Spend the Day in Asheville
Written by Trish Luzzi, Broker | REALTOR
As a Realtor, many of my clients ask me what I love most about living in the Asheville area and I immediately respond with, “there is so much to do”! Keeping that in mind, I’ve shared some ideas on how to spend the day in Asheville. Mind you, this is a brief list, as I said, there’s so much to do! You’ll probably find that how you spend the day in Asheville will be a new experience every time. So take advantage of some of the resources I share so you can keep coming back for something new!
I grew up in the Greater Toronto area and have lived in Florida and Connecticut. I arrived here in WNC 15 hears ago. While those other places are fantastic, I wanted somewhere with all four seasons, minus harsh winters, so I could hike, ride, bike, ski, swim, fly fish, tube, zipline and go on amazing motorcycle rides for most of the year. In WNC you can do it all and literally experience something new every day.
If you are coming to the area for a visit, try to plan some time to check out little towns and cities that surround Asheville as well. Each one has their own sweet character with great downtown areas to walk around and enjoy, making it worth the drive for an afternoon visit. Add Hendersonville, Brevard, Black Mountain, Weaverville, and Waynesville to your travel agenda!
The first thing I suggest you do is go to the Asheville Chamber of Commerce (or the Chamber of the town you are visiting) to find resources like brochures and friendly staff to help you. Grab booklets about the best places to eat, we pride ourselves on many locally-owned restaurants that do farm-to-table and emphasize our special selection of appalachian ingredients. We are also very well-known for our many breweries here so make sure you check them out. They don’t call us Beer City, U.S.A. for nothing! Just remember our IPAs can creep up on you!
Once you’re well-equipped with info from the Chamber, I would suggest participating in the Asheville Scavenger Hunt walking tour, which you can download on your mobile phone. That way you’ll get your bearings and take in some Asheville history. You’ll also discover local shops and restaurants along the way. Which, of course, means stopping in to indulge in some chocolate from our local chocolatiers like The Chocolate Fetish and French Broad Chocolate Company.
There are some great online resources to stay up-to-date on local events like festivals, farmer’s markets, music events and other activities. Check out Romantic Asheville, Explore Asheville, and Amazing Asheville. Now with COVID, as you know, things are changing daily, so you want to check ahead of time for any changes.
Of course, you cannot come to Asheville and not go to the Grove Park Inn for a beautiful sunset dinner after an amazing afternoon at the Grove Park Inn Spa. Speaking of spas, be sure to check out The Asheville Salt Cave or Sauna House for truly unique Asheville experiences. Another must-do is a visit to the Biltmore, but reserve your tickets beforehand as COVID rules are in place. This will take a full day to get through the gardens, winery, hiking trails and the home itself.
For the outdoorsmen in you, there are endless great spots to go hiking and most of the trails adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway are open. Visit our National and State Parks as well for breathtaking views and hikes at the North Carolina Arboretum, Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park, Grandfather Mountain, Pisgah National Forest, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
I hope that you enjoy your time in Asheville and our surrounding towns. I’d venture a guess that you may want to call it home just like I did.
Trish Luzzi is a Broker | REALTOR in Asheville and serves WNC. Trish would love to help you plan your trip while you’re in the area.
Contact: (828) 423-0248 [email protected]
