Planning a trip to Asheville? Maybe you’ve never been and you’re trying to get a feel for whether it’s worth the trip over every other place you could visit!
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Do you enjoy delicious, crafty food? How about soaking in good vibes and sipping tasty beer at a funky downtown brewery or one along the river? And our primary travel consideration…what does the outdoor recreation scene look like? We hope that by sharing our authentic experiences here in Asheville, North Carolina, you will be more informed and can make the most out of your time here.
A quick note/disclaimer: Some of the businesses featured in this blog offered us complimentary experiences in exchange for our sharing. That said, if you follow us, hopefully you’ve already observed that we do our best to share in an honest, authentic way that will help you make informed decisions about your travels.
Where to Stay:
For most travelers, one of your first big decisions is figuring out where to stay. You may be considering variables such as price, location, style, comfort, breakfast, vibes, and views. What’s important to you? We have three different suggestions based on our experience.
Sweet Biscuit Inn Bed & Breakfast
Have you ever stayed in a legitimate Bed & Breakfast (think pre-Airbnb)? Picture yourself driving through a quiet, charming, wooded neighborhood full of unique homes (just 2 miles from downtown Asheville).
You pull up to a beautiful brick house, with a covered front porch held up by large white columns and decorated with hanging green plants. You open the door to be greeted by a glass of wine, fresh baked cookies and a warm welcome from your friendly host. You’ve just entered the Sweet Biscuit Bed & Breakfast.
We were escorted up to Room 7. We walk in and there are two Ghirardelli chocolates on the end table in the “living room.” We continue to the bedroom and immediately test out the giant, comfortable King bed. We can see the leaves falling outside our window and a slight peek towards the mountains in the distance.
The Sweet Biscuit Inn front lawn.
After a walk around the neighborhood and a tasty dinner out, (we’ll tell you where later), we were treated to a plate of goodies that we took out to the fire pit on the front lawn. We loaded up our marshmallows, toasted them to perfection (or an accidental burnt crisp in Jenna’s case) and loaded them onto the chocolate tucked between two graham crackers. While we enjoyed our s’mores, we also enjoyed getting to know John, one of the owners here at the Sweet Biscuit Inn.
Later, while Jenna relaxed in the golden claw tub, I lounged in the book nook and dug into a random book on the shelf about Siberian tigers. We had a very restful night in the comfortable king bed.
The next morning, we headed down to the dining room for a lovely 3-course breakfast.
1st course: Mixed berries topped with a mango coconut custard.
2nd course: Roasted red potatoes, sausage rounds, a folded egg, and mostly importantly, avocado toast with peppers, cucumbers and a balsamic glaze. The best avocado toast we’ve ever had!
3rd course: Flourless chocolate cake with a light dusting of powdered sugar.
John and Susan sure do take the second “B” in “B&B” seriously! We typically eat a very light breakfast or often skip breakfast altogether, so this was quite a treat and of course this is all included in your stay.
Check out Sweet Biscuit Inn Bed & Breakfast HERE
It was such a treat drinking wine in our robes.
Hyatt Place Hotel Asheville/Downtown
Conveniently located just off the highway and around a half mile from the center of downtown Asheville sits the Hyatt Place Hotel. The lobby area is decorated with funky, modern furniture, colorful vases, and a giant swirled chandelier.
Our first room, the “Groom Suite”, is gray and black, with a cool bar area, spacious bathroom, a living room, and bedroom with huge windows and a mountain view.
For dinner, we simply took the elevator up to The Montford Rooftop Bar where the sun had just set behind the mountains. We enjoyed a smorgasbord of food including bison meatballs (our favorite), grilled cheese, pimento cheese, pickled veggies, and a bowl of brussel sprouts topped with bacon bits and a squishy fried egg. The food was good considering more people come to The Montford Rooftop Bar for the full bar and the views.
Before wrapping up the night, we made use of the small fitness center and even took a quick dip in the indoor swimming pool.
The view of the hotel we stayed in as the sun was setting.
