Trish Gau

May 204 min read

Visit Vibrant Asheville!

Updated: May 23

Contributed by Trish Gau, The Hive Overland Park

Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville, North Carolina, is a town that captivates visitors with its eclectic blend of arts, culture, and natural beauty. From its downtown filled with unique shops and farm-to-table eateries to the awe-inspiring vistas of the surrounding mountains, vibrant Asheville offers something for every traveler seeking adventure, relaxation, or creative inspiration. Recently, The Hive Women spent a few fun-filled days visiting this beautiful place.

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We began our amazing Asheville adventure with the LaZoom Haunted Comedy Tour. It was a great way to get the lay of the land, laugh (rated NC-17) and learn a little of Asheville's more sordid history from an excellent tour guide. From there we walked to Jack of the Wood, a downtown hot spot for food, drink, and music. We had a delicious Irish pub meal and heard a little bluegrass while we chatted with the friendly staff members at our outside table on Patton Avenue.

The next morning we started early for Biltmore Estate, the stunning architectural marvel built by George Vanderbilt in the late 19th century. This magnificent 250 room "castle", with its meticulously landscaped gardens and expansive grounds, invites visitors to step back in time and experience the opulence of America's Gilded Age. Our group opted for the self-guided audio tour and we took our time wandering around the mansion. The formal dining room, library and pool are shown below; as a pool owner myself, I couldn't believe they had to empty it after each use (and the ropes on the side were used to help the non-swimmers move around)!

We enjoyed a tasty lunch at the Stable Cafe and then made our way to the impeccable gardens and conservatory of the Biltmore. The variety and beauty of the plants and flowers was perfection. After walking the grounds we drove to Antler Village and the Biltmore Winery where we tasted some delicious local wines. Tickets for Biltmore Estate should be purchased in advance and are a bit pricey, but after visiting you can totally understand that it takes a lot of money to keep that place running and you could definitely spend the whole day there!

We headed back to downtown Asheville for another fabulous meal at the flagship Tupelo Honey restaurant. The biscuits with fresh butter, jam and honey were so tasty and the brussel sprouts and fried green tomatoes shouldn't be missed. Pritchard Park is across the street from Tupelo and every Friday night a drum circle gathers there to create music and draw people together. The drizzly weather made attendance light on our Friday eve, but the die-hards that did show up were entertaining and there was definitely some fun people watching!

Another great aspect of life in Asheville is its proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hiking enthusiasts can explore countless trails that wind through lush forests and lead to cascading waterfalls. These trails are a short drive away from Asheville so you can quickly enjoy the natural beauty of the outdoors. We drove to the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center and took a short jaunt through the woods. The views on the drive were quite impressive and some of us were lucky enough to see a mamma bear and her two cubs!

We spent the morning exploring the various shops in the downtown area (The Asheville Bee Charmer was a favorite) and then headed down to the The River Arts District. Once a hub of industrial warehouses, the area has been transformed into a community of artists and craftsmen. Visitors can witness works in progress and even try their hand at various artistic endeavors. We also stopped at the popular White Duck Taco Shop and had some excellent tacos.

Asheville straddles the French Broad River, which provides the area with plenty of activities like kayaking, tubing and lovely walks along the paved pathways. It also provided a name to French Broad Chocolates, the next stop on our Asheville itinerary. We had a very informative tasting and tour of their chocolate-making facilities and another knowledgable tour guide made the experience enjoyable.

After a great meal at Bold Rock Brewery, we headed over to the historic Omni Grove Park Inn to view the sunset over Asheville. The architecture alone makes it well worth the stop (or stay if budget allows!) We ended the evening at Elaine's (at the Omni) for their dueling piano bar and had a blast and some laughs singing along with their talented musicians.

Our Asheville adventure ended the following morning with a stop at the beautiful North Carolina Arboretum on our way to the Greenville, SC airport. We did so much while we were there but only scratched the surface of all that Asheville has to offer. Do yourself a favor and visit vibrant Asheville yourself!