Asheville, Day 3: Fae Nectar, Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, Oak and Grist Distillery, Cultivated Cocktails

Outside our room. Situation normal.

We had a bit of driving lined up today. A leisurely stroll at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, followed by some stops at some distilleries.

Parking was a bit tricky near the bridge. So we ended up parking at Fae Nectar, went inside, and ordered some beer. And sat outside, admiring the lovely grounds and view.

I’ll be honest – I was not expecting such a… fae themed place to exist in Asheville. The nearby area didn’t really seem to have a vibe enough to support an establishment like this.

But clearly, I know nothing. Because this place was pretty crowded, when we arrived.

Having been official patrons, we felt comfortable to wander from the parking lot over to the nearby Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.

The entrance. Much of the area seemed to have entrances/paths like this – a little hidden, seemingly a little secret.

Lots of other people around as well, but it felt quite private.

A Kindred Spirit mailbox, inviting folks to share words/comments.

I could have spent the whole afternoon, reading.

Prayers.

So many notebooks, all filled with notes.

Flowers and bridge.

One of many sundials.

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.

I love that this little stretch of land, alongside a bridge, is so full with plants and green.

Throughout, there were tiny books that were themed to match the areas they were in.

Another sundial: My face marks the sunny hours, what can you say of yours?

Mr. McGregor’s garden.

Secret Garden.

The background was just as captivating. Looked like a small storm approaching.

Several bricks, purchased by supporters of the Flowering Bridge, with custom messages.

Many of these brick messages were for family members and loved ones who had passed away.

A few though… hats off to whoever purchased this one.

A lot of signs and messages along the way.

A particularly sad spot – the “Rainbow bridge,” where owners attached dog collars for their dogs, who have passed away.

A lot of good dogs.

After the bridge, it made this Doggie Stick Library that much harder to look at.

More hidden dog books.

Back at Fae Nectar. I happened to spot a “hard copy” of the Spaceteam game. Which seemed really, really weird to me.

It’s an old game, so I guess there would be some kind of physical permutation. But it’s always seemed like an exclusively mobile game to me.

It’s not just honey and mead, there actually is food here as well. It felt weird, but ended up snacking on a hot dog in an establishment that seemed like it should be vegetarian at its core.

Fast forward a bit to Oak and Grist.

We had some American whiskey, and each got a flight to try out.

If cats could text you back, they wouldn’t.

Inside at Cultivated Cocktails.

A very slick interior, with lots of things on sale.

Some cocktails, before we ventured out to dinner.

Liz’s drink. Should have written down the name, as I think their menu has changed since then.

Mine had a bit more kick than I was expecting. I think this was called something like “Hot Blooded,” and I took a gamble on the heat.

Walking along downtown Asheville, spotted several small storefronts.

Back at our hotel, we poured ourselves some drams and relaxed a bit outside in the main patio area.

The string lights in this spot were quite lovely, and it felt great to have this place all to ourselves. While there were other residents, we didn’t really see or hear anyone else. And it truly did feel like we had the whole place to ourselves.

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Asheville, Day 1: Travel, Zelda Dearest, Terra Nova Beer Company, Road Work
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