North Carolina Wineries & Saturday in Asheville

I visited a winery near Asheville back when I was there in October of 2020. There was a cluster of wineries nearby, so I wanted to check them out as well. My friend was visiting for the weekend, so it was a great opportunity for us to explore the area. 

An idea popped up from Meetup to attend an Italian festival at Raffaldini Vineyards. I purchased tickets and planned the day around it. We stopped by a farmer's market in Wilkesboro, which turned out to be very disappointing. A few vendors selling two peppers and honey; no eggs, nothing else.

After a walk on the nearby greenway, we headed to the festival which turned out to be pretty decent. There were lots of food trucks with a hint of an Italian motif. Vegetable quesadilla and a pizza was all we needed. Well, besides wine, of course! We both were impressed by their dry red wine and enjoyed it quite a bit.

On the way to our dinner reservation, we stopped by at another winery, Dobbins Creek Vineyards, a bit hidden, but with decent signage. The tasting room was relatively small, but the outside area offered amazing views. We did a tasting there trying most of their wines on the menu. We again were pleasantly surprised not only by the variety of wines, but also by the customer service. We sat outside for a bit until a party bus with a bunch of loud 30-year-olds showed up prompting us to head out.

Our next destination was dinner at Southern on Main. This was one of the few restaurants in the area that looked decent. That is one thing that I don't like about the area, not a lot of good places to eat. I was pleased with shrimp and grits and mildly surprised by the sweetness of my brussels sprouts which I consumed in full when I got home.

Shrimp and Grits

Brussels Sprouts

After a satisfying meal, we headed home. The drive was pleasant and sunny. I haven't been able to sleep well for days, so I was hoping to get some sleep tonight by going to bed early, which I did after we watched (and I re-watched) Our Souls at Night.

The following day, we went to Blowing Rock where we visited The Blowing Rock, a nice overlook point that is a bit more commercialized than I hoped it would be. It offered nice views, but nothing else too exciting. For $9 per person, I wish we had gone on a hike somewhere.

A small pond in The Blowing Rock

We had lunch at The Speckled Trout Restaurant, which was reasonably good, but somehow I expected my Develish Eggs would be less rubbery. Kilwin's Chocolate, specifically their chocolate ice cream compensated for lacking quality of food at the restaurant. Let's be real though, you put "chocolate" in pretty much anything, and the dish/day/event becomes better.

It was a great weekend, and my friend headed back home while I got back to Boomer for the rest of the Sunday to recover from the list of activities. 

Mid-week I scheduled an appointment to get my hair highlighted and cut. I had zero expectations given my previous experience in Knoxville. LaBelle Salon's owner Miranda totally blew me away by not only cutting my hair exactly how I wanted, but also coloring it in the exact shade. I will be back here regardless where I am...

The following weekend, I had plans to go to Asheville to spend Saturday eating more chocolate and re-visiting Blue Ridge Parkway. It was now over a week without decent sleep, and I was grasping at straws about what to do. My brain was not functioning properly, even with coffee. I couldn't let it change my plans. After a quick stop at the local coffee shop to rejuvenate my brain (or at least make it believe that it got more sleep than it really did), Blue Ridge Parkway awaited.

A lookout point along Blue Ridge Parkway

A few lookout points in and a few fabulous pictures later, Craggy Garden Trail was next on the hiking list. It was a short 2-mile trail with two areas with great views. The sky became clouded (probably just as my brain), and the rain drops fell after a bit of hiking. It wasn't too cold though, so I really enjoyed the views.

The chocolate tour at French Broad Chocolate Factory was scheduled at 3 PM, so there was time to stop by Ginger Revenge right next door to it. I LOVED their ginger beer so much that I wanted to come back right after the tour. It reminded me of kombucha that is not as popular on the East coast as it is back in California. I later regretted not having purchased something to bring home.

The chocolate tour was informative and included a tasting. I must admit that I tried the most delicious chocolate raspberry bonbon. It had genuine raspberry flavor, and not just flavor, they actually incorporate raspberry puree into it. I like Asheville more and more. 

The final touch to the day was Jettie Rae's Oyster House. While my fish and chips was pretty decent, I was not overly impressed by the shrimp appetizer that was very overdone. Sourdough bread was top notch though. I was getting tired and headed back home. It was a wonderful day which made me wish I lived closer to Asheville. Perhaps this might be my destination next year? Who knows.

