Asheville is a charming little town 3-4 hours from Atlanta. From Milton, GA we took the 400/985/23 route and really enjoyed that drive. Taking I 85 seemed a lot longer. It has so much to offer, the Biltmore House, great places to hike, the spa at Grove Park Inn, the breweries, museums, amazin places to eat and more.
We went with some other couples for a quick weekend the summer before covid hit and had such a good time as we had not been there since 1996.
Due to work, my husband and I arrived Saturday at lunch time. Our friends went up on Friday and did some distilleries and ate dinner out.
Day 1 Saturday
We checked into our hotel about noon. My friend wanted to stay in the downtown area and I have Marriott points so we stated at the AC Asheville.
This is a great location if you want to be downtown and walk to everything. It is very modern and new. They have a 3 floor parking deck. They have an Apple computer you can use in the business office. They have a little convent store in the lobby. On your floor you will find a hydration station. You fill a canister with the filtered water, grab a bag of ice and take it to you room. They have an amazing restaurant on the top floor with amazing views!! There is roof top seating or a real restaurant to sit at. I will say it was closed twice for a private event while we were there which was a bummer. There is no pool at this hotel.
We met our friends at the Market Place for lunch. Our one friend has a cousin who lives in Asheville, so she took us on a walking tour of her favorite distilleries. Two of us got hot and took an Uber back to the hotel and the rest went to about 4 more distilleries.
We then all got dressed for dinner and went to the Admiral for dinner. This was a fun place for dinner. We had a group of 8 or more so we had to do the 4 course meal. We sat in the covered outside area. We made sure we all got at least one of everything so we could all share it. The food was great!
Sunday we got up and went to the Grove Park Inn for lunch at the Sunset Terrace. It has great views and you can sit outside.This was my favorite place we ate at in Asheville. It is located on the back side of the lobby at the Grove Park Inn. I suggest you make reservations ahead. You are seated in the terrace which is covered. You have amazing views of the spa and the mountains and can even see the buildings in downtown Asheville in the distance and a view of their golf course. They open at 11 for lunch. The menu is pictured below We all loved the food and 3 of us got the Cobb salad which has been on the menu for 28 years. It is huge, you may want to split it! Alexandria was our server and was great. She gave us lots of facts about the place or the food as we ate. We had two birthdays in our group and they brought out this cute birthday plate for us. The biscuits with the butter and honey are so worth the calories!! They do have a breakfast brunch but that is at another location in the hotel.
My husband and I then went to the Biltmore and toured it and the gardens before our drive home. You can buy tickets on line, there or Costco usually has them cheaper and you get a voucher to redeem.
Biltmore The Biltmore, the largest house in America is something every one should see. "The luxurious family home of George and Edith Vanderbilt is a marvel of elegance and charm, as magnificent today as it was more than a century ago. Your self-guided house visit spans three floors and the basement. You’ll see displays of vintage clothing, accessories, art, furniture, and more that tell stories and illustrate the lives of the Vanderbilt family, their guests, and employees. Biltmore Banquet Hall Get a close look at original art by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and John Singer Sargent. Marvel at magnificent 16th century tapestries, a Library with 10,000 volumes, a Banquet Hall with a 70-foot ceiling, 65 fireplaces, an indoor pool, and a bowling alley. Almost all of the priceless objects that you see throughout the house are from George and Edith Vanderbilt’s original collection. Your self-guided visit is included in estate admission. An in-depth audio guide and guided specialty tours are also available at additional cost. Learn more" From their website. The cost is $75 an adult and children 9 and under are free. At Christmas time Costco does sell tickets at a cheaper rate and if you purchase on line 7 plus days ahead you can save $10 a person. The only discount they gave was for military. Children 10-16 are $37.50 each. They also have other add on tours and winery tickets. We also purchased for $12.99 each audio tour. You wear it around and they give you ear buds to wear with it. You punch the number of each room as you enter it. If you want to save time, punch the next number as you walk to the next room. Ticket info: https://www.biltmore.com/visit/buy-tickets We were not sure if we would have time to go to the Baltimore so we bought our tickets there. If you have your timed ticket you just pull up and they let you in, if not there is a house you stop at first to buy them. I recommend buying