It was off to Asheville, North Carolina in the last week of May for the wedding of the son of our very good friends, Mike and Debbie. We flew from Omaha to Charlotte then drove back west to Asheville. It’s a very scenic two-hour drive even on the four-lane slab, Interstate 40. The last 20 miles involves a steep climb at 50 mph followed by a winding sprint downhill at 80 mph. Truck drivers must hate that stretch. I found it exciting.

Janet did her usual good job of finding an Airbnb house rental for our stay. It was in the hills on the edge of town, a little over a mile from an entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We agreed that we’d stay there again.

One of the mottos of Asheville is to keep it weird, Keep Asheville Weird. While loaded with regular things to see such as the parkway, the Biltmore Mansion and Estate, baseball, excellent restaurants and drop-dead views, it also has an edge that makes it fun. The River Arts District is full of small galleries featuring some pretty good works as well as ease-of-access artist studios where you can meet the makers and discuss their work. There are alternate grocery stores and at least one very good used bookstore. There’s also a good deal of pink, green, and purple hair. Asheville wasn’t always like this. Our friend Debbie lived in Asheville a few decades ago. She was an on-air personality and was out and about a lot. She told us that Asheville was not weird then.

Near the end of our stay we took the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mt. Pisgah. It’s an uphill drive to Mt. Pisgah marked by a broad array of switchbacks, tunnels, and scenic turnoffs that made us smile. Asheville is situated at about 2,200 feet above sea level. Mt. Pisgah is  5,000 feet—the views on the way up and at the near summit were stunning.

On the day we drove back to the Charlotte airport, we routed ourselves through Chimney Rock. Though not as high as Mt. Pisgah, only 2,800 feet, the views from the top of the rock down to Lake Lure are the best. There is an elevator ride from the parking lot up 26 stories (258 feet) to the near summit—very cool as well—and another 40 steps to the top of the rock.

No trip of this sort in late May is complete without at least one baseball game. We drove to Hickory, about an hour, to watch the Hickory Crawdads (Rangers Affiliate) tangle with the Asheville Tourists (Astros affiliate). Sidebar: who in the world would name their team the Tourists? It was a fun game to watch. The Dads broke out to a 6-0 lead but couldn’t hold it. They lost in extras 12-9. There was a parade of pitchers and position players, 38 hits between the two teams, several of them dingers, and some pretty good ballpark food.

There is a long history of very good baseball in western North Carolina. Hickory and Gastonia have been home to many famous players on their way toward The Show. There are several plaques at the Hickory ballyard commemorating these soon-to-be stars. Recent Rangers include Josh Jung, Cole Ragans, and Ezequiel Duran.