Hiking in Lenoir and near Boone, NC

After days of rain the weather cleared up and the sun was a welcome change to both my mood and the ability to get outside (which somehow correlate to a degree). I wanted to take full advantage of hiking when I could. Hibriten Mountain Top Trail was not really a destination hike; it did not even land on my AllTrails "to go" list for Boomer. I discovered it when I didn't want to drive too far, but still wanted to hike. It is a fire road leading to the top of a small mountain (aka a hill...) located in Lenoir, NC about 25 min from my rental. The trail started from a small parking lot in a nice neighborhood and was exactly what it was described to be - a fire road. I am used to fire roads being exposed to the sun, but this one was mostly shaded. The slight but steady incline was pleasant, but not overly exerting. There was only one other person with a dog on the trail (except for the workers servicing the water tower equipment on the top). The views were almost non-existent for most of the trail.

As I reached the top, I saw an observation deck with a gigantic heart drawn in chalk. The deck was slanted, so I stayed on the flatter part. The view was incredible and very unexpected.

Approaching the view point

Pano to capture the area

This might give you some perspective of the downward angle of the "deck". No way in hell was I going near the edge!

At 5.5 miles round trip, it was a wonderful hike!

Flat Top Mountain Trail was a guilty substitution to the originally planned Daniel Boone Scout Trail to Calloway Peak. I somehow was not in the right state of mind that morning to make a decision to hike Daniel Boone because of the ladders. Regardless, I found Flat Top to be exactly what I needed that day - an easy hike in peaceful surroundings.

It was starting to get pretty cold, and in the mountains that morning it was a chilly 55F. Luckily, I had my sweatshirt with me and somehow decided to wear pants as well. I started pretty early when few people were on the trail. It was partially exposed to both the views and the sun.

The trail continued along the green pastures where beautiful cows enjoyed the cooler weather while still being eaten alive by the flies. 

The cow politely introduced herself to me with a gentle sniff

The view

The tower. I got almost to the top before my fear of heights kicked in. I didn't master this one...

I also tried to enjoy the deck, although the traffic noise was too much to handle for long periods of time. I did capture a photo of a red tailed hawk eating a meal in the backyard.

Evening sky clearing from clouds

Pros and Cons of Digital Nomad Lifestyle (with a Cat)

I have done a ton of research when I decided to start the digital nomad lifestyle. Multiple articles showed the marvelous pictures of the beaches and beautiful landscapes in the background of a happy person with their fully charged laptop. It looked idyllic, to say the least. The daily routine of living in one place, especially not knowing that this was the place I wanted to be in, was depressing, so anything better than that suited me just fine. I didn't have high expectations beyond living in different places and experiencing different environments, hence, I am not disappointed.

Here are the pros that I found to be most significant in this lifestyle for me:

1. New Airbnb = new places to explore. I am a creature of habit and tend to stick to routines that eventually shrink my comfort zone making me feeling stuck. The ability to have new places to visit, new trails to hike, new vistas to see has been very beneficial. I've also learned to use the local resources instead of sticking to my routine shops, stores, restaurants...
2. Being able to live in nice homes. I've been able to rent nicer places with prior planning. While they may be more isolated and rural (some), they are also affordable, something I have not been able to afford had I lived in a larger city with higher cost of living. I hardly saw myself living there long term, but for a short period of time it was great to enjoy the luxury (or what I consider luxury).
3. More peaceful lifestyle. This is probably because I've chosen remote places, not apartments for the most parts. I don't have to share walls with anyone and listen to the neighbor's music. While the remoteness might be somewhat isolating from a social perspective, I've enjoyed it quite a bit because of my introverted personality. I don't need hustle and bustle and am rather happy just watching a movie or reading a book. I realize that there might not be many people like me, but I might be wrong.
4. The ability to move freely. I still struggle with stuff cluttering my life to an extent, but I've enjoyed living with what I need vs. nice to have items. I scaled back on that recently and have gotten a few "unnecessary" items, but I almost feel guilty using something that I truly don't need, something that could easily be substituted with what I already have.

Here are the cons:

1. Loneliness and isolation. I listed it in the "Pros" section, but it also belongs here. While I can meet new people via the Meetup, the connections are very temporary unless they live the same lifestyle. Dating is also pretty challenging as those who are interested in long term relationships probably don't want their partner to be traveling around as much. Friendships are rare, if not established previously.
2. Cost. The short term rentals are more expensive than long term. You can argue that they come with some sort of commitment, such as a lease and utilities, but overall it is more expensive to live in the Airbnb in the US.
3. Medical care. I mentioned that I had some GI issues, so getting medical care is pretty challenging for consistency reasons. If something urgent comes up, I would go to the Urgent Care center, but for continuity of care it is not effective. I tend to schedule all my appointments back in Tennessee in my homebase town.
4. Anxiety about the level of unknown. Every time I change places, I am anxious. What if the Internet is non-existent? What if it's noisy? What if Kitty does not like it? What if the hosts are not great? Where would I go if something does not work out? I have been able to manage it thus far, but it is certainly not the level of comfort I'd want to sustain long term. I would either have to get used to the unknown and release part of my controlling of the outcomes tendency or transition to a long-term rental. Interestingly enough, a long-term rental also gives me anxiety as the level of commitment is much higher. In an Airbnb, I could say that it's only for a month, so any issue is temporary until I move one somewhere else, but in a long-term lease I can't do that.
5. Personal issues don't go away. You can hide but you don't run away. Being at peace with myself has been a challenging road with multiple bumps, but I am so much further along than many others.
6. Kitty does not like to travel. He's gotten much better with car rides and getting used to the new places, but I know deeply that he does not like it. It also limits my ability to travel for work as it's often challenging to find a pet sitter.

So I guess it's up to you to decide if pros outweigh the cons. For me right now they do, but I am wondering how much I will change my mind now that we are slowly moving into the fall and winter seasons.

Back in North Carolina

My new place was a pretty large house, similar in size to the one in Southern Kentucky, but quite a bit nicer. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office and a living room! There was a nice gift from the host on the kitchen table as I entered the house with a bottle of their honey. The let me know that they would be away most of the month, so I was impressed by the attention to detail. I loved the place the moment I walked in! It felt like home similar to the apartment in Greensboro (which was only 1.5 hours away).

Kitty adjusting, Day 1

I realized how much I missed space. Every rental except the house in Southern Kentucky was a small apartment or a cottage with at most two rooms. Now I had a beautiful home with a deck to myself (and Kitty). Speaking of Kitty, he immediately felt at home, no hesitation here. He also was excellent in the car this time, very little crying and did not vomit or pooped all over himself! I hope that means he is getting used to moving around.

Right away I started to unpack, but left some things in boxes. I am putting less and less effort in real unpacking as I know within a few weeks I will be moving on. I know that if I continue with this lifestyle, I would like to stay in the same place for 2 months, if feasible. I know for sure that I won't have enough time here to explore all the hikes that I want to with only 3 weekends.

In the meantime, I was enjoying the view from the deck. The rental house is located right on the highway, so there is definitely an issue with the traffic noise, especially when sitting on the deck, but since the area is pretty clear from the trees, there are no mosquitos!

Every morning the first week I would wake up to a different sunrise depending on the weather. The first two weekends were rather gloomy, but during the week the weather cleared up nicely. The sunsets were just as remarkable. I thought to myself how lucky I am being able to live here, however shortly.

First sunrise

I've discovered a few local trails in the area. Three of them are more urban. Perkins Place Loop is a short trail in the woods next to a local park. While it is an urban trail, it does not feel like it is as it winds back and forth in a small park dense with trees. It didn't see a single person on this trail, but that could have been the early morning on a Sunday of Labor Day. Yadkin River Greenway has an East and West sections completely separate from one another. Both trails are fully paved and partially shaded. They are terrific after rain when real trails are muddy.

Yadkin River

Corn field on the left, Yadkin River Greenway East

Walk on a cloudy day, Yadkin River Greenway West

There are differently painted bird houses all along Yadkin River Greenway West

I also went a bit further to Blowing Rock town on a day that was supposed to be clearer, but turned out to be just as rainy as the rest of the weekend. Rich Mountain Carriage Trail was supposed to offer a great view at the top, but with poor visibility the views were obstructed by the fog and thick clouds. I did enjoy the hike itself. It was very comfortable in temperature and peaceful with only a few people. At times the fog cleared a bit, and I was able to see a bit further, but as I got to the top there was no hope of seeing the views. As luck would have it, the weather cleared up as I finished the hike. I do plan to come back to explore the town of Blowing Rock a bit further and possibly visit The Blowing Rock.

Wide trail

Color contrast

The views were supposed to be here

One day I drove to Asheville and was just as thrilled to be there as I was in the past. Such a fantastic town! 

There is a local Amish store that I wanted to explore as well, so on another rainy day I drove there to check it out. My expectations were not high as the store had a website (what kind of Amish have a website?!), and indeed the store was very much aimed at tourists. It was pretty crowded, and while I got a few dry goods, I was disappointed to see that their dairy products were not fresh and most were made from dry milk. There were preserves and other canned goods, but all of them were pretty pricey compared to what I have seen in Southern Kentucky. I later stopped by Elkin Farmer's Market and bought some green stuff, eggs and expensive garlic.

Garlic

At home, I enjoyed my usual cooking and baked a nice loaf of sourdough.