Thursday, May 1

Asheville, NC to Roanoke, VA

We checked out of our AirBnB apartment at 10AM and headed to Early Girl Eatery, which had been recommended by numerous people. I wasn’t impressed by my food and the waitstaff was pretty rude but Dennis enjoyed his local sausage and sweet potato scramble. Our next stop was French Broad Chocolate Lounge, which we both adored. It’s a super cute little chocolate shop with a unique collection of treats. I ordered a mocha (delicious) and a maple and smoked salt chocolate bite. Dennis ordered a matcha chocolate bite and a liquid truffle called Indian Kufi. 

Liquid Truffle

I’m always making Dennis pose for photos so he made me do the same.

We used our time at the chocolate shop to write out some postcards, as well. I love sending postcards. Eventually we hit the road again, making a brief stop at a comic book shop where I bought the first 3 issues of Ms. Marvel.

From there we were off to Roanoke, VA. Along the way we stopped at Warrior’s Path State Park in Tennessee where we walked around the little island. It was nice to stretch our legs and the weather was beautiful. 

Selfie!

Along the path are a series of activities you can do. They’re from many many years ago and most have rotted away. Dennis did his best to follow the instructions, though. The blocks were really far apart. It was hazardous!

We stopped on our way out to take a photo of the sign and so that I could snag a photo with Smokey!Eventually we crossed the border into Virginia.

Dennis had read that Roanoke was a cool town to see and there is a giant star that looks out over the city.From the viewpoint we headed into the city to grab dinner at Wildflour and we were back on the road by 7PM.

In researching our mini-road-trip Dennis had seen pictures of the Natural Bridge and so we made it a stopping point along our journey. We arrived around 8PM, just before closing. I was excited to see it, until we found out it would be $18 per person. This jump-started a little tirade from me, which Dennis patiently listened to, holding back laughter as I ranted. Mind you, I didn’t rant at the employees, I just ranted in the car once we were alone. But seriously, $18 to see a naturally occurring rock formation that requires no upkeep on the part of the people controlling entrance? Seriously? I refused on principle. Here is a picture that I didn’t take, just so you have an idea what I’m talking about:We did take a picture with the giant bear in the gift shop, though.

We got back on the road and headed to our next AirBnB stop, about 30 minutes outside of Charlottesville. We stayed at the White Lotus, a fascinating eco-lodge that has been built in pieces by the owner over the past decade. We arrived late at night and left the next morning, but it was a great place. We enjoyed meeting the owners and hearing their story. Highly recommended! Our room reminded me a hobbit home:

Friday, May 2

Charlottesville, VA to Washington, DC

The view from our window the next morning.

After checkin out we headed into Charlottesville for lunch at Mel’s Cafe, which I was not impressed with. I’m a little bit of a cheese snob and I cannot abide burgers topped with American cheese. I don’t demand Tillamook, but I do demand real cheddar!

Our next stop was an outdoor pedestrian mall where I wandered in and out of random shops and Dennis was good enough to pose for a photo with the carrousel. We also grabbed some ice-cream because, you know, vacation.My favorite shop at the mall was one I think my mom also would have loved:I bought a super cute purse there!

Our last stop along our five-day journey was the Robert E. Lee memorial, more so because it was right in front of us than because either of us are history buffs.Overall, our little trip took us across 972 miles over 5 days and it was just what we needed. We both had a great time and we’re looking forward to doing another “local” road trip in the future, before we move back to the west coast (someday).