The next morning, we headed down for breakfast, which was prepared with safety in mind due to COVID-19. The hot food options, cheese and sausage on an english muffin, and mini omelettes, were individually wrapped. The rest of the breakfast options included: yogurt, fruit, cereal, oatmeal, pastries, and muffins (all enclosed).
Our second night was spent in the “Bridal Suite” which resembled something out of Legally Blonde. It was loaded with pink decor, unique furniture, a dream bathroom, giant bathtub, and huge windows with more excellent views. What a treat!
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/north-carolina/hyatt-place-asheville-downtown/gspza
The lounge area with a tv, fireplace, and lots of seating.
Where to Eat:
Tupelo Honey
With multiple locations, this wasn’t our first rodeo with Tupelo Honey, but it’s always a good time.
Our Personal Favorites:
Biscuits For A Cause, Mac & Cheese Bites, Tupelo Shrimp & Grits, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Salt & Pepper Crispy Brussels, and Yukon mashed potatoes
We got curbside pickup from Tupelo Honey and it did not disappoint! It was so fresh, hot, and tasty! My absolute favorite was their brussel sprouts!
Pie.Zaa
Pie.Zaa (pronounced “pie-zah”) just opened in August of 2020, (a bold move mid-pandemic) and it sounds like a lot of people are stoked that they did! Great vibes and delicious pizza.
November’s Specialty - “Buffalo Souljah” - wow! What a tasty mix of ingredients, especially with some ranch to dip into! The specialty changes each month, so get it while it’s hot! We also enjoyed The Garden, The Roni, Soultry Sausage, and Cheese Please. Along with ranch, you can dip into marinara, and The Zip, their unique cherry parmesan sauce with a kick.
Pizza slices as big as my head!
Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack
They pay homage to “Nashville style” hot chicken and southern soul food.
We have to admit that we’re quite wimpy when it comes to our spice tolerance. That said, we decided to enjoy the plain and the honey glaze fried chicken and used honey mustard and ranch to make them even more exciting. We also liked the mac & cheese, fried okra, french fries, and sweet potato casserole. Very tasty!
Fried okra, chicken tenders, honey mustard, ranch, and french fries.
White Duck Taco Shop
To us, Asheville and White Duck Taco Shop are nearly synonymous. I’m pretty certain we’ve never been to Asheville without getting a meal here.
Our favorites:
Lamb Gyro, Bangkok Shrimp, and Crispy Chicken BLT. Don’t worry, there are plenty more!
Where To Drink:
We aren’t big drinkers, but we do enjoy the good vibes of a laid back brewery or cool bar.
The Montford Rooftop Bar
We mentioned this place earlier because it’s at the top of the Hyatt Place Hotel where we stayed. Montford has a full bar coupled with beautiful views of the mountains. They also have an interesting food menu.
Rooftop bar and their selection of alcohol.
New Belgium Brewing
A bike trip through Belgium in 1988 inspired a young couple to launch New Belgium Brewing Co., bringing the flavors of centuries-old Belgian beer styles to the town of Fort Collins, Colorado and Asheville, North Carolina. It’s located along the French Broad River and is actually where we got off the river on a float trip back in the summer. What a nice spot with plenty of outdoor seating.
After a nice float down the river, we enjoyed some beers.
Green Man Brewery
The legendary Green Man has existed for centuries but it's no myth that he's been brewing great beer in Asheville since 1997. Great vibes here in southern downtown Asheville just a block from Pie.Zaa. Beer and pizza anyone?
Delicious Treats:
10th Muse Comfort Foods
This place is awesome! Christian, the owner, has quite the passion for creating delicious desserts that make for a memorable experience. Forget about your typical soft-serve ice cream cone. 10th Muse Comfort Foods is known for desserts like the Reese’s Revenge - Reese’s crumble, Reese’s Sauce, and a Reese’s cup, or the Cookie Monster - cookie dough, cookie butter, cookie crisp, chocolate chips, and a cookie sandwich on top.
