With our human tanks filled up with sugar, we headed out.  The weather....... humid and heavy, waiting for the next thunderstorm but lifted occasionally with the faint breath of a light sweet breeze scented with grasses and cow paddies. 

And then there are the cows........ bovine cuties! 

Eventually as always, we had to cross the river..... The Nolichucky River...... Sometimes ferocious, rolling and crashing, but today calm and serene, floating by with barely a ripple. 

As someone who lived most of her life in Southern California with access to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, I scoffed and sneered at my husband’s suggestion six years ago that we go to the “lake” for lunch and a beer at a local summer hangout called Sonny’s Marina & Cafe. I couldn’t visualize enjoying anything less than a beach bar on the blue Pacific.

Six years later, I half to admit, that I have grown to appreciate the distinct pleasures of the Boone Lake and most of all Sonny’s. I have been brought to understand the love that locals have for “Pontoon” boats which are like floating party platforms which putter leisurely across the lake and into tiny coves and inlets. Over the years, small flashy speedboats have increased in number, often pulling inner-tubes, which usually have a laughing child clinging wildly as they are speedily pulled through the boat wake spraying water. Here and there, a couple of jet-skis zip along the surface of lake creating waves that ripple across the green water.

Memorial Day Weekend is the big kick-off for the summer season, and of course we had to stop by to enjoy the fun!
The mood was happy and relaxed with water enthusiasts pulling up to the docks in their boats and jet-skis for a quick lunch.

Sonny’s has a great casual menu filled with American favorites like thick hamburgers, stacked sandwiches, fat hotdogs and lots of other yummy items, even salads for the calorie conscious! No high alcohol drinks though! This place only serves beer, hard ciders and malt drinks and of course non-alcoholic beverages, which we applaud! Lake safety is important.

We joined the patrons at the bar and relaxed and listened to some great live music provided by Mark Larkins, while we munched on our food and drank ice-cold beers. We loved listening to laid back tropical music straight from the Caribbean played on steel drums and then he changed it up sang Folk and Country favorites accompanied by guitar which got the crowd rocking in their chairs.

While parents enjoyed the songs, children had a great time also because the huge carp and quacking ducks that linger eagerly just next to the dock love to catch bits of bread thrown out them and keep the kids giggling and occupied.  

Memorial Day at Sonny’s Marina and Café on Boone Lake in Tennessee is the embodiment of the American summer experience, so if you have a chance, stop by and join the fun!

The suspense is finally over.  The quietly waiting hills of Tennessee have been blanketed by a cold thick spread of snow.  The snowflakes came down all at once in the late afternoon, fat, wet and sticky, bending branches with their heavy whiteness.  Jim and I had to try to save the trees by knocking off as much of the snow as possible, before the steady drift from the sky added more. 

What was created?  That magical winter wonderland that makes our tiny town look like a Christmas card eventually, but for that night, we huddled under blankets next to romantic flickering candles when the power went out, weather radios turned on and the emergency flashlights nearby.  The quiet of the house making us so aware of the missing noise of the TV turned to sports for Jim and the bright glare of the laptop and tablet, both of which are extensions of my own arms most evenings and which I habitually forget to charge.  Forced to relax, calm and rest our busy minds and ears.  Just a kitty to entertain us.  It was a lovely brief enforced escape.

 When I’m feeling in need of escape from our tiny town, we head over the Appalachian mountain range to Asheville, NC, home of amazing food, great music and funky boutiques; who could ask for more?

Almost exactly an hour away, we have the best of both worlds.  We live in a low-tax, low cost state (Tennessee), and we can visit the progressive, artistically innovative (it hosts the University of North Carolina, Asheville) and diverse city when we need a dose of entertainment not found in our small relatively conservative community. 

If you are planning your first visit, we recommend staying at one of the downtown hotels.  There are a few to choose from, just check out Asheville’s tourist website and of course trip-adviser, but our favorite hotel is the Haywood Park Hotel (check out Jim’s review and pics!).  This vintage department store turned hotel has HUGE rooms, beautiful marble baths and is perfectly located for wandering downtown Asheville.  From the hotel, you can walk to most of the best restaurants in Asheville and visit the small crafts and clothing boutiques dotted along the streets.  There are lots of art galleries to duck into with amazing art.  One of our favorites is the Za Pow! gallery which has some crazy fun art inside and focuses on illustration.  Each artist has their own cubicle in which to display their really creative art.  We always end up buying something after we stop laughing.  This gallery is great entertainment.  Another favorite of ours is the old Woolworth store building which houses Woolworth Walk a co-op and is filled with interesting crafts and art for sale.  These are just two of the many wonderful art galleries in Asheville.

The boutiques located throughout the old city, are amazing.  Entering some of them is like stepping back in time to the 60’s and 70’s with colorful hand dyed clothes and bags and knitted winter hats and India print scarves along with exotic jewelry, all at pretty good prices.  These shops are nestled right next to high fashion boutiques where you can find some of the most fashion forward clothes, though they can be a little pricey.  Best of all for me are furniture shops.  Some display super-modern design, some have beautiful craftsmen pieces, but my favorite are the stores that sell hand-made pieces made from local and exotic hardwoods in the Appalachian area.  These are really works of art and are beautifully designed with unique shapes where every knot in the wood is considered and the sanded, satiny finishes flow together to create amazing pieces of furniture.

