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Carolina Diner Reopened Today As Pop’s Diner
Posted by admin in Attractions, Dining on January 23, 2012
I read that the old Carolina Diner in Hendersonville, North Carolina, was renovated and is re-opening today as Pop’s Diner. It sounded like a pretty cool place, so I got up before the sun to see for myself…
It hadn’t opened yet, and staff members were still busy preparing for the 6:30 a.m. opening, but they let me in anyway so I could take some pictures. Leigh Kelley, a writer for the local Times-News, did an excellent job of describing it in her article over the weekend. Here are a couple of pictures inside the “new” 1950s-style Pop’s Diner…
There’s even a gas pump at one end of the dining area. I wondered if it wasn’t put there to inspire crusin’ again on Main Street. By the time the weather warms up I’ll bet the parking lot will be full of 1950s and 60s street rods and muscle cars…
Pop’s Diner used to be called the Carolina Diner. It’s located at 5 Points in Hendersonville, across from Hendersonville High School and Boyd Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick. The address is 860 North Main Street. For an interactive Google map to Pop’s Diner click here. To read the menu click here or on the picture below…
Biltmore Village McDonald’s Is Not Ordinary
I got a treat yesterday when I stopped by McDonald’s at Biltmore Village in Asheville, NC.
It started when I realized this McDonald’s restaurant was directly across the street from the entrance to the grand Biltmore Estate in one direction and the spectacular Grand Bohemian Hotel in the other direction…
Then I went from the grand Biltmore Estate and the Grand Bohemian Hotel outside to the baby grand piano inside McDonald’s…
The dining area was pretty grand, too, with its stamped, copper ceiling…
…and a pretty grand fireplace. It’s almost hard to believe this is really a McDonald’s…
…but I got some proof. Although times may have changed since you could buy a burger or Coke for 15 cents and French fries for a dime, some things never change…
Brevard White Squirrel Moved to Hendersonville
Posted by admin in Photography on January 10, 2012
We have a new friend living with us up here on the hill. He’s pretty unusual looking to those who are new to the area and aren’t accustomed to seeing white squirrels…
According to legends around here, two white squirrels first came to Brevard, NC, about 60 years ago when they escaped from a circus. Since then these little guys have become so loved that the Brevard City Council established a sanctuary for them, making it ”unlawful for any person to hunt, kill, trap, or otherwise take any protected squirrels within the city.”
Brevard even holds an annual music festival for them. The White Squirrel Festival follows the Memorial Day Parade and includes a Squirrel Box Derby, guided tours, exhibits, photo contests, food courts and street vendors. You can read more about this unique event on the Brevard-Transylvania tourism web site here.
We haven’t decided to create a new holiday for them, but I did buy a new “tree ornament” for my sweetheart this Christmas so we can feed them. I nicknamed him Big Mouth…
The only problem is that these guys are so fast I haven’t caught them emptying the peanuts each day. But I will, eventually.
Beautiful Lake Junaluska is Open to the Public
Posted by admin in Accommodations, Dining on January 5, 2012
I met the CEO and marketing director at Lake Junaluska yesterday and found something interesting: a large number of locals don’t know that the lodging and dining facilities are open to the public. I also learned there are big changes in store for this beautiful place…
The strategic plan recently adopted by the board of directors includes a) renovations to the lodging, meeting and food service facilities that will bring the Terrace Hotel up to a standard equivalent to a Hampton Inn, b) provide a “grand hotel” experience for guests at the Lambuth Inn, and c) fully develop outdoor facilities for recreation, refreshment and renewal.
While Lake Junaluska facilities are open to the public, it will always have the United Methodist Church as one of its primary customers, and its mission will continue to be a place of Christian hospitality where lives are transformed through renewal of soul, mind and body…
When you’re ready for a round of golf in an amazing setting, book your tee time here. Or for hotel reservations click here.
The Square Root Restaurant in Brevard is Fantastic
It was lunch time the other day when we were leaving the Bluewood Gallery in Brevard, NC, so we asked the manager for a recommendation. She suggested the Square Root restaurant in Times Arcade Alley around the corner. We were very pleasantly surprised. Here’s a picture of the dining room…
Our waitress was very helpful — and patient while we took our time looking over the lunch menu. I chose my favorite, of course: a hamburger. What a treat! It was the best I’ve had in western North Carolina, no exceptions, and cooked exactly the way I wanted…
Square Root has been voted “Best Restaurant in Brevard” two years in a row (2010-2011) for good reason. They do an awesome job of preparing every meal. Presentation, taste, and pricing are excellent. Here’s a picture of the Raspberry-Lemon cake (my sweetie said it was the best dessert she can remember, and I’m pretty sure she’s right)…
Now we just have to get back there for dinner. When you see their menus — click here for the lunch menu and click here for the dinner menu — you’ll understand why.
