North Carolina Asheville, N.C. August 4,5 or 11,12?

burancap said:
Indeed...

I would suggest perhaps PM'ing Dave any contact info you may wish to provide. There is already a (private) list circulating.

Texting can be a real help as those who missed me at the BMW event will attest to! :D

At any rate, this is a multifaceted "end of summer break" trip for the family, so we are making a weekend of it.

Plans are seemingly a bit loose still, but I am planning on breaking away solo to join y'all for breakfast, a walk, maybe a beer/whisky/wine later or any combination of the above. My hotel is downtown so I will likely pop in and out. I selected it as it seemed close to Clark's mention of Wall Street -a rather central location. The only other "photographic" goal I have is to get to Ball Photo.

The rest of the time, you can find me floating in the pool with the kids!
Click to expand...


Oh, that reminds me...if anyone needs to call me, call me on the cell phone. DO NOT TEXT!!! If we need to talk, then, TALK!:) I do not ever text...;)

Now, having gotten that out of the way...

Michael Wooten has suggested that we meet somewhere around the Patton & Biltmore Ave intersection (downtown). Will someone nail down a physical location, please?;) We should be able to arrive in Asheville by 10-10:30am...long drive from Atlanta.
 
Ok, my proposed beginning itinerary, to get us on the same page:

Anyone in town on Friday night, I'd love to meet up for dinner at Mr. Frog's Creole Cuisine. Great food, not expensive, and not yet widely known - really can't say enough good about the place. Will anyone be here on Friday?
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mr-frogs-soul-and-creole-kitchen-asheville

Saturday morning, I recommend we meet at 9 for breakfast at the Green Sage downtown. It is a coffee shop with food options and it offers a good bit of seating - no one will glare at us for sitting a bit. Most of the other options are going to be too crowded on Sat morning I fear.

Dave, it looks like you are rolling in later than 9; I don't think we should delay the breakfast gathering much later than 9 - Perhaps we meet up with you after breakfast? Anyone else have thoughts to add? I figure if we settle on a Sat morning meetup that works we can evolve things from there.

Parking guide to downtown Asheville on weekends:
Meters are all free on street after 6 PM Mon-Sat and on Sun. This means on Sat you should consider a parking deck when you are downtown for any length of time, as it will be cheaper than a meter during the day. I recommend the Wall St parking deck and the Rankin St parking deck. With some care you can park at the downtown Post Office - they are open on Sat but do not tow even when closed. I've marked up a custom Google map that shows some of these places. I may add to it as the discussion evolves this week:

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msi...ll=35.597106,-82.552707&spn=0.008741,0.021136

All of these spots are walkable from 1 car location - you may end up on one end of downtown or the other, but you probably won't need to move your car unless you want to.
 
mackigator said:
Ok, my proposed beginning itinerary, to get us on the same page:

Anyone in town on Friday night, I'd love to meet up for dinner at Mr. Frog's Creole Cuisine. Great food, not expensive, and not yet widely known - really can't say enough good about the place. Will anyone be here on Friday?
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mr-frogs-soul-and-creole-kitchen-asheville

Saturday morning, I recommend we meet at 9 for breakfast at the Green Sage downtown. It is a coffee shop with food options and it offers a good bit of seating - no one will glare at us for sitting a bit. Most of the other options are going to be too crowded on Sat morning I fear.

Dave, it looks like you are rolling in later than 9; I don't think we should delay the breakfast gathering much later than 9 - Perhaps we meet up with you after breakfast? Anyone else have thoughts to add? I figure if we settle on a Sat morning meetup that works we can evolve things from there.

Parking guide to downtown Asheville on weekends:
Meters are all free on street after 6 PM Mon-Sat and on Sun. This means on Sat you should consider a parking deck when you are downtown for any length of time, as it will be cheaper than a meter during the day. I recommend the Wall St parking deck and the Rankin St parking deck. With some care you can park at the downtown Post Office - they are open on Sat but do not tow even when closed. I've marked up a custom Google map that shows some of these places. I may add to it as the discussion evolves this week:

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msi...ll=35.597106,-82.552707&spn=0.008741,0.021136

All of these spots are walkable from 1 car location - you may end up on one end of downtown or the other, but you probably won't need to move your car unless you want to.
Click to expand...

Sounds good to me!:)
 
Sounds great mackigator! I hope to be in Pisgah well enough before dark for a bike ride. If that falls through I might be up for a Friday night meet-up. If nothing else I'll be able to get a feel for how much time I need to budget for the AM meet-up. I have my copy of the numbers, so I'll send you a text Friday night to let you know.

On another note, I may entertain the thought of riding into town Saturday morning. It's all very fluid for me right now since I've never camped in the Asheville area.
 
