Asheville, NC Travel Guide
Often misheard as Nashville, Asheville is another southern city on the rise. Due to its high amount of breweries and outdoor activities, this spot has been gaining popularity in recent years. I went on a long weekend trip there with a group of friends last fall - a time of year it seems thrives there - and would recommend this spot for any outdoor enthusiasts or beer lovers. Here are some of my top things to do in Asheville and the surrounding area.
To do:
Go hiking in DuPont State Forest and check out some amazing waterfalls; choose between a quick hike or an all-day affair. If you visit in the fall, make a trip to Justus Orchard. This apple orchard has more than just apple picking - think a whole farm, tasty fall treats, and best of all, an apple blaster cannon.
Walk around downtown and take in the quaint shops and hip bars, stocked with microbrews from the cities many breweries. Speaking of breweries, if your a fan of beer, the Brews Cruise is a great way to spend an evening and have a designated driver to bring you around to a few different spots. Another must for beer lovers - a trip to Sierra Nevada Brewing. The massive establishment there has beer, bites, games, and even hiking trails (which you can bring your beer on). An honorable mention in the breweries is Wicked Weed - their sours were my favorites on the trip.
For those like me who aren’t as into the outdoors and beer, a trip to the Biltmore Estate is a great way to spend an entire day. This massive estate has guided tours, gardens to walk around, and best of all, their own winery, with a free tasting included with your entry ticket.
To eat:
While we did a lot of at home cooking or light snacking while visiting some of the aforementioned spots, the stand out meals were brunch at Tupelo Honey, tacos at White Duck Taco Shop, BBQ to go from Bonfire BBQ, and margs and mexican at Mountain Madre.
Where to stay:
While I tend to recommend areas to stay over or hotels, for this trip, we rented an amazing AirBnb, you can find it here. If you’re going with a group, this place has plenty of rooms, amazing views, and even a ping pong table.
I would also recommend renting a car when visiting - the downtown is really the only walkable place, and most of the major sights are outside of that area.
