One More Night (CHI --> AVL)

okay first of all I have to admit that we had so many inside jokes from this trip that picking a title was Literally Difficult. I settled on this bc as we were leaving we decided one more night would have been ideal and bc this feels like the name of a one direction album, somehow, and god knows you all know I love pop songs by now. This was a pop song kind of weekend. If you haven't been an aeido fan for a while, last year the now-resting OTC Tiny Home for Publishing published our friend Dalton Day's book, Supernova Factory and then spontaneously traveled to Asheville for one evening for a release party/ meeting him for the very first time. It was pure magic. Rachel, Wes, and I drove ten hours each way for all of 5 hours in great company and we had a blast and pledged to do it again in the future, so here we are, this May. No book launch to celebrate, but more time and actual plans and just as much magic.

Friday morning we departed from Chicago at approximately 7:20am from downtown. I took first shift driving and in our hurry to leave left my camera in my backpack in the trunk so have no pics until our first stop for gas just north of Indianapolis. Look at Wes thoughhhhhh

We passed a bunch of fields that were FULL of these beautiful bright yellow flowers, so magic

Then we stopped for lunch at an Applebee's somewhere, we have no idea the town it was but it was quintessential southern Indiana, beautiful. Our waitress' name was Dawn and we learned she went to Asheville once "on the back of a bike" so shout-out her.

This mysterious glass of ice tho

It rained a lot on our drive down

Tunnels are our fav thing, maybe. We scream about em and celebrate. What an amazing thing!!!!

It was dark when we got into Asheville but we went straight into downtown to pick up Dalton from a reading he was at (ugh) and in the car waiting we literally each had a meltdown, I was cry-laughing, Rachel was stress eating Pringles, Wes was chain smoking. We were hysterical. It was a mess. Dalton just walked right up and sat in the backseat and said Hi. It was so perfect I'm crying again

Then we connected to the wifi and then left to get Waffle House, as is tradition

Didn't take any other pics but long live Waffle House Gal, our waitress, and long live burgers and breakfast foods all in the same place any time you want them

The next morning we ate breakfast and then got cozy and watched some Spongebob while we got ready to leave

Then we left to take advantage of the sun while we had it (it was really just beautiful weather all weekend, even with the rain. none of the cold rain Chicago is currently crying about) by exploring the Forest

Our only actual plans for this trip were to see Dalton so I made it a goal to also see a waterfall since it's called the Land of Waterfalls (ugh) and we saw TWO great ones plus lil roadside ones and literally UGHHHHH god what a perfect trip. This is at the Ranger Station in the entrance to the Forest and we had two rangers offer to help us but we just grabbed some maps and scooted.

Dalton borrowed his friend Andrew's shoes (I think they were Andrew's??) but they are sneakers he kept calling Basic and I am still laughing about it. DDay wearing basic sneakers. Love it.

The first waterfall we saw is called Looking Glass Falls which, heyyy great name, right? This is apparently the most photographed waterfall in the area; it's like, right next to the road so super easy access etc. We loved it.

That kid's shirt says Zero Excuses (same)

Ongoing joke was saying 'biscuit no' as a reference to DDay's biscuit sandwich experience at Waffle House and his stomach, not very clear on how it became a statement but it's perfect and sums everything up. the whole human condition. Everything

Angel

Then we saw a caterpillar/ centipede and drove a lil ways to hike to a different waterfall called Moore Cove Falls. It rained on us a lot. Like, downpoured. It was supposed to be a .7 mi hike which is easy? But the rain made it eternal, kind of. It was definitely worth it. Shout-out the two ladies we saw hiking in platform flip-flops in the mud. Do it.

