While in Asheville, I was lucky enough to catch the last tour for the day at Sierra Nevada.


We went to the brewery to try a beer before the tour started.


Sierra Nevada is super cool because it's often one of the first craft beers that a person has.


The pale ale is often the beer that gets people into craft beer.


So, I'll stop rambling now and let you check out some of the photos!

Mast General Store is not a restaurant, but they have such a cool collection of old-fashioned candy that I wanted to share.


They have a little bit of everything - home goods, books, candy, camping gear. All of it.


But my favorite part was the giant barrels of candy.


These Moon Pies are adorable.


Think of that old-fashioned candy you might find at Cracker Barrel or another spot.

In downtown Asheville, there's a red double decker bus that slings coffee.


Double D's Coffee & Desserts is a cash-only coffee shop that is as fun and quirky as it is tasty.


The shop features pastries, as well as various kinds of coffee.


I went for a caramel frappe (my usual).


I went upstairs to check out the space, and there were a few folks up there working - but it was a bit too warm for me.


This drink was delish and a perfect addition to a hot day.

It's hard for me to walk past a chocolate store and NOT go in.


Asheville Chocolate was beckoning me, and who am I to not oblige?


The store has a little bit of everything - so I made my way to the cases and perused.


I always look for milk chocolate, then look for caramel. That's the ultimate for me.


And, in the process, I found bark, truffles and more.


The one I left with, though, was gingerbread caramel chocolate. I mean, yes!

Until I visited Asheville, I had never heard of a gourmet chip company. But they have it all.


These aren't just any regular chips. At The Gourmet Chip Company, they have all sorts of tasty chips - plus paninis.


Think Italian chips with sun-dried tomatoes or Belgian chips with milk chocolate or American chips with gouda.


I went with The Parisian – Kettle Style Chips, White Truffle Spritz, Rosemary & Thyme Encrusted Goat Cheese & Sea Salt. Plus I got a a side of truffle aioli. Yesss.

Curate is a well-known authentic Spanish tapas restaurant led by Chef Katie Button in Asheville, North Carolina.

Cúrate is a celebration of authentic Spanish cuisine. For those who have visited Spain, the Cúrate menu will bring back memories of the country's best jamón Ibérico, vermuterías, and lively tapas culture. In recognition of the restaurant’s all-Spanish wine list, Cúrate was listed as one of America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants by Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2018. Cúrate means ‘cure yourself’ in Spanish, reflecting the belief held by chef Katie Button and her family that there are curative effects in sharing good food and wine with family and friends. Experience the essence of Spain in downtown Asheville… one plate at a time.

This restaurant was my first stop when I made it to Asheville, because I had heard so much about it. It's been recommended by Zagat and Lonely Planet, among others.

We had reservations for the restaurant, so we were whisked to our table to look over the menu.

There were a few things that caught my eye, but at the top of my list was "Pan de cristal con tomate."

That's bread, tomato, olive oil, garlic and salt - pretty simple. But simply delicious.

And, I got a side of manchego cheese to go with it. Honestly, I could live off this type of food.

The dishes are served tapas style - which means small plates - so I ordered a few different things to try.