Celtic Way in Asheville, NC

[Tartan Hiker]

I agree. I live here in Asheville and I tell everyone to avoid that shop. Her usual motus operandi is to grill you with questions as you enter the store. If you don't respond correctly (or if you are obviously from an ethnic extraction other than western European) you will be treated badly until you get fed up and leave. I was in there one day (before I finally learned better) and watched her meet an African American couple at the door and flat-out tell them that this was not the place for them to shop.

Unbelieveable.

I have actually developed the habit of deliberately walking past her shop whenever I'm kilted downtown. I walk past, but never go in.

I do offer an apology to you for your daughter's treatment. We are actually much nicer down here than this indicates. And don't worry about "having a chat" with her. It's been done many times, I can assure you, and to no noticable effect. She is the judge and jury of all things Highland in the southern Appalachians, in her mind, and she'll not be changed at this stage of the game. We can only hope that someone else takes over the store some day.