SuperNaturale

Aliceinwonderland · Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 1819 Location: Front Range

I'm in Asheville, NC on a whim - it was mere hours from where I was staying in TN and I decided to come here and ride. What should I do with the rest of my time? I like vintage clothing, Gluten-Free, Veggie friendly food, good music that has a folkey or punk rock bent to it. I have the mountain bike trails covered - a local is going to take me out riding this evening.

I'll also be spending a day in Nashville and St. Louis as well...crossing through Kansas City and either staying or passing through based on timing and how much I want to go home...

Any suggestions?
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tinyrock · Joined: 07 Oct 2009 Posts: 1590

Asheville-
TOPS for shoes. It's downtown, and if you're at all hard to fit it's fantastic.

My fam also often hits Malaprop's books and the Green Man brewery. There is also a good crafts store outside of town, near the freeway(?).

Nashville- the Parthenon is cool and has an art gallery in it.

theboy · Posted: Jun 26, 2012 10:57 pm Post subject:

i was just in asheville on a whim too! and then i was in nashville (that's were i was flying out of). and a few weeks ago i was in st. louis. and i live in kc! this is weird/awesome.

first off....when will you be in kc? i hope i'm still around so we can hang out! at least get a tea or lunch or something. there's a decent vegan place here called fud. plus two other vegan or veggie places that i haven't been to but are supposed to be good. also there are good art museums. and me!

asheville....
i ate at a good mediterranean place that seemed veggie friendly, and a good vegetarian cafe for lunch. i had a super good salad with avocado and beets, but everything my friends ordered also looked good.

the downtown area was cute to walk around. this bookstore/coffee shop/wine bar was cool. and this craft store was amazing (everything from knitting and weaving supplies to basketweaving and woodworking), but i didn't buy anything because i had just gotten (pretty, locally dyed) yarn at a yarn shop
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theboy · Posted: Jun 26, 2012 11:08 pm Post subject:

nashville...
i agree about the parthenon. it wasn't open when we got there, but it was still nice to walk around. all of the places we ate were pretty meat centric, but we found a good record store. the 12 south neighborhood is pretty cute...restaurants, coffee shops, little shops. there's a super fancy popsicle place that we wanted to go to (we read about it in a new york times article that was published the day were we there(!)), but it wasn't open on sundays :(
its called las paletas

i actually sort of wanted to go to the country music museum or whatever it is called. i don't really like most country, but they have an exhibit on "the bakersfield sound" (i'm from bakersfield) that i'm curious about.

st louis....
you have to go to this place. slipperyshade brought me. i don't even know how to describe it....giant crazy jungle gym made mostly from reclaimed materials. multi story slides. tunnels. a school bus hanging off the roof to climb in. airplanes suspended above the parking lot, also to climb it. it's wild!

the cathedral is also very beautiful. i went last summer. its the worlds largest mosaic, if i remember right
_________________
'Where do you get your ideas from?'
'From forgetting Dostoyevsky and reading road signs backwards, naturally. Where else?'

Aliceinwonderland · Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 1819 Location: Front Range

Theboy, it looks like I'm following in your footsteps! What great suggestions! I think I can manage a stop in KC for lunch or dinner or something on my way through - care to PM me your phone number and I'll text you details of when I'm coming through when I know a bit more about my itinerary? Some of it's up in the air because I'm not sure who I'm visiting/where I'm staying for some of the cities.
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Well, duh, but that's no reason to abandon ship. Work and fix it

Blog: http://elizalives.blogspot.com

mohawk · Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 1199 Location: Saint Louis

Oooh, pick me! There is sooo much to do in St. Louis! The City Museum that theboy linked to is A MUST SEE. I think you would love it. Now the roof is open and there is a ferris wheel on top!

Depending on the dates you will be around, there is always reallllly good music here. We have a vibrant bluegrass-folk-zydeco-brass scene.

I can also provide some housing options for you! PM me!
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artichoke · Joined: 04 Jun 2007 Posts: 1208 Location: under the stairs

I'm in KC too! Seconding Malaprop books in Asheville, thirding the City Museum in STL. The second restaurant theboy linked to is AMAZING. I love it. There are also some cool, if maybe a bit overpriced, vintage stores. And then the art museums theboy was talking about.

ETA: This place. Used to just be a food truck. I haven't eaten at the restaurant they're serving out of now, but it's sooooooooooooo good.

LooseyMama · Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 5546 Location: Bloomington, IN

Bumping this thread: looks like we're taking a quick road trip to St.L this weekend. #2 son went there on his class trip a few weeks ago and INSISTED that the family make a return pilgrimage to his favorite sites: the City Museum, the Magic House, the Arch, and the chocolate fountain at "the best restaurant in the whole world" *drumroll please* the Golden Corral (*sigh*).

