Asheville Adventure: Happy Trails

Ethan on Babe, his first horse ride.

One of the joys of vacation is letting the sun be your alarm clock...but some things are worth getting up for. On our third day, it was an amazing 60 degrees when we left about 8 am, which was wonderful given the hot temperatures earlier. We left that early for a 9 am trail ride at Wolf Laurel Stables, about 50 minutes north of Asheville. This was Ethan and Katie's first time on a horse, so the excitement level was high. We drove up into the Blue Ridge Mountains to a lovely place deep in the woods. The staff were welcoming and friendly, and the horses were well cared for and also friendly. We had a lovely, shaded ride along a rocky, wooded trail. Much of it was beside a chatty creek, which we got to cross and water the horses at about mid-way through. We even saw a few rhododendrons, which usually bloom earlier in the spring. These were a little past their prime but still pretty. One hour was perfect for Rome and I, who had riding experience but hadn't been in the saddle in a long time, and for the kids' first time. At the end of the ride, the farrier was there shoeing a horse and he let us watch him for a bit, while I explained to the kids about horse hooves and shoes.

Katie and I enjoyed our time with Grace.

We drove back and used the iPad to find a playground on the way back to the cottage. We discovered one at an elementary school about 2 miles from the cottage and the weather was perfect for the kids to have an hour of playtime before lunch. Lunch was sandwiches back at homebase and then naptime for all, adults included.

Pack Square and Splasheville

After naps, we got up and dressed for the evening's activities: A trip to Pack Square park downtown so the kids could splash in the wading fountain -- also known as Splasheville -- dinner at the Lexington Avenue Brewery (The Lab), and a special treat dessert at French Broad Chocolates. The latter two were recommended by a friend, Liz Rachun, for which we are grateful. She has great taste! We left at what should have been rush hour but, as near as we can tell, this doesn't exist in Asheville (we had noted that in the morning as well). What a welcome change from car-clogged Atlanta! At Pack Square, we immediately found a great parking spot on the street and also found a shady spot to sit while the kids played in the fountains. After they tired of that, we dried them off, changed their clothes -- I'm pretty sure some folks eating dinner outdoors got a quick flash of Katie bottom -- and took a quick walk to The Lab for some craft beer and some delectable food. Jerome had the Magic Carpet pilsner and I had a Belgian witbier. Both were delicious. For dinner, I had the grilled tomato gazpacho and a Caesar salad, the kids had chicken fingers, and Rome had Mongolian beef soft tacos. My gazpacho was out of this world...fresh and chunky with just the right amount of spice. The Caesar salad was good and peppery. Jerome said his tacos were more peanut-Thai than Mongolian but were a mouthwatering fusion of west coast Mexican and Asian nonetheless. The kids chowed down on their chicken strips and we snagged a couple of Ethan's french fries, which were spectacular.


A quick walk down Lexington Avenue took us to our final stop of the night and our treat for the kids. OK, it was as much a treat for me as them but we told them it was for them. If you go to Asheville and like chocolate, a trip to French Broad Chocolates is a must. I had the chocolate truffle torte, which was just heavenly....moist, dense, and rich. I needed a moment alone after eating it. Katie had a chocolate pot de creme, which I also had a few bites of. It was like Betty Crocker fudge frosting, only made with fresh ingredients and immeasurably better. Jerome had the maple batter cake (yes, they have some non-chocolate items), which was very good. Ethan had mango sorbet, which was light and fresh. They also have coffee, tea, drinking chocolate (isn't that just a fancy name for hot chocolate?), beer, and wine but we just had dessert. A quick walk and we were back to the car and home for bedtime. The dinner and dessert were the culinary highlights of the trip, so thanks again, Liz!