Brevard and Asheville, North Carolina Adventures

A delightful thing happened last week. I received an email from Barbara Robinette, organizer of the Postcard Poetry Fest (PPF), sharing an email from another PPF participant who wanted to connect via phone or email regarding my upcoming trip to Brevard. I’d received a postcard with a white squirrel on it in October, and I knew instantly from the photo that it was from Brevard, home of the white squirrels that are not albinos but a localized species unto themselves. I’d mentioned in my response postcard that I would be in Brevard on a girls’ trip with my sister-in-law in November, and she wanted to reach out to share some must-dos on our trip. However, the contacts needed to be quick since we were leaving within days. I responded to the email, and within an hour, I was on the phone with Kit Schmeiser learning all the things to do in Brevard and the surrounding area. We talked for an hour about where to eat, where to shop, and most importantly, where to observe white squirrels in the wild.

One of the places turned out to be the first place we planned to visit on our loose itinerary – Silvermont Mansion and Park. I’d learned they offer mahjong open play on Mondays and Wednesdays, and when I called to inquire whether they’d welcome two players from Georgia, the manager assured me they would. We, too, chatted for a while on the phone – about the current weather and blessings they were not involved in the recent flooding that happened in Blue Ridge and McCaysville, the offerings of the mansion ranging from tennis to Reader’s Theater to open art studio days and so much more. I began to sense the strong sense of a welcoming community before I ever set a foot in Brevard, North Carolina. I also made a mental note: there seems to be a way for everyone here to plug into something.

After conversations with both Brenda and Kit, we rearranged our plans to include more of the authentic local experiences to connect with community, nature, arts and literature, and local cuisine. Instead of making our way from Williamson, Georgia to Brevard, North Carolina by way of a bookstore tour on the way, we moved our bookstore tour to the end of the trip, keeping Highland Books in Brevard and Malaprops in Asheville as highlight experiences in each of the cities and saving the other stores for later to see if we have any of our tightly budgeted book spending money left by the time we finish shopping in these two landmark bookstores. One on my list to buy on this trip is The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl, which I have on my Kindle but desire to hold and savor its colorful illustrations. If you’ve read it, please comment and give me a gentle nudge to carry it to the counter and bring a treasured copy home with me, along with any others you highly recommend.

We were blessed with a fantastic day for travel. Cool temperatures in the 60s, sunshine, and the glory of the changing of the leaves along the winding mountain roads were fabulous ways to begin the trip. We set out at 7:00 a.m., and arrived in Brevard in time to eat at a local farm to table restaurant called Fable. Its vibe was botanical with its pressed flower and plant prints along the wall, and minimalistic with its airy and uncluttered feel – and plenty of windows that let in a lot of natural light.

In true sister in law form, we share samples of our food with each other. Bethany ordered a chicken salad sandwich, and I got the fall salad and a blueberry muffin. The chicken salad sandwich on Focaccia bread was as tasty as it gets, and the fall salad popped with sweet potatoes, beets, and feta cheese. We bought extra muffins to save for breakfast. We had just enough time for a quick dive into a store on the way to Silvermont.

I’ll share more about our experience at Silvermont tomorrow! But for today, just know that it feels great to declare Mahjong!! in a mansion, and yes, there are white squirrels at Silvermont.