Asheville – “Land of the Sky”

Now that we are at the threshold of spring, your thoughts might be turning to warm-weather pursuits and upcoming vacations. Maybe you are looking for some outdoor activities like hiking, biking, camping or fly fishing. Maybe you are into exceptional food experiences. Perhaps you love experimenting with craft beers and local wines. Or maybe you are just seeking the peace and relaxation of a quiet mountain cabin. All of these things and more can be found right here in our home town of Asheville, North Carolina.

During the months of March and April, we are going to take an in-depth look at Asheville and all that it has to offer. With a full-time population of just under 100,000 people, Asheville is a diverse, welcoming and sometimes eclectic community. It really does have something for everyone, and we are not the only ones who think so. In 2017, Lonely Planet labeled Asheville as one of its “Top U.S. Travel Destinations”. Last year, Travel and Leisure rated Asheville as number 8 on its list of “The 15 Best Cities in the United States”, as well as one of the “Best Craft Beer Cities in the U.S.”. And in January of 2020, Yelp rated Asheville as “The Best Food City in America”.

As residents of the area, we can attest to the fact that the city and surrounding region is more than deserving of all these accolades. They are the reasons we have been visiting the area for nearly 30 years, and why we chose to relocate here a number of years ago. We love everything about western North Carolina, and we hope you will be inspired to consider Asheville for your next get-away!

A Bit of History

Asheville was incorporated as a city in 1797. At that time, it was little more than a crossroad of paths through the mountains, and the population of the area was only about 1000 people. Fast forward about 100 years when the arrival of the railroad slowly transformed Asheville into a desirable tourist destination. By 1880, the local population soared to around 30,000 summer residents who were seeking the cool, healthy mountain air.

Among the many people who visited Asheville during this time was George Vanderbilt. He was a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family of New York. Upon arrival in Asheville, George fell in love with the area and promptly purchased a large tract of land. Together with architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted, they envisioned and built the Biltmore Estate. This amazing French Chateaux-style home was totally state-of-the-art in its day, complete with central heat, 43 bathrooms with hot and cold running water, electric lights and elevators. Today, the estate is still owned by Vanderbilt’s direct descendants. The Biltmore House is the largest private home in the United States, and it is one of the top tourist attractions in North Carolina.

Asheville is often called the “Land of the Sky”. This fitting moniker was first applied to the area in an 1876 novel of the same name. However, one look at this beautiful city and its surrounding mountain vistas, and you will see for yourself why this name is so appropriate.

How to Get There

Asheville Regional Airport is located a few miles south of the downtown area. Although a regional airport, it is growing by leaps and bounds, with a 43% increase in passengers in 2019. American, United, Delta, Allegiant, Elite and Spirit Airlines all offer flights to and from Asheville, with more direct flights added all the time.

Asheville is also located just 90 minutes from the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina, and about 2 hours from Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. Car rentals from all of the major companies are readily available at any of these airports.

If you are driving, Asheville is located in western North Carolina at the intersection of I-40 and I-26. Over 100 million people are located within a one-day drive of Asheville, making it easily accessible by car.

Uber and Lyft are both readily available in the Asheville area. If you are only visiting the downtown area, you could probably get by without your own vehicle. Although city bus transportation is available in the city, it is somewhat limited. So, if you are planning to visit sites outside the downtown area, you will want to have a vehicle at your disposal.

Places to Stay

There are many types of accommodations available in the area and the choices are immense, including hotels, Airbnb’s, bed and breakfast, inns and campgrounds. You can find all of the normal chain hotels in the area. We will try to provide some good examples in each category.

• Hotels

o The Omni Grove Park – The Grove Park Hotel is THE iconic hotel in Asheville. Built in 1913, this AAA 4-Diamond, historic hotel occupies one of the most beautiful spots in the city. A whole host of dignitaries and celebrities have stayed here, including many U.S. Presidents. Located at the hotel are 4 amazing restaurants, an award-winning subterranean spa and a legendary 18-hole golf course. Even if you do not stay at this hotel, be sure to stop in for a meal or just a visit. It’s amazing!

o Haywood Park Hotel and Atrium – Located in the heart of downtown Asheville, the Haywood Park Hotel is a historic, boutique-style hotel with premium accommodations. You will be literally just a few steps away from terrific restaurants, bars and entertainment.

o Cambria Hotel – The Cambria is a new, modern hotel in the downtown area. It’s restaurant, Hemingway’s Cuba, is open for breakfast and dinner. The food there is wonderful, but the outdoor dining area is a real treat during warmer weather.

o Hyatt Place – The Hyatt Place is a high-rise hotel located on the northern edge of the downtown area. Our favorite part of this hotel is its Montford Rooftop Bar, which offers unobstructed views of the mountains and unbelievable sunsets! If you stay at this hotel, request a corner room for the best views.

o Biltmore Estate Hotels – There are 2 hotels located on the Biltmore Estate. Both the Inn on Biltmore Estate and the Village Hotel are fairly new, but offer the charm and seclusion of a bygone era. Both offer lovely rooms in a romantic setting, as well as easy access to all of the activities on the estate.  (The Inn on Biltmore Estate is pictured.)

o Grand Bohemian Hotel – The charming, Tudor-style Grand Bohemian Hotel is located right outside the Biltmore Estate in Biltmore Village. There are 5 types of rooms available, but all are quite luxurious. Their onsite restaurant, Red Stag Grill, offers farm-to-table cuisine in a unique hunting lodge style dining room. Try the Red Stag for a romantic dinner or even Sunday Brunch.

