48 hours in Asheville

A group of my high school friends escaped to Asheville, NC, for a weekend getaway, and it was the perfect blend of all the things. We stayed at WinterSun just outside the city—it’s not over-the-top luxurious, but rather thoughtfully designed to make you feel at ease. It was the kind of place that felt both peaceful and like we had our own private party.

The first night was all about relaxing and catching up. We sat around the fire and passed around mood fortune teller fish—laughing at how ridiculously accurate (or not) they were.

The next morning  we walked around the acres of WinterSun and went into Asheville for the afternoon. We had Curate for lunch, and if you’re into tapas, this place is a must. We had the most delish bottle of Columna Albariño to go with it—so good we’re still talking about it. Go ahead and order yourself a bottle (or case).

Afterward, we made our way to Battery Park Book Exchange, a spot with a cozy library. We grabbed [another] bottle of wine and had not-so-deep conversations.

We walked around a bit and stumbled upon the cutest store called Nest Organics; it has the cutest gifty items and a big children's section. I was drawn to the name trains where I obviously left my daughter, Dottie's, name spelled out. Then came the (before 3pm) espresso martinis at The Times.  We were told they were the best espresso martinis in Asheville, but they may be the best in the world? Seriously, worth every sip.

On our last night, we kept it simple—ordered pizza, played [were forced to play] the Wicked soundtrack on repeat, and planned things that will never actually come to fruition. In the end, Asheville was exactly what we all needed—if you're after a laid-back trip with just the right amount of activity, this is the place.

*After a girls' weekend, there's always that running list of links of what we all need to buy, read, listen to, watch—you know the drill. Of course, all of these get sent to the text thread in a flurry as we try to remember everything we just discovered. Here are a few gems we took away after this weekend:

• Make: Caroline Chambers’ hyperfixation snack of hard boiled eggs + good culture cottage cheese. 

• Read: The Fourth Wing Series

• Watch: Paradise 

• Wear: Adidas Platform Sneakers,

• Drink: Obviously, Columna Albariño

We were thrilled to see Asheville bustling with tourists, but they still really need our help with hurricane Helene relief donations.