![]() One of the best ways to get to know a city is through a walking tour. Over two dozen landmarks are outlined with everything from the library where Wolfe spent many afternoons during his childhood, to the jail where he spent the night sleeping off a bender. There is an excellent tour of the house, but fans of the writer should also embark on the self-guided Thomas Wolfe Walking Tour of Asheville. Today, the boarding house is the site of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial. A fictionalized version of the house, renamed “Dixieland,” is beautifully described by Wolfe in Look Homeward, Angel. Wolfe grew up in a boarding house called “Old Kentucky Home” run by his mother. The marble statue, restored in 2017, now resides at the Oakdale Cemetery in nearby Hendersonville. The title refers to the angel statue that sat on the porch of his family’s gravestone business in Asheville. His novel Look Homeward, Angel lovingly describes his hometown of Asheville, renamed Altamont in the book. Loving Vincent is a must-see before a trip to Provence, while A Confederacy of Dunces is required reading prior to a New Orleans visit.Īsheville’s literary lion is Thomas Wolfe. While the Audrey Hepburn film won’t help you with planning your trip, the beautiful sites and landmarks haven’t changed (even if the crazy traffic has). For example, before a trip to Rome, watch Roman Holiday. I mean films about the places we’re visiting and novels set in the locale or by local authors. And by movies and books, I don’t mean travel shows and guide books (although I do that, too). I like to watch movies and read books about the places I’m going to visit. When people ask me about planning their trip, I always say to brush up on the local culture. Vortex Doughnuts has some interesting flavors with a hipster vibe and good coffee. Definitely worth a few extra cents for this incredible treat. Let me say that again, they cook the donuts when you order them so they’re hot and crispy out of the fryer. They only have four kinds of donuts on the menu (one of which is a rotating seasonal flavor) and coffee roasted by Asheville’s Penny Cup Coffee. If you’re a donut and coffee-type breakfast person, Hole Doughnuts is a great place to go. A red double decker bus has been converted into coffee shop parked on Biltmore Avenue. They even have a vegan chorizo gravy.Īsheville quirkiness personified is Double D’s Coffee and Desserts. Of course they serve biscuits and gravy, but who else but Biscuit Head would offer biscuits and a gravy flight. But, if you want a southern breakfast with eggs, grits, and a biscuit, they have that, too.Īnd speaking of biscuits, Biscuit Head has biscuits made every which way. Rather than coating them in cornmeal (or breadcrumbs) Sunny Point uses a crushed pecan coating to make this southern classic their own.Įarly Girl Eatery has my fave breakfast in Asheville house granola with fresh fruit and a pot of tea from Asheville Tea Co. Sunny Point also has a clever twist on fried green tomatoes. And since this is Asheville, feel free to sub out bacon for a vegan option. While they are open for lunch and dinner, like any good breakfast place, you can order breakfast all day. Sunny Point Café might be the most famous breakfast spot in Asheville. ![]() People will stand in line for a good breakfast in the breakfast city, even on weekdays. Some places are what I call a “breakfast city.” Places where you can find lots of restaurants that open early and serve up great tasting quality food to get you going in the AM. Local son Thomas Wolfe (not to be confused Tom Wolfe of Electric Kool Aid Acid Test fame) wrote the iconic novel Look Homeward, Angel about the Great Depression era in Asheville. But, the Great Depression closed almost all the banks in the city and led to enormous debt which the city didn’t fully pay until 1977(!). The first rail line reached Asheville in 1880, leading to explosive growth. During the war, Asheville was mostly spared from fighting except for a minor battle, The Battle of Asheville. By the time of the Civil War, the white population was only 2,500. ![]()
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