The ice cream here is two to three times thicker than you’ll find almost anywhere else and won’t drip down the side of your hand after three seconds outside. We also enjoyed the S’more Wars which is made up of vanilla ice cream mixed with mini marshmallows. A stick of Hershey’s chocolate sticks out of one side with a graham cracker sticking out of the other. A toasted marshmallow sticks out of the top and it’s all situated on a warm bubble waffle. So insane and delicious.
This is the S'more Wars which is in a bubble waffle cone topped with s'mores cereals, hot fudge, graham crackers, Hershey's chocolate, & jumbo marshmallow.
The fried oreos are incredible and can be topped with powdered sugar and hot fudge. Lastly, we drove away with a nice, warm, latte dubbed, “The Force”, due to it’s powerful punch of caffeine and thick, creamy consistency.
The Cookie Monster milkshake which consists of cookie crisps, cookie dough, chocolate chips, hot fudge, and cookies.
Morsel Cookie Co
Three months after graduating with an Art degree, Caroline decided to begin selling the unique cookies she was baking because she couldn’t eat them all. She’s only been at it a few months and is blowing up (in a good way). She has collaborated with tons of other small, local businesses. Pie.Zaa shop owner, Tyler, spoke highly of her “Birthday Cake” cookies which were on display and for sale in his shop.
Birthday cake cookie topped with frosting and sprinkles from Morsel Cookie Co.
Morsel Cookie Co is known for fun flavors such as Chocolate Chip Sea Salt + Nutella, Kitchen Sink Cookie, Chai Cookie Butter, Red Velvet Crackle, PB Cup, and plenty more.
Check out her Instagram to see where she’s located throughout the week because she does not have her own shop.
Jenna's favorite was the birthday cake and Jeremy's favorite was the PB Cup.
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway meanders 469 miles from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia down to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. There is no admission and it’s not hard to find a beautiful spot to enjoy the outdoors. Click below to read more about the parkway and where you might like to explore.
Winding roads along the parkway with all the pretty fall leaves.
Biltmore House
Many people have told us we need to visit the Biltmore House. We’ve still never been because it’s a bit pricey and we always find ourselves enjoying other things, primarily outdoor recreation.
The main residence, a Châteauesque-style mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt II back in the late 1800’s, is the largest privately owned house in the United States, at 178,926 square feet (16,622.8 m2) of floor space. MUCH more than the RV that we live in!
Carrier Park
Just 10 minutes from downtown and right along the French Broad River, Carrier Park includes a “velodrome” for cycling, volleyball courts, a sports field, playground, and much more. This is also where we parked our other vehicle when we floated to New Belgium Brewery with some friends over the summer.
https://ashevilletrails.com/asheville/carrier-park-french-broad-river-greenway/
Bent Creek
Bent Creek is a beautiful area located about 15-20 minutes Southwest of Asheville and is a haven for outdoor recreation like hiking and biking. I rode the 14-mile Green’s Lick Loop mountain bike trail and had a blast descending some wicked fast trails amongst a forest of fall colors.
There are many miles of hiking trails here along with a lake that we didn’t get a chance to visit.
https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8013571/bent-creek-experimental-forest
Mountain biking through the fall foliage in Bent Creek.
Catawba Falls
This is a great hike, just half an hour East of Asheville. It's a pretty popular trail, but if you want a quiet spot and an adventure getting to it, try and climb up to the upper falls pictured below. Wow!
https://ashevilletrails.com/pisgah-national-forest/catawba-falls-waterfall-hike-asheville/
One of our favorite activities is to find pretty waterfalls.
Max Patch Mountain
This 4,600-ft bald mountain is located about one hour and 17 minutes Northwest of Asheville along a dirt road way up in the mountains. Max Patch was actually cleared and used as a pasture back in the 1800’s. It’s situated along a windy, dirt road, but it’s a fun drive and one of our favorite spots in the area. It’s quite popular, so try and get out early, or maybe go during the week if you can.
Look how many different mountain peaks there are!
Thanks for reading our blog post all about Asheville, North Carolina! We hope you enjoyed it.
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