I stuck my head in this one with my raincoat but obv not about to take a pic of that simultaneously, so

On our hike back it was much clearer and lil patches of sunshine peeked through the tree tops and Rachel humored me and posed in one, what an angel

Then we drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway like bless

All of us got a bit muddy

We stopped at a general store en route called Mount Pisgah General Store (tbh no idea what its name is) but it was so precious. Got same candy and we tried some of Dalton's Peach NEHI which amen god bless DELICIOUS and also sat in some lovely rocking chairs I didn't get any pics of but they were very nice

If this were an actual travel log presentation I would be paused on that pic for at least two minutes just sighing. Look at them

This tunnel had a name like Flapjack or somethin, it was something like that I honestly can't remember.....?....?. Flapjack or Frying Pan or god I'm totally making this up but I can't remember

Hawg Wild BBQ treated us soooooooooooooo right for lunch, I even got my first heartburn

Dalton did this nice stretch and then we went to WalMart to find something to do/ so I could get more film. These rolls are all 24s and 800 which is really fuckin with my stride, I finally finished the box of 50 rolls I bought back when I was first starting to shoot seriously (aw) and I miss it. if you have any leads on where to get bulk fujifilm please share, I distrust ebay for it. Ok that's enough back to the show,,,,

Dalton is Healthy

Rachel was getting extra sassy/ hater so she got her Diet Coke fix and we got this game called Imaginiff for $11 on clearance and had a lot of fun playing it for a few hours

Then we went to Pizza Hut for dinner and Wes wouldn't let us pay, like, do you know he has my whole soul in the palm of his hand.

Half pep half green pep

Dalton flops so well tbh. We had a fucking great sleepover.

The next day we woke up very early and saw the sun rise over the mountains, I can't even talk about it or apologize for how many sunrise pics there are here, it was so everything. Magic.

We set up a self-timer for these next two for all of us to be in it and god I just

Then we drove back and ate a small breakfast and took a small nap

Then packed up and said goodbye to Brevard

And went to Asheville proper for the day

We ate brunch at Tupelo Honey Cafe which was incredible. There was a bit of a wait so we chilled in the park across the street and then were seated and had a fantastic meal

Cheerwine, y'all

Everyone got one biscuit to start and we had blueberry jam and honey and I had each on one half and it was sooooo good. Inhaled it.

Rachel and Dalton both got chicken and biscuits, I got a veggie platter, and Wes got their incredible grilled cheese/ soup. It was soooooooo good. Not enough o's in the world to explain.

This is a new roll obv but I just admire the way Dalton holds his silverware too

Then Dalton showed us around town; this is a bookstore that was beautiful. I got the Delicacy and Strength of Lace and just finished reading it yesterday, cried through the last pages, it's so real

Then we walked to a lil vintage shop and past the Gourmet Chip which haters think is stupid and I think is a fantastic idea,

then to a lil shop of weird things

and stopped at a cafe for some iced drinks, look at that pie thoooo how beautiful

then to a general store I can't think of the name of (am I bad with names??? Things I Learned From Blogging) and saw these puppy things we named Cheeto and Dorito

and to an art gallery with lots of ridiculous art and a lil bit of good things too

and then we had to go. We stalled at this fence and got quiet and sad together. And watched a mime across the street

Then we drove to the hospital to drop Dalton off to visit fam and said our goodbyes

oh god oh god oh god

My roll ran out RIGHT here. He came back again and we said goodbye AGAIN and he is such a beautiful person I can't even explain to you.

Then we drove the ten hours home.

Wes got us halfway and then Rachel and I switched off to finish; we were all tired since we'd been up for the sunrise too (what an amazing long day, geeze)

Near Lafayette we drove straight into the Craziest thunderstorm, I was driving and it was raining so hard I literally couldn't see the road, scary but also very good for the adrenaline/ waking us all up a bit. Also stopped for Taco Bell and helped Rachel eat her crunchwrap while driving (a Feat In Itself), listened to lots of Drake and got back into Chicago around 2:30am.

I feel like I'm going to be thinkin such corny thoughts about this trip forever. It felt like a week of the Best. One last thank you to Dalton for having us and spending the weekend with us and being a goddamn astronaut and to Rachel and Wes for being such extraordinary friends and business partners and creative inspirations and the world for spinning around and giving us sunrises and sunsets. Love you.