Asheville -- The Weirdness

Asheville is one of my favorite places in the world. I had the great pleasure of living there for 14 months. I lived downtown, and every day I would walk around the city after work. Asheville is always fun. There are buskers everywhere. Musicians, jugglers, mimes, magicians all frequent the corners. There are countless great restaurants serving unique offerings and farm to table fresh and local menus.

The weirdness of Asheville is one of my favorite aspects of the city. For example, people will randomly wear costumes for no particular reason. These fellows appeared on one of my walks. Maybe "appeared" is the wrong word choice. I saw them suddenly. They did not magically appear, although nothing would surprise me in Asheville. Three nice young men in costumes for no apparent reason. There were no comic-cons or any other events that would make people come out in costume. People do not need a reason to be weird in Asheville. The weirdness is widely accepted and not judged.  Apparently, Gumby, Samus and the Assassin's creed guy are about to walk into a bar. There is a punchline waiting to happen here, but it's going to be waiting for a long time. It's such an odd assortment. Reminds me of a nightmare I had once, where I was stuck in an elevator for eight hours with Bob Dillan, Ozzy Ozbourne and Donald Duck. We were arguing politics and Nuclear Physics.

I ran into this one young woman who was on a crusade to discourage drunk driving. I asked if she was with SADD or MADD or some group. No, she was just out there alone, promoting sober driving.

Clearly, the beer wagon was less interested in sober driving. Up to eight people pedal this wagon around town while drinking BYOB. Don't worry, a professional and sober driver is at the head of the wagon to keep things safe.

Gumby and his posse are next to the chalkboard wall of "Things to do Before I Die" which gets filled up and cleaned off every day. Here is a better view of it.  People from all over the world write their hopes and dreams on the board. It is said that if you write your dreams on the wall, sprinkle it with Kombucha, and spin around three times chanting "Dave is awesome" that your wish will come true. Okay, I am kidding, no one ever said that, I was just hoping to make a video of you doing that. 

I have about a dozen favorite places in Asheville. One of them is White Duck Taco, with its exotic taco menu. I have tried them all (not all at the same time). They are all delicious except the Pork Belly and Watermelon. Sorry, I just don't get Pork Belly. It's a hunk of pig fat. I think the Surgeon General said not to eat hunks of pig fat. Pretty sure if you saw a tub of pig fat in the store, it would have a label on it "bad for you and tastes disgusting." Every single other taco they have is fantastic. They have great deserts, beer on tap, and wine. They are also in a great location, in the heart of downtown, with outdoor picnic tables in addition to plentiful inside seating. Staff is friendly and courteous.

Another favorite place is the Skybar. Skybar is a 5th 6th and 7th story bar, on the outside of the building. Three floors of outdoor decks, overlooking the city and the mountains. It is actually just an old fire escape turned into a bar. I guess if there is a fire now, you have to throw your beer on it. It is a great place for a drink! They have delicious exotic drinks along with local microbrews. Asheville is "Beer City," after all,  having won several contests for their microbreweries. The Skybar offers several local beers. They also offer unusual recipes such as the "Rum Raisin" with Kraken spiced rum, Krupnikas honey liquor, five spice simple, coconut milk and cream, walnut bitters and bruleed raisins, or the "Winter Sun" made with Brokers gin, wild orange simple, house-infused cardamom energy tincture, gin-barrel aged orange bitters, with a splash of soda. The only way to get there is by the elevator staffer. This is not a self service elevator. Rather it is an old fashioned elevator run by a staff member who accepts tips and gives candy. He or she also offers explanations and guidance on what to expect at the top.

Another great thing about Ashville is the buskers. You will find people playing electric violins, didgeridoos and xylophones. I have seen drums, guitars and accordions. I have watched passerbys stop to dance, and I have been that passerby. I have seen magicians, mimes, jugglers, and people making balloon animals. (I had a balloon pet once, but it had a horrible temper and blew up at me). All performers of notable excellence. There are so many busker there during peak season, that by the time you are out of earshot of one, you encounter the next.

This is the first of several  posts on Asheville. We have much more to explore, and in more detail.