ahead so you are sure to get a ticket and saves times and money. When you park, you can park and take a shuttle to the house or you can park in lot A and walk. We did this, it was an 8 min walk but it takes you to the far end to get a great picture of the house far away. They shuttles we saw run non stop and stop to the right neat the front. There are no bathrooms in the house to use so use them before you go in and no food or drink allowed inside. They do have lockers you can rent near the bathrooms to put your items in if needed. They have a few shops and places to eat snacks or meals near the exit of the house. See pictures for prices and foods. We went in May and it was hot. The house has no air conditioning and there are lots of steps. Handicapped people can use an elevator. I always found a fan in each room or stood near the window for a breeze. There are not many seats along the way, but there are a few places you could sit if needed. From the minute you walk in you will be amazed at the beauty and detail. We did not see any children during our time there and we will wait til our son is about 12 to take him to really appreciate it. It took about 1.5- 2 hours to walk through and young children would lose attention by then. They do have a winery and an Inn you can stay at on property and there is also a playground near them. Time Line History: https://www.biltmore.com/visit/biltmore-house-gardens/estate-history
Biltmore Gardens The gardens are so beautiful at the Baltimore house. We went in mid may and saw the roses in bloom and the azaleas had just finished blooming. I will say the pollen during this time was a lot so bring your allergy medicine! You could spend at least half a day walking around teh grounds here. Link for a map of the gardens: http://biltmore.s3.amazonaws.com/975-gardens-trailsmap.pdf There are limited bathrooms out here (conservatory) so make sure to go by the house before you go this way. I also recommend bringing water, it can get very hot out here as most is in the direct sunlight. There are a few places along the way to sit and behind the conservatory are a few chairs and tables with umbrellas. There is a cafe in the conservatory too for a snack and cool drink. When you exit the house to the right they will have samples and the names of the flowers in teh garden for that day. Take a picture so you can compare if you are not sure what something is. Here is a list of what blooms at what time of year: https://www.biltmore.com/visit/biltmore-house-gardens/gardens-grounds/annual-blooms
It was a quick trip, but we had tons of fun. I take my son on almost all my trips, but I would say Asheville is great for couples trips or girls trip/guys trip. It is very easy to get around by car or Uber.
If you want to stay downtown the AC Marriott was great and you have easy access to the distilleries which are all in a circular walking distance. I would pick out the ones you want to see first or just walk around and you will see many of them. If you want romance I say the Grove Park Inn or the Biltmore Inn.
No matter where you chose to eat or drink I don't think you can go wrong, as there are so many amazing places. Below are list of breweries and places to eat.
There are so many amazing Local Breweries:
Archetype Brewing • (828) 505-4177 • 265 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Asheville Brewing Company • (828) 255-4077 • 77 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Click here to see pics from our visit there
Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. • (828) 254-1281 • 675 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
Ben’s Tune Up • (828) 424-7580 • 195 Hilliard Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 •
Bhramari Brewing Company • (828) 214-7981 • 101 S Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Blue Ghost Brewing Company • (828) 376-0159 • 125 Underwood Rd, Fletcher, NC 28732
Bold Rock Hard Cider • (828) 595-9940 • 72 School House Rd, Mills River, NC 28759
BREW-ed Brewery Tours of Asheville • (828) 278-9255 • 70 Woodfin Pl #103, Asheville, NC 28801
Burial Beer Co. • (828) 475-2739 • 40 Collier Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Catawba Brewing Company, Biltmore Village • (828) 424-7290 • 63 Brook St, Asheville, NC 28803.
Chemist 151 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801* (828) 263-6943
Click here to see pics from our visit there.
French Broad River Brewery • (828) 277-0222 • 101 Fairview Rd # D, Asheville, NC 28803 • Live music
Ginger’s Revenge • (828)5 05-2462 • 829 Riverside Dr. Suite 100, Asheville, NC 28801
Foggy Mountain Brew Pub • (828) 254-3008 • 12 Church St, Asheville, NC 28801
The Funkatorium • (828) 552-3203 • 147 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Click here to see our visit there.
Green Man Brewing • (828) 252-5502 • 27 Buxton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Highland Brewing Company • (828) 299-3370 • 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Asheville, NC 28803
Hi-Wire Brewing – Big Top • (828) 738-2448 • 2A Huntsman Pl, Asheville, NC 28803.
