Asheville, NC - Land of the Sky

Our Arkansas cat-sit expiring, we turned our attention east, towards North Carolina. We had a week before we needed to be in Asheville for our next gig, so we decided to poke our way through Arkansas and Tennessee en route. We weren't sure when we'd be in the region again, so we wanted to experience as much as could while we had the chance. Departing Fayetteville early on April 26th, we followed Interstate 40 towards Little Rock, where we'd planned to spend two nights. We didn't think the city and surroundings were as charming as the northwestern part of the state, but we did enjoy a lovely walk through a sculpture garden on the Arkansas River before stumbling into an outdoor jam session. The nine-piece band was banging out jazzy funk, and locals had gathered to socialize, drink beers, and dance in the name of charity, the proceeds of the event to benefit Art Porter Music Education. With temperatures in the 70s and a light breeze coming off the water, it was a perfect evening!

We left Arkansas and continued to Tennessee where we rendezvoused with some friends and family. First stop was Memphis for a couple days, followed by another 2 day stop in Maryville, a small town outside of Knoxville. In Memphis we enjoyed some standard tourist stop, including a visit to watch the famous ducks do their march at the Peabody Hotel, as well as stop by Bass Pro Shops Pyramid - both equally random and hilarious. In Marysville we enjoyed spending some down time with Sonia's family who recently relocated from California to Tennessee. 

Dinner with friends, Greg & Carolyn; Standing outside Bass Pro Shops pyramid

Visiting Sonia's sister, nieces, and nephew in Maryville

A highlight of our time in Tennessee was certainly the time we spent at the National Civil Rights Museum. Built into the former Lorraine Motel, the site where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4th, 1968, the museum chronicles the civil rights movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present. Exhibits took us through the slave trade, the rise of Jim Crow, and the resulting battle over segregation, and the entire experience was a sobering reminder of the injustices which Black American have suffered across this country's history, Our self-guided tour ended in the second-floor room where MLK spent his final night. Stepping into that space, we were overwhelmed with respect and sadness. We sat for some time, contemplating that moment in history and wondering how much more MLK could have accomplished had the assassin not cut his life tragically short the following morning. If you ever make it to Memphis, the museum should be your number one stop. 

On the morning of May 3rd we left Tennessee and drove to Asheville, the site of our next petsit. Asheville is a beautiful city in western North Carolina, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The city adopted the slogan, "Land of the Sky" after writer Frances Christian Fisher Tiernan released a novel The Land of the Sky: Adventures in Mountain By-Ways in 1976, describing the beauty of this region. From the moment we arrived it became very clear why this nickname stuck. 

(Not our photo - credit on this site which also explains the nickname)

When we pulled up to the house of our next petsit, we were greeted by homeowner Steve and his two friendly dogs. Bazzle, an energetic poodle-mix bounced all around us while Maya, a fifteen-year-old Golden Retriever approached more slowly. Both dogs proved very sweet from the beginning, and by the end of the first day we were bowing to their requests for attention and tummy rubs. While coordinating the sit, Maya's pawrents told us that she'd been diagnosed with sundowners syndrome, a form of doggy dementia which causes nocturnal confusion, anxiety, and pacing. We read up on the condition before before arriving, and we gave Maya extra attention ahead of sunset. Our affection kept her pacing to a manageable minimum, and it great to know she felt comfortable with us while her pawrents were away.

Younger and sprier, Bazzle was the perfect pooch to take out on outdoor long walks. Asheville and the surrounding the Blue Ridge Mountains boast dozens of hiking trails, some of which ran right behind the house, so we walked him through the woods at least once each day. He LOVED bounding along the trails; with the leaves and bushes in full bloom, there was so much to explore and sniff, particularly with perfect weather. All we had to do was reach for his harness and he started jumping around in anticipation of adventure!

Photos from many different hiking adventures

Everything is so green!

We've also made it a point to test out local ice cream shops in every town we visit, so we made a stop at Whit's Frozen Custard after our rainy hike. Bazzle was with us and when we walked up the place our order, the owner reached beneath the counter and pulled out a pup cup of ice cream for Bazzle! He was thrilled! Instant five-paws for this ice cream shop! 🐾

Dorian had to leave part way through the sit due to a work commitment (he was leading a birding tour through Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan), so I (Sonia) was managed the back end of the sit on my own. When I wasn't wrapped up with the dogs, I did find a few hours to treat myself to an Airbnb Horseback Experience on a private family farm. The horse trails meandered through the mountainous property, and I was so caught up in the moment that I forgot to take photos. Luckily the guide snapped a quick photo at the end of the ride, so I have this image to commemorate my time with my steady stallion. 

Once again, we left a pet-sit fully impressed. When we accepted this sit, our goal was to explore a state which neither of us had spent much time in. Our experience exceeded our expectations, and it was really easy to fall in love with Asheville. Thanks, North Carolina. We hope to be back in the future! And oh yeah -- if you make it to Asheville, then check out the Laughing Seed Cafe. They made some of the best vegan/vegetarian food we've ever eaten!