A is for Asheville

I realize that I do not necessarily have the golden touch that Oprah does (I still can't get my mama to read the last book I recommended.) And the last time I checked, swarms of people did not descend upon Craft in Atlanta because I ate there a few weeks ago. However, I'm so delighted with my first vacation spot of '09, it would be a shame to hide it under a bushel (who knows, you may read something here that lights a fire under your hiny, forces you to stop checking the balance of your 401K, and motivates you to take your own little mini-break).

Over MLK weekend, I met my best friend, Katie, and some of our Charlotte gal pals in Asheville, North Carolina.

Along with San Francisco, Chapel Hill, Charlottesville, Wrightsville Beach, Italy, and anywhere with white sand and turquoise waters, Asheville is on my "I could live here" list. (Atlanta is on that list when the traffic doesn't make me want to stick my head in a cannon and I don't have to listen to old white men pontificate on the non-existence of racism, or watch overly-large women roam around in ridiculously tight pants plastered with Gucci logos).

Asheville is refreshingly laid back and full of splendid haunts:

1. Barkwells. Holy smokes. Barkwells is doggy heaven on Earth. It is a mountain resort where every cabin has its own fenced in back yard, a doggy gated porch, and a doggy door for canine access into the interior (and a hot tub. for humans). Your pup has miles and miles to roam free and unlike here in Midtown were my bitchy neighbor complains every time a dog barks in a 3 mile radius of her unit, no one cares if your dogs gleefully bark every now and then. Here's a pic from the Barkwell's website that captures the spirit of the place perfectly.

(I mean Gatsby was so excited about the place, he humped uncontrollably all weekend. )

And as Katie, who is not a pet owner (yet) pointed out, she'd go to Barkwells even if dogs weren't invited to her mountain party. The cabins are nice (like granite counter top, flat screen tv, and hardwood floors throughout nice) and reasonably priced. We even rigged our cabin so we could watch the Carolina game from the hot tub. (Can you say sweet?) It's just a 3 hour drive from Atlanta and a 2 hour drive from Charlotte, people! We're definitely going back when white-water rafting season hits (and bringing more wine so we don't have to make 3 grocery store runs).

2. Mayfels. We headed into town to brunch (it's a verb now, didn't you know?) at Tupelo Honey, but as it had been almost a full 2 hours since we last ate, we decided not to endure the 45 minute wait there and beboped the 10 feet over to Mayfel's instead (such a good move).

What a great spot. The food was delish (I opted for the omelet special and then drooled over the french toast the girl next to us had ordered) and the decor in the place was incredibly charming. Vintage china rimmed the walls and kooky crystal chandeliers dripped down from the ceiling.

And a wonderfully wacky wire sculpture divided the dining area from the hostess stand/server's station/kitchen window.

Barkwells and Mayfel's alone are worth the drive, but of course while you're up there you should hit up the Biltmore Estate, hike the arboretum, visit the slew of independent restaurants and bars that line the streets of downtown Asheville, and check out the art galleries showing local and national talent. I can be pretty critical (shocker), so trust me on this one kids. Asheville is a perfect mini-break. I came back from the weekend more mellow than a John Mayer song. If I could bottle up the spirit of Asheville and drink it on my lunch break, I would. But alas, I can't. So instead, I'll blog about it and remind myself that mini-breaks are under-rated and that Asheville is right up the road.