Asheville, NC

We stopped in Asheville for two days. While some built with Habitat for Humanity, I built with Black Mountain Housing. Working with 5 others from our group, we finished the subflooring for a house and helped with some projects on another home. We met the soon to be owners of the homes. Both were single mom's working another job. To earn their home, they and their family are obligated to put in 25 hours of sweat equity per week. Once their homes were complete, it is theirs to do what they want with. The homes are very green and the homeowners have a lot of say on the aesthetics of their homes. We were fortunate enough to work with Corinne, a woman originally from Iowa who was one of the first to go through the program, and now helps with PR efforts. Additionally, a knowledgable construction worker and program supervisor, Joe, gave great insight into the program, and basic construction too.

Asheville was a great city to explore. Many were out and active, and there were some fantastic eaterys and bars. Steve and I went out to Tupelo Honey Cafe, a local venue dedicated to fresh southern cooking, as featured in Rachel Ray's "$40 a day." we also checked out a concert at the Lexington Brewing Company. The next night, there was a drum circle in the city park. As the center of a young, educated, innovative culture in an otherwise rural, conservative state, I'd liken Asheville to Austin, Texas.