The Square Root is owned by Rick and Adam Wilson (father and son). They make a great team. Chef Adam graduated from the culinary school at The Art Institute of Atlanta (with honors) in 1999, and has cooked at the the Ritz Carlton, served as a private chef on a 150-ft. yacht, and as executive chef for a prominent family in Connecticut. His education and experience are obvious at the Square Root.
The Square Root restaurant is off the main drag in Brevard, so you might miss it unless you know how to find it. The address is 33 Times Arcade Alley. For an interactive Google map click here.
When you go, ask Rick or Adam about the bar. It’s a very unique piece of furniture…
Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill, Mills River, NC
Posted by admin in Accommodations on December 19, 2011
I was invited by the innkeeper to visit the Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill in Mills River, NC, about halfway between Brevard and Hendersonville. When I arrived I couldn’t help but notice the “Norman Rockwell view” from the front porch. It’s beautiful even in winter…
This is the first inn I’ve visited that was actually designed and built to serve as a B&B, and it’s very cozy and romantic inside. Here’s a picture of the parlor at Christmas…
The inn is absolutely beautiful inside (for pictures of the guest rooms click here), but it’s the outside views that I most enjoyed. Here’s what the B&B on Tiffany Hill looks like when you drive up in winter time…
From the driveway…
I entered at the side entrance…
At Christmas two tin soldiers stand guard by the front doors both day and night…
There’s also a large Christmas tree in the foyer at the main entrance…
The views from all sides of this B&B are stunning. Here’s one side…
And here’s the back view with the walking path entering the woods…
My host invited us back for a “day-cation” at the inn. We’re really looking forward to it, of course. As I was leaving I noticed a plaque on the wall outside…
Amen!
If you’re looking for a clean, cozy, romantic place to stay, call the innkeeper at the Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill: 828-290-6080. The address is 400 Ray Hill Road, Mills River, NC 28759. For an interactive Google map to the B&B on Tiffany Hill click here.
Chinese Food: New China Garden Hendersonville
We finally stopped a couple of weeks ago for Chinese food at the New China Garden carry-out on Asheville Highway in Hendersonville, NC. We were pleasantly surprised. I don’t know how many times we’d driven by because of the humble exterior…
We ordered General’s Chicken and combination Lomaine with beef, chicken and shrimp. We watched the cooks prepare it and then put it in our car and drove home. It was still hot when we arrived. And it was excellent — so good we went back again last night! I didn’t ask if they were the owners, but these two courteous staffers helped us both times…
We’ll definitely be back. And if you’re in the mood for good Chinese food carry-out, call them at 828-692-8087. (Once you place your order, don’t waste any time picking it up. They’re fast!) Here’s their address: 1410 Asheville Highway Hendersonville, NC 28792. For an an interactive Google map click here.
Ed Gerhard, Bill Mize Guitar Christmas Concert
Posted by admin in Attractions on December 11, 2011
We watched and listened to a delightful performance this past Friday night by fingerstyle guitarists Ed Gerhard and Bill Mize: the 18th annual ”Guitar Christmas Concert” at Jubilee! Community in Asheville, NC…
Asheville at Christmas time is very special, but Ed Gerhard and Bill Mize playing Christmas Carols together put it way over the top… It just doesn’t get any better.
Gerhard is a GRAMMY Award winner who has performed across the U.S. and overseas, and Mize is a Winfield National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion who recently released a CD entitled The Angel’s Share.
Gerhard has two Christmas CDs. One is entitled Christmas and the other is On A Cold Winter’s Night. (I bought one of each. They’re worth every penny — we now have two new favorites!)
If you like soft guitar music, you’ll love these albums. You can listen to clips from Christmas free at CDUniverse here. When I checked, Amazon.com didn’t have free clips, and their prices were higher than CDUniverse. If you buy one of these CDs for someone you like, they’ll be very grateful. And if you buy one for yourself, you’ll be glad you did. (And if you don’t get one for yourself, you’ll wish you did when you hear it!)
Special thanks to my son, Dave Wike, who gave his mom a free ticket for her birthday to attend this event (and for letting me tag along). What a sweet time.
Merry Christmas!