Jack of the Wood • (828) 252-3445 • 95 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 • Irish Public house
Lookout Brewing Company • (828) 357-5169 • 103 S Ridgeway Ave #1, Black Mountain, NC 28711
Mills River Brewery • (828) 585-2396 • 330 Rockwood Rd #103, Arden, NC 28704
New Belgium Brewing Company • (828) 333-6900 • 21 Craven St, Asheville, NC 28806
Noble Cider • (828) 575-9622 • 356 New Leicester Hwy, Asheville, NC 28806
One World Brewing • (828) 785-5580 • 10 Patton Ave #002, Asheville, NC 28801
Oyster House Brewing Company • (828) 575-9370 • 625 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. • (828) 681-5300 • 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Fletcher, NC 28732
Southern Appalachian Brewery • (828) 684-1235 • 822 Locust St, Hendersonville, NC 28792
Sweeten Creek Brewing • (828) 575-2785 • 1127 Sweeten Creek Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
Thirsty Monk • (828) 254-5470 • 92 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 •
Twin Leaf Brewery • (828) 774-5000 • 144 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
UpCountry Brewing Company • (828) 575-2400 • 1042 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Urban Orchard Cider Co. & Bar • (828) 774-5151 • 210 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806 •
Wedge Brewing Company • (828) 505-2792 • 37 Paynes Way, Asheville, NC 28801
Wedge At Foundation • (828) 253-7152 • 5 Foundy Street, Asheville, NC 28801 •
Wicked Weed Brewing Pub • (828) 575-9599 • 91 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Places to Eat:
Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. • (828) 255-4077 • 77 Cox Ave, Asheville, NC 28804 Pizza
Bouchon • (828) 350-1140 • 62 N Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 • French
Buxton Hall BBQ • (828) 232-7216 • 32 Banks Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801 • Dinner-only smokehouse serving sandwiches, BBQ platters, Southern sides and cocktails.
Chai Pani Asheville • (828) 254-4003 • 22 Battery Park Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 Indian Chestnut • (828) 575-2667 • 48 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 • New American
Cucina 24 • (828) 254-6170 • 24 Wall St., Italian
Cúrate • (828) 239-2946 • 13 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 • Small plates
Early Girl Eatery • (828) 259-9292 • 8 Wall St., Asheville NC 28801
Farm Burger • (828) 348-8540 • 10 Patton Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801 • Grassfed burgers and vegan options sourced from local farms
Foggy Mountain Brew Pub • (828) 254-3008 • 12 Church St, Asheville, NC 28801 • Burgers and sandwhiches
Green Sage • (828) 252-4450 • 5 Broadway St., Asheville NC 28801 •Organic and Gluten Free
Homegrown • (828)-232-4340 • 371 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804 • American local food
Jack of the Wood • (828) 252-3445 • 95 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 • Comfortable Irish public house, live music
Laughing Seed • (828) 252-3445 • 40 Wall St., Asheville NC 28801 • organic and vegetarian
Limones • (828) 252-2327 • 13 Eagle St, Asheville, NC 28801 • Modern Californian & Mexican
The Lobster Trap • (828) 350-0505 • 35 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 Seafood
Mamacita’s • (8 28) 255-8080 • 77-A Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801• Mexican
The Market Place • (828) 252-4162 •20 Wall St., Asheville NC 28801 • Farm-to-table American cuisine
Mela • (828) 225-8880 • 70 N Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 • Indian buffet
Pack’s Tavern • (8 28) 225-6944 • 20 S Spruce St, Asheville, NC 28801 • Tapas
Posana • (828) 505-3969 • 1 Biltmore Ave, Asheville NC 28801• Contemporary American
Rhubarb • (828) 785-1503 • 7 Southwest Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801 Farm-to-table
Tupelo Honey Café • (828) 255-4863 • 12 College St, Asheville, NC 28801 • Southern comfort food
Twisted Laurel • (828) 552-3240 • 130 College St, Asheville, NC 28801 • Greek; pasta, pizza, gyros.
White Duck Taco Shop • (828) 232-9191• 12 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28803
Places to Stay :
Places we did not have time to go to but would trip:
Biltmore Village- shops and restaurants outside the entrance to the Biltmore
French Broad Chocolate - take a tour
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