Looking forward to seeing everyone at 9AM on Saturday at the Green Sage (or at some point later in the day if you are still traveling at that time).

I've arranged a private tour at the Asheville Mount Herman Masonic Lodge for 10 AM on Saturday through a friend who will guide a tour. This structure is about to finish a significant restoration that the public has not seen (and neither have I). The short story is this: The Mason's commission an architectural impressive building in 1915; they finish the building but run out of money and leave the interior design planned but only partially finished. The building sleeps for 90 or so years used only by a small group of Masons. They raise money and public awareness and start showing off the building, including hand painted stage curtains, etc, all going in the last year. Anyway, it should be cool.

Here's a story about the building; what we will see is restoration that took place after this story was published:
http://www.mountainx.com/article/19461/Ashevilles-Masonic-Lodge-revealed

No one is required to attend, of course. The building is walking distance from our breakfast meetup.
 
By the way if anyone is interested, I am selling a beautiful M3 just CLAd or a 2.8 50 elmar recent, chrome and beautiful. If you know anyone interested ! its a single stroke, magnificient in my opinion and really smooth. the lens is like new. id probably sell them for 800 and 700 dollars
 
List of events that might be cool to photo. The list grows:
  1. French Broad Riverfest/Anything that floats boat "race" mid day Saturday (10-2ish): http://riverlink.org/anythingthatfloats2012.htm
    1. The 'fest is from 1 to 7 PM and would be good spot to wind up with a camera.
  2. Many open studios in RAD: http://www.riverartsdistrict.com/whos-open.html
  3. Blueberries on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Most common picking area is a trip to Graveyard Fields, about an hour one way, south from Asheville on the Parkway.
  4. Beer has become its own world here in Asheville:
    1. Wedge Brewery in the River Arts District - a favorite on any night. Whip out the pushed Tri-X and go hipster hunting.
    2. The Thirsty Monk bar downtown - Belgians downstairs, American micro brews upstairs, taps rotate each week.
    3. Bruisin Ales - beer store downtown for those who want a big selection
    4. Appalachian Vintner - beer and wine store between Biltmore Village and downtown, great selection
  5. Hotter Than Haiti 10k. Starts 8 AM on Sat, but if you like the challenge of shooting runners on trails: http://www.hotterthanhaiti10k.com/ I'll be asleep when this starts.
  6. War Comes to the Mountains at Vance birthplace. Civil War re-enactors. North of town about 15 minutes, an event that sounds quite photogenic. 10 AM - 4PM http://www.exploreasheville.com/includes/events/index.cfm?action=displayDetail&eventid=934
  7. Sourwood Festival - Black Mountain. Closed streets with vendors of food and crafts. All day Sat. I'd skip unless you are staying in B.M. http://www.sourwoodfestival.com/
  8. Gingerbread House Demo - Grove Park Inn. Not my cup of tea, but the houses are usually cool; a preview of an annual competition. Sat 10-4. http://www.exploreasheville.com/includes/events/index.cfm?action=displayDetail&eventid=891
  9. Homegrown Tomato Contest - The Market Place. On Wall Street right by my office in downtown Asheville. Sat 2-5 PM. http://fromhere.org/event/homegrown-tomato-contest/
  10. Swannanoa Gathering. Fiddle Week. At Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa. http://www.swangathering.com/catalog/fd/fiddle-week.html
  11. Wood Day at the Folk Art Center. Wood carving galore. On the Blue Ridge Parkway, close to Asheville. 10-4PM. http://www.southernhighlandguild.org/pages/posts/wood-day-6.php
  12. Art Galleries worth checking out. Depending on your tastes, of course. None of this is cheap stuff, but can be fun to check out and treat like a free museum visit.
    1. Blue spiral. Downtown. My fav. Great stuffs. Might be closed Sat, can't remember.
    2. Grovewood Gallery at Grove Park Inn
    3. Allanstand Craft Shop at the Folk Art Center
    4. More downtown: http://www.ashevilleartgallery.net/xhtml/AshevilleArtGalleries_DownTown.htm
 
ah, one more. A good one, too:

13. Harvest Records Anniversary Sale on Sat. CD's, Vinyl, etc. Great store, going to draw a crowd. http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120808/ASHEVILLESCENE/308080082/Happy-Birthday-Harvest-Records?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s
 
Can someone give me directions to a meet-up spot at 10-10:30 on Saturday morning? We are leaving at 6:00am from an hour's drive below Atlanta. The best we can do is arrive around the 10-10:30 estimate.

I have no GPS, no "smart phone", just a cell phone, a car and a map.

