Luke and Naomi On Air

After a couple of years in North Carolina, we finally made the pilgrimage to Asheville, a mountainous town on the western side of the state, known for its beer scene, music, and art. A “hipster town,” in the best kind of way.

In episode 18 (wayyyy back at the start of our podcasting escapades), we said goodbye to “Christine,” our vehicle that we had dragged all over the country, and had been with us through many adventures. Well, we decided to donate our vehicle to “Kars 4 Kids.” Because we donated our vehicle, we got a voucher for a hotel stay. We decided to use that voucher for our little getaway to Asheville. This decision (and a few others), allowed us to do this trip on a budget… Besides the beer. We knew we were going to spend to our heart’s content when it came to craft beer.

That voucher got us a hotel stay at Comfort Inn for two nights – Friday and Saturday. Before we left, we packed a cooler full of water, cold brew coffee, a few sparkling waters, lots of snacks, and homemade sandwiches. We took advantage of the free breakfast at the hotel and ate our snacks and sandwiches to keep us from spending money on unnecessary food. We did go out to eat once while we were in Asheville, but that was specifically planned.

We left our house Friday, April 26th as soon as Luke got out of work (he took a half day). We drove through some very beautiful scenery through the bottom of North Carolina, west toward Charlotte, then northwestern up into the mountains, all the way to Asheville. We checked into our hotel, unpacked and got settled, then hit the town!

Our first stop on our adventures was “One World Brewing,” a really cool venue that was back in an alleyway, and then down some stairs. It felt like it was a secret. The vibes were pretty awesome, and the beers were fantastic. They also had live music while we were hanging out. After a beer or two, we made our way to “Green Man Brewery,” to wrap up the night (we had a busy day planned tomorrow and didn’t want to overdo it). Green Man Brewery was amazing! The brick building had heavy wooden doors that reminded us of a castle. Inside, the walls were covered with names of their beers – past creations and some still in rotation. You could see the vats where beer was being produced, and at the top of the stairs, you could go outside where there was a rooftop bar and a beautiful view of the city.

The next day we decided to do a hike, and found “Wildcat Rock Trail.” The hike was a little more difficult than we thought it was going to be, but it was definitely worth it for all the magnificent views, and the breathtaking overlook at the top of the trail. We saw some beautiful flowers, climbed over rocks, and ran into a red lizard-looking creature.

After our hike, it was beer time! Our first stop on the second was the big one… It was the whole reason Luke wanted to go to Asheville (well, not the whole reason, but it was VERY important that we went to this brewery). Burial. We spent quite a bit of time there, sampling many of their delicious brews. After a few drinks, we walked to Wicked Weed’s “Funkatorium,” a very unique site with plenty of picnic table seating outside, and even an outdoor bar. The drinks focused more on sour beers, but funky – mixing very interesting flavors together. And their menu did the same, like a sandwich with cilantro-mint chutney. After the Funkatorium, we made our way to DSSOLVR, another favorite beer-maker of ours. The atmosphere reminded us of a brewery or craft beer bar we would find in downtown Wilmington. We sat outside to enjoy our drinks and plan the rest of our night.

We walked back over to Burial for another drink to wrap up the night. We each enjoyed a very strong stout (strong, as in high ABV), and then called an Uber to get back to our hotel.

The next morning, we packed up our belongings and headed out. But there was one more stop on our Asheville list of adventures – The Western North Carolina Nature Center. We had to stop here because of a specific animal they have on their grounds (and if you know Naomi well enough, you know what animal we’re talking about). The red panda! We spent a couple of hours, looking at the bears, wolves, otters, snacks and lizards and frogs, and of course, the red pandas.

After the zoo, it was a quick stop to Sweeten Creek Coffee, to “fuel up,” with a delicious treat. Then we hit the road, and made the 5+ hour trip back to Wilmington.

Below, you’ll find a bunch of photos from our trip – Including the beers and breweries, the hike, and all the delicious food we enjoyed. Check ’em out:

Original Travel Dates: Friday, April 26 – Sunday, April 28, 2024