Hoping for inexpensive-but-not-scary hotel recommendations, probably one for east of the city near I-70 (since we're driving in Friday night after a full workweek and probably won't want to navigate city traffic when we're pooped) and one nearer all the excitement for Saturday night.

Also, having a good place to eat Sunday to reward Mr. M and I for having endured Golden Corral would be lovely. Gluten-free options are a big plus for that one (my body is aching for fresh fruits and veggies already, just at the thought of Golden Corral. I've been traumatized by previous visits to that chain with my elderly relatives.)

So ... advice? Commiseration? ;)
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MtyAphrdti · Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 795

But, Lucy, they now not only have a chocolate fountain, but cotton candy too! ARGH! Yeah, that place grosses me out too.

We are headed to St. Louis in about a month with a 2.5yr old in tow. Any ideas for us?

LooseyMama · Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 5546 Location: Bloomington, IN

Ah, yes, cotton candy too this summer. I'm thinking that Golden Corral will be our ticket *out* of the City Museum (although I think I'm looking forward to that more than anything else on our trip). Spending all day Saturday climbing, with a sugared-up dinner afterwards? Hmm, maybe we need to splurge on a hotel with a pool so they can burn up some of that sugar in the water before bedtime.

MtyAphrdti, everything I'm seeing online about The Magic House/Children's Museum looks like it's better suited for your little one that my boys. Given that we have a pretty phenomenal little children's museum here in my town and then the world-famous one in Indianapolis, I'm not sure there's much (beyond the "solve a mystery" part) that won't seem old-hat to my boys. (I think I'm hoping that we will collectively decide we didn't get enough of the City Museum and we'll skip the Magic House to go back to it on Sunday, actually. We'll see.)
_________________
"Struggle is obsolete." -- my friend Barbara

mohawk · Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 1199 Location: Saint Louis

Oh yay! I am so happy to hear that he loved The City Museum so much he is making you guys come back! Having been employed there in the past, it is one hell of a place. Wear closed toes shoes and be ready to get yourself stuck in places! (It happens to everyone) And here is a hint: there is only one way to get into and out of the caves. So don't worry if you get separated/turned around. It is very circular :)

Hotels: DO NOT STAY EAST OF ST. LOUIS. NO MATTER WHAT. Just don't. Unfortunately, this is a Cubs vs. Cards weekend, and it looks like most downtown hotels are booked. At least that is what my searches are saying. Even without the ball game, I would suggest staying just west of downtown. Unless you hit Cards traffic, downtown is pretty small and easy to bypass on the major highways. I would look to jump on 64-40 or 44 (lanes on 70 turn into these highways) and finding a hotel off one of those. On Exp3d1a I found the Spr1ngh1ll Su1tes in Brentwood had a room available. Don't know your price point at all, but it is close to the metrolink, in a good part of town and has an indoor pool :)

EATS: We have really great food here. We do. I would look at: Schlafly Bottleworks (microbrewery with a locally focused menu), Rooster for breakfast, Local Harvest Cafe for the most delicious fresh and local food, and Pi Pizzeria is NOT St. Louis style, but it is still loved here. Oh, and Obama loves it too :)

FUN: I know you already have the fun all lined up, but I will also throw the Botanical Garden in the mix (I have to!) and Grant's Farm.

MtyAphrdti: I think The Magic House would be great for your 2.5 year old! Also, our zoo is quite nice and FREE. Again, Botanical Garden has a Childrens Garden with a splash pad.

Whew, that is a lot. But I have more info so ask me anything!

P.S. I would totally say MEETUP! but I will be in KC this weekend! :(
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She believed she could, so she did.

LooseyMama · Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 5546 Location: Bloomington, IN

So we won't be coming to St. L this weekend after all. By the time we tried for a room at the hotel Mohawk pointed out, it was sold out, and we couldn't find a room anywhere near our price point, anywhere!

It looks a lot like trying to get a hotel room in Indianapolis on Memorial Day weekend (Indy 500 time), only we had no clue that this weekend would be that insanely booked in St.L!

So we'll look at our calendars again and figure out the next possible time to come over, and then try to book a good hotel ASAP for that weekend. And soothe one extremely disappointed little boy (and one mostly disappointed big brother) in the meantime.

St. Louis, we WILL come visit you, and hopefully it will still happen this summer and not next.

Speaking of summer's end ... when do the public schools in St.L go back into session? Our kids won't start til after Labor Day, so maybe in late August the crowds will be thinner, anyway? *crosses fingers*
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"Struggle is obsolete." -- my friend Barbara

mohawk · Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 1199 Location: Saint Louis

Looks like August 19 would be a good time to come to St. Louis.
St. Louis hotels scrambling to fill over 11,000 rooms after cancellation of major conference
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LooseyMama · Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 5546 Location: Bloomington, IN

Oooh, that could be realllly good news for us! (You gonna be in town that weekend?)
_________________
"Struggle is obsolete." -- my friend Barbara