We always heard good things about Asheville, North Carolina. A small, humble, yet eclectic community located at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains. The town has a great artsy vibe, the people are friendly and the vegetarian food options are limitless. Asheville was voted the most vegetarian friendly small city according to GoVeg.com and  they also sport a Veggie B&B at the Beaufort House!

We decided to have dinner at the Early Girl Eatery where we dined on soup and sandwiches for dinner. My vegan tomato bisque was outstanding to say in the least, and I felt very lucky for having have gotten the last bowl! We took a nice walk among the downtown buildings and grabbed dessert at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge where I had a delicious piece of chocolate cake and Jack (over)indulged on a brownie and hot chocolate.

The next day we poked our head in and out of the various shops sporting anything from eco-friendly home goods, designer clothes, and art. Driving north towards Lexington we took part of the Blue Ridge Parkway which at tree level has a gorgeous display of autumns finest colors. It could rival New England falls any day. Asheville is a great little city and I definitely would like to go back someday to get in some hiking and some more of that great local & veggie food.

We stopped in Virginia to visit my aunt Susan and uncle Bob in Lexington, a quaint community located in the western part of the state. My aunt recently started her own business, Farm to You, an organization which serves as the middle man between local farmers and consumers. The idea is ingenious really and is a testament to how society is changing back to becoming locally oriented. We took a tour of their organic garden located in the front yard which grows a variety of plants from lettuces and eggplant to squash and potatoes. It’s amazing how efficient, sustainable and productive one can be on a small plot of land. They took us out to a delicious dinner at The Southern Inn (which boasts the towns only fluorescent sign). I had a cream of broccoli soup and a side salad which was the perfect finish to my meal which I started earlier in the day at the Co-Op, a huge plate of quinoa with corn. We sipped on wine and got into passionate discussions about factory farming and the recent “Smart Choice” label being stamped onto Froot Loops cereal boxes – you know, typical dinner conversations. We particularly liked Lexington for its austere way of life. The humble downtown with its brick architecture and narrow streets allow you to simply fall back to a time when things were simply more simple.
Virginia and North Carolina pictures.