# The Art Haus hostel in Asheville, NC


![](http://www.feelfreefarmproject.org/campinout.jpg)\
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 I spent about a day walking around in New Orleans, checking out the
French Quarter and downtown. (It feels very strange watching scenes of
devastation from New Orleans today on TV, when I was there only a few
days ago.) I then made my way to Gainesville, GA., where I would stay at
an ecological farm up in the mountains, run by “Hillydilly” and Marie,
two hippies with an attitude. The farm, which doesn’t grow anything but
has cows, goats and chicken is located remotely in a forest, but the
peace and quiet isn’t enough for the couple - they choose to camp out
many nights, in a little opening in the forest where they’ve made an
outdoors kitchen. We spent two evenings there, baking bread in an
earthen owen, drumming, listening to the stars and discussing buddhism
and alternative lifestyles.

I of course am a vegan, and don’t really approve of keeping animals -
even in the much more humane ways that Hillydilly and Marie does. But I
am openminded, and enjoyed our conversations and discussions about the
topic. They explained that they had an “open-door” policy - if you staid
beyond three days, you were expected to work two hours a day. They often
take in people who need some time in a safe environment to “find
themselves”, “figure their lives out”… it’s an amazing work providing
such a safe haven of hospitality and friendship!

I was going to take the overnight bus to Asheville, NC. to visit a girl
I met briefly in China four years ago. But as it turned out that the bus
trip would take 12 hours and arrive at 4AM, whereas it’s only a three
hour drive, they suggested driving me up on Sunday, and housing me in a
hostel. Although I wasn’t planning on staying a single night in a hostel
during my travels, I agreed that it would be a good idea. And I don’t
regret it - we (they ended up being convinced to stay as well) staid in
the best hostel ever, the Art Haus. A nice little wooden house, close to
downtown, with a porch and a back yard, 20\$ for a dorm room… lovingly
decorated, a nice kitchen you can use, but great people! The owner, a
lovely woman, was always ready to talk and find out about her guests,
her two daughters always running around. A guy who had come to visit had
staid for several months helping out at the hostel in exchange for a
place to sleep; the guests were artists, backpackers, good people. In
the evening, we all went out to the African music festival, to shoot
pool, and eat sushi (in that order). Later, we huddled in the TV room
(which was like someone’s living room) watching Hurricane Katrina
progress towards New Orleans.

I’ve learnt a lot from this backpacking trip throughout the US, and one
of my “lessons” is that although staying with people
(friends/HospitalityClub members, etc) is great and valuable, sometimes
a day or two in a hostel or similar can be good as well - not only to
relax (not always feel that you are in someone’s home, you have to be
polite and nice to people, etc), but also to make the planning of a
schedule a little bit more flexible.

In about half an hour I will be meeting up with my friend here in
Asheville, this city that turns out to be a giant hippie-place, where
even the Irish pub serves veggie-burgers… and I had no idea when I went
here. Pleasant surprises in travelling.

Stian