Asheville

Asheville
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Information
Country:	United States of America
State:	North Carolina
Population:	72,800
Major roads:
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots

Asheville is a small city in North Carolina, USA. Although it's located in a rather conservative region of the United States, Asheville stands out as a very diverse and open city. In the city one can find your typical southerners wearing flannel shirts, trucker hats, and work boots, wealthy professionals, a rather strong anarchist subculture, hip-hoppers, hipsters, street performers, among other groups of people.

Hitchhiking out

Downtown Asheville is rather isolated from most exits to the highway; however, hitchhiking is very common even from the downtown to the outer parts of the city limits. Just point yourself in a direction and put out the thumb.

Hitching In

Most exits around Asheville are still about five miles from the downtown. But, as stated above, hitching is common in and around the town so people are likely to pick you up from there as well and take you into downtown or wherever you need to go.

Accommodation and Sleep

There is a nice park near UNCA where you won't be bothered in North Asheville off of Merrimon. Down in the river arts district there are many abandoned buildings and factories.

Warren Wilson College If you take bus 170 to Warren Wilson College, there are forests and hiking trails very close to the campus where camping is allowed. There are even some treehouses and abandoned houses there. The students are friendly to travelers and are able to procure food for you from the cafeteria at no cost to them (tell them to use their 'flex dollars' or to get a to- go plate from glad). There is free wifi in all buildings. Be wary of sleeping in dorms and common areas because security or staff will ID you after a few days and kick you off campus. There are work crews on campus such as the garden, farm, and landscaping crews which might appreciate volunteers, if you want something to do.

There is also food not bombs every week in Pritchard park.

Personal Experiences

In one case, Eripson was merely walking on the road (no thumb) and a man offered to give him a ride from a far away West Asheville exit off I-40 all the way into downtown.

Owen had a similar experience. You can hitchhike anywhere in town. Suburu's are your best bet. Be friendly and praise Asheville.

Other Useful Info

A good place to loiter without them kicking you out is the Firestorm Cafe and Bookstore. They have many independent publications regarding poetry, short fiction, anarchism, and various other social topics. The primarily vegan food is overpriced, the coffee is fair trade (therefore expensive), but the music and movie showings in the evenings are free of charge.

Trainhopping is also very easy from this town. The train is slow all through south Asheville and hoop able, and stops in the river arts district and west Asheville. Ask any of the traveler kids in Pritchard park or firestorm if you need tips!