Where to begin?! To say this weekend was amazing would be an understatement. Better descriptors are romantic, perfect, magical, and surreal. As I said in my engagement post, Isaac instructed me to pack my bags because we were going away for the weekend. He didn’t tell me what was planned, but suggested I wear clothes for an outdoor activity and pack something nice to wear for dinner. Miraculously, I managed to blog and pack in an hour and we were on our way. Isaac told me we were staying in Asheville for the weekend, a town we love because of all the interesting culture, nature, and outstanding vegetarian restaurant options. But on the way, we stopped in a town called Morganton for a little adventure. Isaac bought a Groupon weeks ago for a place called The Beanstalk Journey. It is an outdoor play land of sorts with a huge rock climbing wall and a zip-line course!
Even though the weather was cold, we had a really fun time zipping from tree to tree. Start the finish, the zip-line activity lasted 2-3 hours and since I barely ate breakfast, my stomach was g-r-o-w-l-i-n-g! Not to fear, Isaac thought of every detail. We were still an hour from Asheville, but Isaac had a cooler full of yummy food waiting to satisfy our bellies. We munched on roasted brussel sprouts, hummus, veggies, Mmm Sauce, pesto, homemade veggie burgers, and steamed kale. If I needed another reason to marry this man, that would have done if for me!
When we arrived in Asheville, I was excited to learn we were staying in the Renaissance Hotel downtown.
If you visit Asheville and are a culture loving vegetarian, stay downtown. Trust me. You may be tempted to stay at The Grove Park Inn or Biltmore Inn and I won’t argue, those places are fabulous; I’ve stayed at both several times. But the best way to enjoy what Asheville has to offer including the shops, cultural events, street bands, and a plethora of restaurants, is to park your car and stay downtown.
Surprise number 3 of the day (or was it 4? I’ve lost track!) was finding out that the Renaissance Hotel upgraded us to a suite! And it was no ordinary suite; we were on the 11th floor in a suite larger than my apartment!
I was excited to see that the Renaissance carried Aveda products. And in my favorite scent—rosemary mint!
Our room was on the 11th floor with a view of downtown Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains! Isaac and I were tempted to just move in. 
After the best night of sleep I’ve had in a long time, I woke up and enjoyed a cup of tea in my room. Isaac was still asleep so I decided to take advantage of the hotel’s awesome gym, pool, and hot tub! Isaac and I finally got ready to venture out. The weather was incredible and we chose to spend the first part of the day exploring downtown.
After lots and lots of walking, we opted to rest briefly before heading to the NC Arboretum.
Even though I’m from Asheville, I have never visited the Arboretum. Boy, have I missed out! This place has over 500 acres of land, 65 of which are gardens and walking trails. 
Isaac was very excited to visit the Bonsai exhibit. Damn those little trees are cute! Now we want to become Bonsai-ists.
We wandered around and just took it all in.
It was such a fun weekend and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our engagement.
When it all came to an end, it was very hard to leave. I keep wishing I could just press rewind. 
Next up, all the incredible vegetarian Asheville eats!