• Bed and Breakfasts/Inns

o Pinecrest Bed and Breakfast – Built in 1905, this perfectly restored Pinecrest B&B in Asheville’s historic Montford neighborhood, offers 5 lovely rooms in a one-acre garden setting. A 3-course, gourmet breakfast is offered daily, and homemade goodies are available every afternoon for snacking.

o The Reynold’s Mansion – The Reynold’s Mansion was built in 1847, and is one of only 10 brick buildings in western North Carolina to have survived the Civil War. Consistently ranked as a top-rated B&B in Asheville, Reynold’s Mansion is located on 4-acres in a quieter part of north Asheville. Daily gourmet breakfast is served in their grand, formal dining room or on their covered porch during warm weather.

o A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast – A Bed of Roses B&B is also located in the Montford district only a few blocks away from Asheville’s downtown area. The Queen Anne style home was built in 1897 and offers 5 luxurious suites. It is a perfect place for a romantic getaway!

• Cabins

o Asheville Cabins of Willow Winds – Willow Winds is a unique lodging alternative. You will have a choice of 25 unique, well-appointed cabins, nestled around a 40-acre wooded property. Cabins are available with 1, 2 and 3-bedrooms and sleep from 2 to 8 people. This is a great choice for anything from a couple’s getaway to a family reunion. There are even pet-friendly cabins.

o Asheville Cottages – Asheville Cottages offers accommodations sleeping from 2 to 6 people. These cottages are new, modern, beautifully decorated and truly among the cleanest accommodations we have ever seen! These cottages are set on a 15-acre wooded property and are located well off any main roads. It is super quiet and a great place to relax. Even though it seems to be off the beaten path, it is only a few minutes to downtown Asheville and other area attractions.

• Pet Friendly Hotels – We know that many people like to travel with their fur babies and you will find that Asheville is very dog-friendly. Here are just a few of the options that are welcoming to pets.

o Aloft Asheville – Located in the heart of downtown Asheville.

o Hotel Indigo – Located on the north side of downtown.

o Double Tree Asheville – Biltmore – Located close to the Biltmore Estate and Biltmore Village.

• Budget Options – If you are looking for some budget options that are actually quite nice, here are a few to consider. All of these are very new and are located within a 5 to 10-minute drive of downtown and the Biltmore Estate.

o Holiday Inn and Suites Downtown Asheville – This Holiday Inn is centrally located just east of downtown.

o GLo Best Western Asheville Tunnel Road – This Best Western is located east of the Asheville Mall in a quieter part of town, but is still close to everything.

o Hampton Inn & Suites Asheville Biltmore Area – The Hampton Inn is located just a few blocks from Biltmore Village and Estate.

• Campgrounds – If you are interested in camping with your RV or even in a tent, here are a couple of good options for you. Although both of these campgrounds are in quiet, natural settings, they are both located close to all the attractions.

o Lake Powhatan Recreation Area and Campground – Located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Lake Powhatan Campground offers all styles of camping along with swimming, fishing and boat rentals. There are a number of trails for hiking, and you can even hike the 1.5 mile trail to visit the amazing North Carolina Arboretum.

o Mama Gertie’s Hideaway Campground – Mama Gertie’s Hideaway is a full-service campground located in Swannanoa, just 15 minutes east of Asheville. In addition to RV and tent camping, some rustic cabins are also available.

What to Do in Asheville?

If you are not familiar with Asheville, you may wonder what exactly is there to do? Well, over the next 3 blog posts, we hope to provide you with all of kinds of ideas for things to do. We are going into a lot more depth in our future posts, but here is a little taste of what is to come.

• Attractions – Did you know that 2 of North Carolina’s top attractions are located in and around Asheville? The Biltmore Estate and the Sierra Nevada Brewery are both located here. By the way, there are a lot of breweries in the Asheville area. When we first tell folks about Sierra Nevada, we sometimes get an ‘ho-hum’ reaction.  After all, it’s just another brewery, right? Wrong! I promise, you have never seen a brewery like this one. It’s truly an amazing place with all sorts of fun things to do for both adults and kids. We will be going into more detail about these and other attractions in an April blog post, so be on the lookout for that in a few weeks.

• Outdoor Activities – The Asheville area is an outdoor-lover’s paradise. Just about any outdoor pursuit you can imagine is available here. We really enjoy hiking and in our next post, Asheville Part II – Hiking we share our favorite hikes for people of all fitness levels.

• Food and Drink – Asheville is known for being a ‘foodie’ town and you probably already know that Asheville has a huge craft brewery community.  So, understandably a lot of activities in the community focus around farm-to-table foods and craft beers. We review  many local establishments in  Asheville Part III – Restaurants, Breweries and Wineries blog. Take note though, there are so many fantastic choices in the area, that we won’t be able to cover all of them!

• Festivals – There are festivals and events happening almost every week, especially during spring, summer and fall. To see our favorites and  how to find out what might be happening during your visit, see our blog Asheville Part IV – Attractions, Museums, Festivals and More!

• Music – Are you a music lover? Well you may be surprised to learn that Asheville has a huge music scene. You probably assume that bluegrass and folk music would be big, and you would be right. But actually, every genre is well represented in the area, and there are concerts somewhere just about every day. Read our blog Asheville Part IV – Attractions, Museums, Festivals and More!, for some of the popular spots and upcoming schedules for 2020.

So that’s it for now. We are so excited to be sharing our home town with you over the next few posts, and we hope you are looking forward to learning more about this remarkable city.

Until next time, safe travels!