A big question when we started 50 in 5 was what we would do for our “North Carolina” trip. I’ve lived here my whole life, and Brandon’s family moved to NC when he was nine. Separately and together, we’ve explored a lot of our state.
When my favorite band, NEEDTOBREATHE (NTB), announced an acoustic tour with a stop in Asheville, I convinced Brandon we should go as part of 50 in 5. Two months later, we returned to Asheville for a weekend trip with my high school best friends and their husbands. I’m going to cover both Asheville trips, NTB trip and BFF trip, in this photo recap.
Food
My favorite restaurant in Asheville is White Duck Taco Shop, and we always stop there when we’re in town. I am constantly devastated by the fact that I can’t eat their Thai peanut chicken tacos on a regular basis.
During the NTB trip, we splurged on dinner at Cúrate. The charcuterie was the best we’ve ever had, and a surprise favorite dish of the night was morcilla casera: blood sausage, cipollini onions, goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, and sherry vinegar reduction.
The second night of the BFF trip was an early birthday dinner for me at The Blackbird. The menu was great, and the company was even better. Their jalapeño cornbread skillet was so good that I placed a second order just for me.
Souvenir
I brought home a new piece of pottery from each of our Asheville trips. I love serveware, and have a newfound love of pottery. Both pieces are special to me and remind me of the trips we took.
rest
For our NTB trip, we spent one night at AC Hotels using Marriott Rewards points. It’s right in the heart of downtown, and was within easy walking distance to the concert. After the show ended, we went back to the hotel and enjoyed drinks from the rooftop bar as we watched traffic from the concert attempt to leave the crowded parking deck.
We rented an Airbnb for the BFF trip, which was the perfect space for three couples. We grilled dinner, played games, and had plenty of room to spread out when needed. Brandon and I loved the house so much, and would love to go back again (or build one exactly like it!).
Friends
Having the opportunity to take a BFF trip with our husbands was so special, and I’m kicking myself for not getting a photo of the six of us together. Martha (center) and Jennifer (right) have been my best friends for almost 20 years. It’s incredibly rare that we have the opportunity to all be together (Martha lives in California), and I’m so grateful that we had this time.
farewell
I love this photo because it captures a lot of what 50 in 5 has looked like for me: pushing my suitcase with a giant smile on my face.
