Asheville

Pre-COVID, I was traveling on the regular. Between family trips, shows with the band, and the occasional work photo shoot, I was leaving town every few weeks. So when we went in to lockdown, at first I was happy to have a few weekends at home. Then a few weekends turned in to a few months. By the end of summer the cabin fever had set in, and I looked for a way to vacation as responsibly as you can during a pandemic. Ideally I was looking for some place with a drastic change of pace from Florida, a lot of outdoor activities to stay away from people, and within a day’s drive so I don’t have to get on a plane. So I picked Asheville, North Carolina.

Taking the Jeep on the Blue Ridge Parkway was a big draw. A few hikes in nature led me to discover that it’s possible to hike while wearing a mask and that I drastically overestimated how in-shape I was. Even the surprisingly expensive Biltmore Estate was a great way to spend the day - strictly policing their mask policy indoors and offering acres of trails on the grounds where I did not see another soul.

The weather could have been better, but I appreciated the 60 degree days coming off a blistering Florida summer. The cloud cover made for some moody pics.

Getting my own Airbnb cabin in the woods where I didn’t have to interact with anyone in passing also helped.

Great trip that I would take again in a heartbeat.