Through the Looking Glass (A Day in the Life): Asheville Extravaganza Part 2
Yesterday I brought you installment 1 of the Asheville trip Maddie and I took last week. Now friends, I bring you take 2 a little lighter on the food and a little heavier on the scenery. So brace yourselves and enjoy this edition of:
Thursday
Thursday started off with another simple breakfast: Lara Bars and cantaloupe. (My grand parents are NOT vegan. Very, VERY NOT vegan. So we took what we could get and waited till lunch)
But, before lunch at a somewhat anti-climatic Thai restaurant, we went up to what is perhaps the world’s most beautiful herb nursery, Sand Mush Herb Nursery. This beautiful slice of land is located on several hundred acres literally on the side of a mountain. The entire place slopes, and is so beautiful that I can’t even put it into words. I’m hoping that my photos will attempt to do it justice, even though that’s impossible!
The charming outhouse-complete with a composting toilet and fragrant red roses growing along the entrance.
Maddie walking through a beautiful grove of the biggest rhododendrons I’ve ever seen. (Isn’t she beautiful?)
View of the gardens from inside the grove.
A 29-year old lemon tree, with lemons the size of grapefruits. A single one will make a pie! (Serious plant envy here, folks.)
Me with Gabriel, the farm’s adorable white donkey. It was love at first sight.
Some of the thymes in one of the greenhouses (there were about 4!)
When I saw a cactus in one of the greenhouses. Pure delight.
Rows upon rows
upon rows of gorgeous plants!
We came home with a lavender plant that I hope to use medicinally and in the kitchen, 3 scented geraniums to give as gifts, 1 little bay tree for Maddie’s mom, and a tiny little plant for my terrarium making. (Post to follow soon, so brace yourselves!)
Finally, we trekked home (4 hours in the car) but not before we had some Thai food:
Serious “eh” factor here, folks. You know I’m usually pretty kind with my reviews, but I can’t hold back here. We ate out of hunger, not delight.
But on to positivity! Before leaving the City of the Sky, we stopped off at Asheville’s Greenlife (recently bought out by Whole Foods) where we bought:
RAW kale chips! Dressed in cashew, sea salt, and nutritional yeast. Fantastic. I also got yet another kombucha, this time the classic GT’s gingerberry, (not pictured) as the Buchi taps were broken (oh the humanity! I’m so deprived).
We spent the 4 hour ride napping and reading. I took on Rawesomely Vegan while I indulged myself with handfuls of kale chips and gulps of kombucha, then delved into my monster novel 1Q84 by Haruki Marukami. Time flies when you’re deep in reading…
Upon our arrival, it was an enormous salad off the salad bar at the co-op complimented by some vegan tacos from our beloved local taco truck for dinner:
A sinfully simple end to a scrumptious trip!
Bisous!
Rachel
I want to move to Sand Mush Herb Nursery!! Could wander around there for hours. You packed quite a bit into your trip, Rachel. I’ve read Marukami’s, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, but none of his other books. Sounds like I have some reading to do
!
It is very long but is very good!
It’s the first of his books I’ve read and I love it!
I have serious envy here… ♥