Today I went to the Virginia Highland Festival in Abingdon, for the first time. Terry, my Dad, Gary and his wife Barbara and I went to the area where the antique dealers were set up. I found Deb a cool Owl book for $5. We then ate at this place called Alison's. I had BBQ Ribs, Chicken Tenders, Fried Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli and Cheese Soup. It was really good. I would have taken more pictures but my phone ran out of gas.
Since White Duck Taco Shop started in Asheville my visit there reminded me of another favorite of mine, from this North Carolina mountain city, Neo Burrito. My first visit to this Patton Avenue establishment was back in November 2013. I was in Asheville to see off Matt and Jeannie as they were moving to Idaho. We were at the Altamont Brewery and I couldn't get something from the food truck outside because I didn't have cash. I was told that Neo Burrito took a credit card, so I said why not and I was glad I did. Anyway, when in Asheville recently I finally got the chance take Deb to this favorite placeof mine. When you go to order it can be a little confusing at first, but once you get up to order it not hard and people working there are cool. You can get you burrito made with corn or flour, but I went with the Spinach. I got it loaded with Chorizo, now that was one good burrito. They also have the best Chipotle Salsa which is on their Salsa Bar. What capped off the dining experience, two-dollar Highland draft beers. So, if you are in Asheville and want a burrito you can't beat Neo. Oh, and Deb Neo is better than Chipotle!
Tuesday evening we went out for Terry's Birthday (which is today, Wednesday) to Johnson City. Our destination was the White Duck Taco Shop ajecent to the Yee-Haw Brewery. While two spaces the brewery and restaurant are part of the same building at the old Johnson City train station. There are seats in the taco shop where you order food, but you can sit in the brewery part too. Where you order food also offered two selections of Yee-Haw beer, the Pale Ale and Pilsner. However in the brew pub they had these two plus a Dunkel and Scotch Ale known as Eighty. Also in the brew pub you could get a flight of three beers. I have had two of their selections (Pilsner and Eighty) before in growlers, so I got the Pale Ale, Dunkel and since I liked it better the Eighty. After having all four now my favorite is the Dunkel. I also have to say it is a nice brew pub. I didn't just come to drink, but we also came to eat. I got three tacos, it was a tough choice but I went with the Chilled Lump Crab, the Mole Roasted Duck and the Korean Beef Bulgogi. Oh yes, the the Beef Bulgogi had Kimchi. While all three were excellent you can guess my favorite (Beef Bulgogi with Kimchi). Anyway, I liked the food and beer and will be going back. Oh, almost forgot they also have free popcorn. We also stopped at the Mona Lisa Gelato, it was good too.
It was supposed to be a beautiful Saturday, so I knew I needed to get out, but where? Since Deb's Mom had never been, but always wanted to visit Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Well, that is where we decided to head too. We elected to bypass Gatlinburg, but we stopped at the overlook that gives great views of the town and Mount LeConte. Our next stop was the Sugarlands Visitors Center. This was Deb's Mom's first visit here, so we had to tour the museum inside. It has exhibits of plants and animals of the park. We planned to do the one-mile round-trip to Cataract Falls, but we then heard that there would be a ranger led hike to the falls, so we said why not. Our guide was Ranger Richard and he did give some useful information, but it was crowded and taking longer than we wanted, so we pushed on ahead, without the group. Deb and I came here in December, but this was a nicer hike today. While crowded, the 25-foot cascade had nice water-flow, so it was worth the effort. Once we returned to the visitors center we stopped at the gift shop and then headed down Little River Road toward Cades Cove. Before we got to the loop road, we stopped first at the Sinks and then Meigs Falls. While short, (10 feet) the Sinks has great flow rate and the large pool is popular with swimmers. Next was the 30-foot Meigs Falls which is visible from the road. After enjoying these falls it wasn't long before we reached the loop road. For those who don’t know the Cades Cove Loop is an 11-mile one-way road with a number of things including beautiful vistas, old cabins and churches. Just over halfway is the Cable Mill Historical Area and Visitors Center. There are a number of old buildings here including the Greg-Cable house and the Cable Grist Mill. While we viewed a lot of cool things the one thing missing was wildlife, including Black Bears. I have heard stories for years that you couldn't swing a dead cat not hit one. While I have seen bears elsewhere in the park this is my second trip here and no bruins in site. Even not seeing a bear it was a wonderful day and Deb's Mom seemed like she had fun too.
