Biltmore Avenue Bridge Update - Temporary Foot/Bike Bridge

Work progresses on the bridge; it has been closed for a few weeks now.  Although vehicular traffic must take a detour to traverse the river, a temporary foot/bike bridge has been installed to allow bikers and pedestrians to cross at the construction site.  For those living and working in the area, this temporary bridge offers real convenience.

Foot/Bike Bridge - 15 January 2010

Foot/Bike Bridge with construction in background - 15 January 2010

Bridge demolition in progress - 15 January 2010

Asheville Restaurants: Vegetarian

When Living in Asheville, North Carolina, vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants are never hard to find.  Apart from specific restaurants, several of the organic and wholesome food grocers offer cafes where one can dine on vegetarian meals.  The choices abound!

I think it's fair to say the most prominent of the Asheville's vegetarian restaurants is The Laughing Seed Cafe, located at 40 Wall Street.  To many, this restaurant is a type of vegetarian nirvana, serving tasty and hearty vegetarian meals with an international twist.  This eatery has a huge local and national following; I never cease to be amazed that people from all over the country know of it.  Personally, I have never had a bad meal at the restaurant and I find the menu interesting and amply loaded with dining options.  I particularly like the hemp burger.  Although the food is excellent, service can, at times, be a bit aloof and slow, although I have had less of a problem with this issue in recent visits.  Bottom line, simply a treasure for all who enjoy tasty, wholesome food.  Be advised, the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.

Another popular vegetarian restaurant is Rosetta's Kitchen, 116 North Lexington Avenue.  This restaurant touts itself as "... Asheville's whole-foods kitchen & cafe."  I eat here occasionally and enjoy the food and the cozy setting.  The restaurant also offers an open terrace where one can eat while checking out the interesting pedestrian traffic on Lexington Avenue below.

Good vegetarian offerings can also be found at Mela and India Garden, two local Indian restaurants covered in an earlier article on this blog.   In addition, Asheville offers a number of vegetarian-friendly restaurants; among these are the Over Easy Cafe (32 Broadway Street), The Mellow Mushroom (50 Broadway Avenue), the Early Girl Eatery (8 Wall Street), the Green Sage Coffeehouse & Cafe (5 Broadway Street), Chai Pani (22 Battery Park Avenue), the Tupelo Honey Cafe (12 College Street), Firestorm Cafe & Books (48 Commerce Street), Nine Mile (233 Montford Avenue), Sunny Point Cafe (626 Haywood Road),  and the West End Bakery (757 Haywood Road).

 

 

Healthcare: My Visit to Mission Hospital

Recently, I sustained a minor head injury from a fall after slipping on a patch of ice.  A few days later, complications arose and I was admitted to Mission Hospital, 509 Biltmore Avenue.  I am fine and on the mend now but thought a brief mention of my experience would make for a nice little article in the blog.  From a patient standpoint, I feel I was well treated and provided compassionate and expert care while at Mission.  I encountered many doctors, nurses, and technicians and I must say, without exception, everyone treated me respectfully, as an individual and with kindness and concern for my situation.  I wanted to remark on this care because, in my experience with hospitals, Mission excelled.

A little about the hospital.  From its website, one learns Mission is the regional referral center for western North Carolina.  Mission and St. Joseph's, across the street, entered into a full merger in 1998 and became the core of the Mission Health Care System.  This system also includes Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, in Mitchell County, and The McDowell Hospital, in Marion.  Mission Hospital, in Asheville, has over 6000 employees, including over 1800 registered nurses.  The hospital is licensed for over 800 beds and bassinets.  Mission operates under a Certificate of Public Advantage issued by the State of North Carolina and designed to ensure that its charges are fair and it provides documented benefit to the community.  Mission is a community-owned, not-for-profit hospital.

So, I'm glad to be getting back to normal and out of the hospital.  However, if I needed hospital care again, I would not hesitate to visit Memorial Mission.  And remember, when Living in Asheville, North Carolina during the winter months - take care to not slip on ice!  Not fun. Thanks to the hospital staff, my friends and family for their support and well-wishes during my recent hospital stay.

Biltmore Avenue Bridge Closed - 1/4/10

As first reported here in an article on 11/3/09, the Biltmore Avenue Bridge is being replaced.  Monday, the old bridge closed permanently.  I was likely one of the last few drivers to use the bridge as I traversed it on the way to an 11:00 am appointment.  When I retraced my route 1.5 hours later the bridge was closed and I was forced to detour.  For a little more detail on this project, check out my previous article and stay tuned to local media for updates.  It seems we'll have a few months of traffic disruption but I, for one, think gaining a new, reliable and attractive bridge will be worth the temporary hassle.

 

5 January 2010

 

5 January 2010 - looking north

5 January 2010 - looking northwest