Restaurants…… what can I say?  Take your pick.  We have so many favorites……

But; my most favorite of all is Bouchon, a tiny French Bistro restaurant that has wonderful French comfort food.  The interior is charming and the deep red brick of the walls where light from the candles on the tables glow creating a soft romantic atmosphere even while the room bustles in true bistro fashion, waiters expertly maneuvering through the tables, pouring wine, delivering mounds of mussels and plates of steak-frites or cassoulet.  Bouchon provides a beautifully authentic French bistro experience.  Their menu has on offer, all the most-loved specialties of a Lyon bistro.

We also love Carmel's for lunch when we can sit outside on a beautiful day.  They serve contemporary cuisine and the some of the best sweet potato fries I've ever eaten. 

On this particular trip, we headed for lunch at Chorizo, which is among the best restaurants for flavor packed Latin American food in Asheville.  The colorful murals on the walls inside definitely add to the festive and spicy atmosphere of the restaurant.  Be sure to check out Jim's review below.

Jim has reviewed a few other favorite restaurants of ours, so be sure to check them out.

Chorizo – Delicious Central & South American dishes

Curate – Spanish Tapas – sit at the bar and watch the chefs cook.

Vincenzo’s – Old World Italian

and check out this web-site for a full listing of all the amazing restaurants in downtown. 

Of course, we never go the Asheville without stopping in at one of the several pubs around town.  Jim’s favorites are the Irish pubs and Jack of the Wood  and  Hannah Flannigan’s we have spent a few really great St. Patricks’ Days in Asheville listening to bands play Irish music and drinking a pint of Smithwicks or Guinness.

Speaking of music, you can find bands performing all over down-town in the evenings. 

For a late evening drink before heading back to the hotel, be sure to stop by Zambra’s.  It is a Spanish Tapa’s restaurant and bar where on weekends, you can listen to live live music, and the bartenders there make terrific drinks.  My favorite is the Andalusia which is made with black-berry pure.  It’s not too sweet, tasting like tart, fresh picked blackberries, so be careful, they go down like juice too but will definitely knock your socks off!  Jim had his usual Irish Whisky, and of course that's the only drink I took a picture of!  Go figure.

You can't beat breakfast at Tupelo Honey.  Their "Eggs Betty" are a divine version of eggs Benedict and the sweet-potato pancakes are addictive.  We always love to go there before we take off back over the mountain to Tennessee.  It's always the perfect ending to a fun weekend.

So, if you are in the neighborhood of Asheville, NC, drop in and join in on the fun!

Jim and I tried out a new restaurant in Jonesborough called Bambas, Fresh Italian and it turned out to be a really nice addition to the small number of restaurants in town.  The interior is new, clean and cozy and the staff are friendly and welcoming and the service is great.  The calamari we ordered was tender and delicious and the ricardo sauce that came with it was really good.  Unfortunately, the marinara sauce we ordered on the side was bland and tasted like crushed tomatoes out of a can (definitely needs improvement).  Our main dishes were a little uneven ( the tortellini was perfect, but the vodka cream sauce was salty), but the owner/chef assured us that he was still training his assistants and that soon all the dishes would be consistently prepared to his standards.  I have no doubt this will be the case. Jim had lasagna which was very good, though the serving size was huge.  We definitely intend to return again soon.  The restaurant has no bar (and I personally think it needs a small one), but it does serve beer and wine. 

Bambas is great addition to our little town, and we are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope of having even more nice restaurants in the future!

Why aren’t there any fine dining restaurants in the Main St. Old Jonesborough Downtown area?  I have spent lots of time in Jonesborough, TN over the last six years, visiting the shops and attending festivals, so I was really disappointed when the one and only “gourmet” restaurant, Bistro 105 closed last fall.  This leaves the Main St. café as the only eatery that serves good food and has a beer and wine license. 

I have always liked the Main St. cafe and go there often for lunch, but it isn’t open in the evening.  I really don’t know how Jonesborough which is the oldest town in Tennessee can bring in any real tourism without more upscale restaurants downtown. 

Jonesborough has a plethora of Pizza, Barbeque and Sandwich restaurants, so if you aren’t looking for a “family” restaurant, you really don’t have any choices.  The Dining Room is a tiny Cuban inspired restaurant with very good food on Main St. which is open on Friday and Saturday nights, but they don’t have a liquor or beer license so you need to BYOB.  This restaurant is the only restaurant even approaching the level of dining Jonesborough needs to provide if it intends to be a tourist destination. 

The antique and arts and crafts shops have some wonderful things in them and the historic buildings lining the streets are really great examples of architecture from the 18th and 19th centuries including a log cabin that Andrew Jackson lived in.  The museum located in the Chester Inn tells the amazing story of Jonesborough’s early history through informative displays, and if you are interested in storytelling, you can stop by the Storytelling Center.  There is also a Visitors Center with abundant tourist information.  The town also hosts a small farmer’s market on Saturday mornings featuring all local produce. 

“Music on the Square” concerts are performed on Friday nights during the spring, summer and early fall.  The music is a variety of Americana, Blue Grass, Jazz, Celtic, Old Time and Blues.  There is also a small repertory theatre which puts on plays and productions throughout the year.   It would be really great to be able to have a nice dinner and glass of wine before or after these events!  

I will be keeping an eye out for any changes to remedy this situation, because Jonesborough is a really beautiful little town with an amazing history and it seems that it would be easy to attract a few good upscale restaurants to Main St.