Asheville, NC

This week I traveled to Asheville, North Carolina for work. I was there to teach a mapping workshop to a bunch of cheerful folks from the USDA Southern Region Water Program. The workshop was a great success and I was happy to spend a few days with colleagues checking out what Asheville has to offer.

Here are few fun facts about Asheville, NC: It is the largest city in western NC and home to the United States Climatic Data Center, the world's largest archive of weather data. It is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is just east of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It also boasts a number of wide ranging national recognition awards including (among others) being: one of the 50 most "alive" places to be; one of America's 25 top arts destinations; top ten outdoor adventure cities; one of America's happiest cities for women; one of the best places to reinvent your life and finally, the "new freak capitol of the U.S." according to Rolling Stone magazine. In the short time that we visited this lively city, I would conclude that all of these designations are pretty spot on. It has also recently enjoyed national attention because it was the filming location for The Hunger Games, which hits theaters today (can't wait to see it!).

Travel buddies Chet and Dave

Asheville is a really beautiful little city with lots to look at and colorful buildings and people alike. It is know for its arts, eateries and architecture and has the most microbreweries per capita than any other city in the U.S. I can't decide what was better...the food or the beer!

We found a few free hours to take a drive on the historic Blue Ridge Parkway. As we gained altitude, the Smoky Mountains lived up to their name. We stopped to do a short hike but by the time we made it to the top to see the view, the fog had rolled in, making it difficult to see much of anything. It was still a fun adventure and we saw several gnarly looking trees along the way. Someday I hope to bring James back to explore this area more. It's beautiful and the opportunities for outdoor adventure abound.

The last evening in town we headed up to the historic Grove Park Inn to enjoy a beer and the beautiful weather on their expansive terrace. This place was amazing. For New Englanders it is of a similar age and character as the Mount Washington Hotel. It was built in 1913 and is a sight to see. The view from the terrace isn't bad either and the flowers and the pollinators were out in full force.

I hope to make it back to Asheville again some day and bring James and Summit with me!