heat of the lowlands, we couldn't help but check out the weather maps of Asheville, NC. Situated in the smokey blue mountains, Asheville just seemed cool, both temperature wise and in terms of the people and culture that exist there. Added incentive for us was the fact that we had lots of friends and family in the area. We knew we wanted to go there.

We arrived in Asheville late Saturday night, a little over a week ago. We were kind of beat up from the late night drive and Ben's back giving him trouble. Our first stop was my cousin Danny's place where we received a warm welcome from Danny, his wife Dara, his two kids Kai and Kadin, and his enormous dog Rosco (his cats tolerated us with typical indifference). We spent the better part of last week recharging, benefitting from Danny's culinary expertise, and checking out Asheville with Kadin as a tour guide. 

Moog factory:

Dara's store space where she sells her clothes and jewelry:

We even managed to get another afternoon of tubing in on the French Broad, the river that runs through Asheville. An added perk of tubing on the French Broad is you can exit the river at The Bywater, a super chill riverside bar, complete with cornhole. http://www.bywaterbar.com/

We stayed with Danny through my birthday.... The big 3-0! It was an awesome day that included omelets, sliding down waterfalls at Dupont state park, and dinner and drinks in downtown Asheville. It even included birthday cake, compliments of a phone in order from Kate and Mo. Thanks to everyone who made it such a great day!

After staying with Danny we stayed a couple nights with my UCSB friend Sarah Jane and her husband Dan in Weaverville. Their property was gorgeous! We somehow have no pictures but we had a great time throwing frisbees, sitting around campfires, and watching fireflies. SJ and I  also had a ladies night out to see an awesome local musician, Jamar Woods, perform in downtown Asheville. 

After Weaverville, we drove about 45 minutes east of Asheville to visit my aunt Paula and uncle Jerry. They live in a really neat cabin at the top of a mountain. We were treated to amazing views and good family time. We had a great time hiking around the mountain, enjoying the scenery of the smokey blue mountains.

The bunk house: