Spring break in retrospect, Part II

[Bluegrass jam at Jack in the Woods, a tavern in downtown Asheville, on Thursday, April 1. Musicians would pop up on stage and replace each other periodically.]

[Us, random place in Asheville, random time.]

I forgot to mention Chocolate Love. We stopped at this little shop on Wednesday, March 31, Ashley's first day in Asheville while we were walking around town. I didn't know what I wanted but I was sure it would have to have something to do with ice cream. At the server's suggestion I had a beer float: Vanilla ice cream in a locally brewed stout, which tasted like Guiness.

[Perfect hiker drink! Ice cream in a stout beer, Chocolate Love, Asheville. It felt good to be in town clothes.]

[Ashley having chocolate custard, Chocolate Love.]

On Friday we met Johnny Thunder and Freefall at a cafe downtown and went for a drive into the mountains above town, along the Blue Ridge Parkway and into Pisgah National Forest. We stopped at an overlook, and I peeled out in the gravel in Ashley's manual transmission car while Johnny whooped Dukes of Hazard style.

We got out in Pisgah and hiked a few miles on trails near the Parkway. It was summer-hot but the trees had yet to start budding. In the afternoon the four of us road walked down to our car. On the way we walked through a tunnel through the mountain, with cars passing close by in the darkness.

[Freefall, Johnny Thunder and Ashley. Tunnel walk!]

The road provided the best view of the Biltmore Estate, the Vanderbilts' summer estate from the Gilded Age, short of paying the $60 entrance fee. The estate was miles away in the valley.

That night Johnny and Freefall had us over for dinner: Vegan lasagna with toast. Johnny and Freefall have taken organic living to heart: They don't drive, they have a garden and they eat vegan. I was impressed, and I think Ashley was, too. I think it's a good thing that our generation is starting to embrace a way of life that feels better than driving all over and eating fast food without caring about where the energy or food comes from. Even in the hostel, Sweet Peas, each light switch had above it a laminated sign asking guests to conserve energy by keeping the lights off as much as possible.

For dessert we returned to Chocolate Love, by way of downtown Asheville, where we happened upon a drum circle in a small park. It was kind of nuts.

[Friday night drum circle in downtown Asheville, April 2.]

This time we had about a 45-minute wait at Chocolate Love. It's a hot night spot apparently. But again it was delicious. We thanked Johnny and Freefall for their hospitality. I'm sure I'll see them again soon, when they bicycle from Asheville to Damascus, VA for Trail Days.

To be continued...