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Gina DiMartino

~ finding beauty in pain

Gina DiMartino

Monthly Archives: October 2017

Weekends & Windscreens: Asheville, North Carolina

27 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by ginamd in travel, Uncategorized

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asheville, Day trips from Asheville, North Carolina, top things to do in asheville, travel, Travel Blog, Travel blogger, Weekend Trip

Asheville, North Carolina is the place I now call home. Raised in upstate NY, it is a dramatically different place to lay my head, but in this tiny town nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains, sunsets, warm weather, and some of the weirdest people I have ever seen, I am now home.

Asheville is unique. Artistic. Hippie. Hipster. Musical. And full of beer. More breweries per capita than anywhere else in the US. If you have a day to spend in Asheville, here are some places you need to visit.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In Ahseville, its also the most desired meal to go out to eat. Lines form at any place that has a decent breakfast and you will often find yourself waiting for a table in the early morning fog. There are so many places to choose from, it is so hard to figure out where to go. For this weekend, we chose Biscuit Head. You can’t go wrong here. Huge fluffy biscuits, perfectly cooked bacon (with different flavors to thing of), gravies of any kind, and a butter/jam bar that you will not be able to resist.

Spend the afternoon at the Biltmore House. It is the largest private home in America and was built by George Vanderbilt as his vacation home in 1895. Boasting 250 rooms, the Biltmore house is nothing to be rivaled and the grounds and gardens are quite exquisite.

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Grab a cup of coffee from the newly opened Summit Coffee, before heading over to White Labs for an amazing dinner and some very interesting beer choices. As producers of the yeast that brewers use to make beer, White Labs has many beers made with different yeasts so you can taste the differences. The food is nothing to be scoffed at. It is fantastic. We shared, so we ordered several different things and then tried a bit of everything. Crispy chicken sandwich, soppressata pizza, clam pizza, poutine dripping with gravy, pecan pie, bread pudding, and donuts. All delicious.

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Finish your night off with a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway to catch the sunset, or for something a little more relaxing, check out the Sky Bar. This bar is located on a fire escape, (yes a fire escape), and overlooks the mountains for a perfect view of the sunset, delicious old-timey drinks and a unique atmosphere you won’t experience anywhere else.

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Want to know more about Asheville? Check out this book, or better yet message me and I’ll give you a personal tour!

Happy Travels!

 

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Weekends & Windscreens: Charleston, South Carolina

21 Saturday Oct 2017

Posted by ginamd in travel

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Charleston, Day trips from Asheville, south carolina, things to do in charleston, top things to do in charleston, travel, Travel Blog, Travel blogger, Weekend Trip

Let me take you to Charleston, South Carolina.

Palmetto trees line the streets as you enter the city. A horse and carriage pulls out in front of you. A tour of the city with a guide that takes you slowly around the rainbow-colored houses to the clip clop of horses hooves. You turn a corner to escape the carriage and are stopped by thousands of tourists teeming up and down King Street in search of the perfect restaurant or an amazing shopping experience. Pulling away from the throngs of King Street and you will sadly be stuck behind a golf cart. Some aristocrat want-to-be who feels the need to flaunt their wealth by zooming around Charleston at amazing speeds of 25 mph in a cart intended for a golf course not the streets of a bustling city.

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In this city lit by gas lamps, and amazing age-old architecture you find yourself dreaming of what might have been, strolling past the houses donning hues of soft pinks and peach, greens, yellows, and blues. Ancient charm oozes out of the stucco buildings. Ornate wooden doors stand proudly ornamented with door knockers that look like pineapples or palmettos. The gardens, hiding behind moss-covered walls, add to the mystery and ambiance of this southern city.

We started off the weekend at 5 Church. God bless this old church and the amazing restaurant now housed within it. Maybe that’s sacrilegious, but wow. From the old stained glass windows, to the ceilings entirely covered in writing, to the angel wing lights above the bar, the artistry of this restaurant is unbelievable. And that’s not even considering the food. We had cheesy poutine dripping with salty, flavorful gravy, $3 mimosas, and a delightful southern breakfast with flaky biscuits, crispy bacon, creamy grits, and perfectly cooked eggs.

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If you know me you know any trip is not complete without visits to multiple coffee shops. Charleston is full of enchanting places and amazing coffee. The Rise is hands down our favorite. A part of The Restoration Hotel, it is a beautiful little shop full of white marble and natural light. Sadly, The Rise was closed this weekend for an event, so we headed over to The Harbinger, which is a close second. Although in an odd part of town, very far north on King Street, this adorable shop is owned by some of the sweetest women who make amazing, amazing pastries, snacks, and coffee.

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We ended the weekend at SNOB. It stands for Slightly North of Broad, but it definitely feeds the inner snob that, come on admit it, you have. The decor is nothing to write home about, but this established restaurant does it right where it counts. Warm, sweet cornbread brought to your table. Drinks that are handsome, colorful, and delicious. The food is out of this world We ordered butternut squash bisque, oxtail gnocchi with charred corn, cilantro, mole, & feta, a duck breast with a pumpkin custard,a  plum glaze & honey thyme reduction, and pork chops with mushroom farrotto, caramelized onions & apple chutney. Every bite was heaven. We savored each flavor until we had cleaned all our plates and, although full, I wanted to pick up the gnocchi plate and lick it clean. It was the best mole I have ever tasted. Anywhere.

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While there are so many things to enjoy in Charleston, this was it for my quick weekend trip! I have many other spots that I enjoy if you want to know more just message me! Or for a great book on Charleston, click here !

Happy Travels!

 

Weekends & Windscreens: Charlotte North Carolina

03 Tuesday Oct 2017

Posted by ginamd in travel

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Charlotte, Day trips from Asheville, North Carolina, top things to do in charlotte, travel, Travel Blog, Travel blogger, Weekend Trip

What do you do when you only have about six hours in Charlotte, North Carolina? Let me tell you!

We left Asheville early and drove the two hours to Charlotte for our day of adventure. We had to make the most of our time so we decided to go for brunch, coffee, and IKEA (and maybe more coffee). Starting off on the west side of the city, Not Just Coffee in the Atherton Mill was our first stop. The space is an old factory turned into businesses and different stores. The coffee shop is full of natural lights, plants, and so, so beautiful. We sipped lattes under an old skylight while plotting are strategy for the rest of the day.

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The next destination, Little Spoon was our choice for an amazing alfresco brunch. We enjoyed donut holes that were the perfect balance of softness and crispiness, breakfast sandwiches with thick bacon and delicious cheese, and fluffy mini biscuits with delicious gravy. The food was all excellent and beyond even what I expected from it’s reviews. If you go, try the donuts. Well worth it.

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IKEA was up next. Who doesn’t love a good trip to IKEA? We strolled the show rooms and picked up a few fun trinkets along the way. I even scored some baskets I’ve been wanting for an amazing price. Eliza ended up with an adorable plate, Danny found a tiny terrarrium, and Rachel got an amazing wicker light for her bedroom.

We finished up the trip with a quick stop at Smelly Catt Coffee where we grabbed some drinks for the road. I even got a pound of coffee that I am currently really enjoying for my morning coffee. I love buying coffee from local roasters on my trips!

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Taking a trip to Charlotte soon? Would love to hear about your adventure!

Want a good book on Charlotte with some more info? Click here !

Happy Travels!

 

 

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