If you have a minute to help us out, it would be appreciated and facilitate our planning and driving up to meet you fine folks!

BTW, we will be coming in from the west from Sylva. It is much more scenic that way than going I85 to Greenville and then north.:)
 
Directions to Sat morning meetup

Directions to Sat morning meetup

For those with access to Google, here's a handy map:

Meet at the Green Sage at 9 AM, 5 Broadway Street, Asheville, NC. 28801

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msi...ll=35.596906,-82.552139&spn=0.004737,0.010568

On that map I've marked the parking deck, the meetup spot, and the spot of the tour I'll be on at 10AM, to see the renovated Masonic lodge building. This is a private tour setup for our group and all are welcome to attend, though not required.

If you look at a map of Asheville, you'll see that I-240 loops around downtown and that our "main" E-W interstate (I-40) does not actually pass through the downtown area. Thus, from whatever direction you arrive, merge onto I-240 from I-40 (or I-26) headed towards downtown Asheville.

From I-240, exit onto Broadway St (exit 5A) and head S, into the heart of downtown. At the corner of Broadway and College you will see your final destination, the Green Sage, but there is no parking here. At that corner, turn W (right) onto College (College is one way). Proceed about 2 blocks - not far - and turn N (right) onto Rankin Ave. Rankin is a small side street. Park in the Rankin Ave parking deck.

Walk back E on College Ave, backtracking where you just drove. The coffee shop, the Green Sage, is on the corner of Broadway and College.

I'm looking forward to meeting the group tomorrow! Just look for the rangefinder(s) on the table!
 
If anyone is in town tonight, message me if you are interested in dinner; I won't be going to Mr. Frogs unless I hear from one of you - no worries either way of course. :)

I can also be talked into a beer. Easily.
 
All checked in downtown after hitting Ball Photo. I needed a filter and I forgot my monopod! Nice Nikon F2AS there. Might have to go back!

Tomorrow AM plan sounds perfect! Funnily, my eldest just showed me some snaps she took in the car on the way in and two were of the lodge! LOL!

Unwinding a bit and will be taking a looklap on foot with the family shortly. Likely no dinner until later as we all had a late lunch on the way up.

A beer does sound good though. We have mutual contact info from the PM.
 
as it turns out i am working a double at work on saturday and then again on sunday night so everyone walk by heiwa on saturday afternoon and wave hello
 
Leaving about 5:30am, headed to Asheville!

I have the following cell phone numbers to call as we get close...maybe 9:30?

Duane
Barry
Clark
Michael

Will be asking for directions! See you guys tomorrow morning!:)
 
Clark, Duane, Mike, Barry, Jeff, Larry and the ladies, thank you all for allowing us to come to Asheville (a beautiful city!) to spend the day with you. Lunch was outstanding with the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy!!!:D

But most of all, it was amazing to meet some of you once again, and the rest of you for the very first time.:angel: It is this personal interaction that makes the RFF experience special.

It is the gear that brought us to RFF, but it is the people who keep us here!

And, a special thanks to Larry (elude)!!! Larry, I am looking forward to your own posts about your trip here and we sincerely wish you all the best. The best of light, the best of times, and the best of friends. We feel that you are included in our best of friends category and we thank you for the opportunity to have met you!

Maybe next time, Paulbe, Ryan_d and Chris will be with us as well.:)
 
Wonderful meet! A big thanks to Clark!

Got split up after the park, but I had to get food into the little ones! Had a nice meal at the Jerusalem Garden Cafe. I thought I had more in me but I was pretty shot by evening. We did manage to make it up to the Grove area and then off to bed. A very fun city and we will definitely make it an annual trip(s).

A very nice group of gear made it with some interesting variety. The funniest thing was counting the five or six black Billinghams!

I have my two rolls of 400CN film back already and I am going to try to dev my two rolls of TRI-X this evening if I have time. I have also offloaded the DP1. I will post some shots soon.

Hope to do the BMW event in a few months, so keep that in mind!

Regards,
 
Small digital on display a meetup

Small digital on display a meetup

One of the more interesting items, I thought, was the variety of small digitals we had all accumulated in search of that perfect small camera to complement our film bodies. Lurking in the bags of our group, in addition to the film rangefinders:

  • Epson RD-1
  • Sigma DP1
  • Sony NEX-5
  • Sony NEX-7
  • Fuji X100
  • Ricoh GXR with M-mount module

The Epson RD-1 was really wild for me to use; I've never even held one. What a cool beast.

I also found myself thinking that I could make the DP1 progeny work as a pocket camera, since my NEX-7 hasn't really replace my Olympus XA.

I wasn't expecting the hands on time with so many interesting cameras - thanks for the bonus!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top