By: Anna Mokas, 2013
Traveling to Hendersonville was a breath of fresh air. Hendersonville was much more city-like than any of the other towns we visited on our trips. The town is centered on main street, and the side roads are where many visitors park. It was a Saturday night, so the streets had lots of people and were a busy place to be. I could feel the sense of weekend excitement from the smiles on people’s faces and the slow pace they walked on the sidewalks. This town had many shops and restaurants, many of which seemed to have costumers. A few stores on the mains street closed at 5pm, which seemed odd since it was a Saturday night. I would say that this was one of Hendersonville’s flaws, since the town could get even more business if all of its shops stayed open later on weekend nights.
There were many owners walking their dogs on the sidewalks, adding even more life to the streets. Even horses were roaming the streets, either leading people in carriages, or being showed-off by their owners. There were multiple street performers playing music with each other, creating these makeshift bands whom sang, and played guitars and harmonicas. This town had a friendly vibe that made you not worry about your safety one bit. There were multiple bear sculptures along the main street, and each one was painted in different, vibrant colors. I assumed that the bear is Hendersonville’s mascot since it seemed like such a prominent figure in the town.
Taylor and I went to Mezzaluna for dinner, since it seemed enticing when we were looking in from the window, and we were eager to eat some delicious Italian food. This beautiful restaurant was one big room, with Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” painting displayed on the back wall. It became very busy around dinnertime so we were lucky that we came around 5:30pm. Since I am a vegetarian, I ordered the kale salad and a side of pasta. I couldn’t have been happier with my decision since they executed the meal so wonderfully. We began our meal with a warm basket of bread and homemade garlic and herb butter that we quickly devoured. The kale salad was fresh and delicious, while the spaghetti was warm and its sauce was so yummy and on the sweeter side. I wasn’t planning on eating the whole side of pasta, but found that I was scraping the bowl for more pasta and sauce. I definitely left Mezzaluna with a full stomach and a smile. The waiting staff was polite and managed the large crowd of dinners very gracefully. I could tell that they were used to having large crowds on the weekends, which shows how popular a restaurant they are.
As Taylor and I walked down the street, we were drawn by a sweet smell of brownies that led us to a quaint candy shop. This shop had lovely fudges, caramel corn and ice cream to satisfy any sweet desire the costumer might have. Many families swarmed the store as the kids scavenged for what their mouths watered for and what their parents would allow them to eat. I too felt like a child in this store, and got chocolates for the ride home, which were just the perfect treat after my scrumptious dinner. The sweet shop was a little too crowded to walk around, but there was a bench that we could sit on until there was more room to look around. I will always remember Hendersonville fondly because of that complete and decadent meal, as well as the friendly vibe I got from the town’s people and shops. Hendersonville proved to be unique since it contained so many different cultures, types of people, and provided a very welcoming place for people to enjoy. For more information about Hendersonville, visit there the town’s website: http://www.hendersonville.com/