We’ve been dating for one year – time sure does fly when you’re having fun! I’m so happy to say that we have, in fact, been having a blast. And our anniversary weekend in Asheville, NC was no exception!

We arrived on Friday evening and checked into the Asheville Hostel and Guesthouse. I know what you’re thinking – why would we stay in a hostel for our anniversary? Well, this isn’t the kind of hostel you see in Europe – there are no enormous rooms stuffed with bunk beds. It’s a quaint house with private rooms, shared kitchens and bathrooms, and a fabulous location – we walked everywhere downtown during our stay. Oh, and did I mention it’s extremely affordable? 

After freshening up, we met up with a couple of friends who live there. Jesse and Stephanie were great guides and took us first to Wicked Weed, where Sean and I shared a watermelon saison (pictured) and a black cherry sour that was amazing. For dinner, we went to a local spot and had some pizza then checked out Hi Wire Brewing and watched people play with enormous Jenga blocks. Fun!

(Yes, Minerva came to Asheville with us….hehe)

On Saturday, Sean and I walked to a coffee shop after having breakfast at the hostel then picked up some cheese and wine from the Asheville Wine Market – I could’ve stayed in that place for hours just exploring all the different wines.

We met up with Jesse and he took us on a hike to the Frying Pan watchtower, near Mount Pisgah. The drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway was beautiful, but it got cloudy as we climbed higher. We were completely in the clouds for our hike!

 Minerva didn’t mind the clouds, and loved the flowers along the trails.

We made some stops on the way down from Mount Pisgah to get some photos of the gorgeous scenery. Asheville and the surrounding area are full of great views and fun outdoor activities. 

We saw many beautiful butterflies on our hike – in some ways, the clouds that blocked the mountain views let us focus more on the plants, flowers and bugs around us. Lovely!

 Sean and me on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Happy anniversary, honey!

After the hike, Jesse took us on a mini-brewery tour of West Asheville. This hip, slightly grungy part of town is definitely up-and-coming with interesting food, cafes, shops and beers. The oyster stout from the OysterHouse was great, and the beers and the fun vibe at the Wedge made us wish we had more time to spend in the River Arts District.

Between our West Asheville tour and dinner, Sean surprised me with a little picnic. He recreated the game “Penny Can” from one of our favorite shows, Cougar Town, complete with replicated label for the can and a custom message for our anniversary. We popped some sparkling wine, ate the cheese we picked up earlier in the day, and tossed pennies into the can while reminiscing about the wonderful year we’ve shared together. So sweet, and so fun.

We had made dinner reservations at The Market Place and were excited to try it as it came highly recommended from a friend. We were promptly seated at a nice table in the corner, and waited for our server to come by. We waited, and waited, and waited some more. After almost 15 minutes of not even being acknowledged, we left. We informed the hostess on the way out of our departure and why. We were so bummed, but we refused to spend any money on a place where we would receive bad service.

Luckily, Jesse had put together an extensive list of other restaurants. We stopped in Southern Kitchen and Bar, but left after feeling it was too casual for a special occasion dinner. The manager followed us out, asking why we’d left. We explained it to him, and he stood with us in the damp, drizzly weather to give us recommendations for other places close by. Sean and I decided that we will definitely be visiting that place on our next trip because the manager had been so helpful and nice.

We finally ended up having a French-style meal a Bouchon – we shared a fruit gazpacho, a smoked trout salad with goat cheese croutons and fried capers, roasted duck in orange sauce, and a phyllo-wrapped banana with caramel sauce. Delish! 

Not wanting our special day to end, we stopped by the Thirsty Monk for a nightcap, and had fun being a little silly.

Sunday was cloudy, chilly and dreary. We went to a few shops, including the Mast General Store, and walked around the city some more before having brunch at Curate, a Spanish tapas restaurant. It was so delicious, and featured authentic Spanish items. Many tapas places infuse other food styles or cultures together and it can be difficult to find places that offer true, simple, and fresh Spanish cuisine. I was so pleased!

After a bit more walking and picture-taking after brunch, we headed back to Atlanta. While we had a great time, we also felt there was still so much to do…which means we’ll definitely be back!