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Things to do in asheville north carolina this weekend55 Best Things To Do In Asheville, NC From Locals | Uncorked Asheville -
We suggest parking in the Hooker Falls Access Area. If you still have energy, walk under the covered wooden bridge to Bridal Veil Falls, which adds 4 more miles to your hike.
If you need lunch afterward, drive minutes to nearby Hendersonville — another one of our favorite towns. Asheville sees the most visitors in the fall and around the holidays. The leaves! Growing up in CT, we thought New England was the boss of fall foliage. Who knew that the Western North Carolina mountains had an equally breathtaking fall season? Nothing beats an Asheville autumn. Enjoy fall foliage hikes, corn mazes, apple picking, and catching those purple and pink sunsets. Our top things to do in Asheville, NC in autumn include visiting the apple orchards for cider donuts and brewery hopping for spiced and pumpkin beers.
Pick a pumpkin. Trek the most beautiful fall foliage hikes , and wine taste at the vineyards with the best views. Asheville in the fall is also a great time to drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway. In need of cooler summer things to do in Asheville, NC? Drive under one hour to Skinny Dip Falls to kiss the magical Dragon Tree on your way to this serene waterfall. Spread out along the falls and take a dip in one of its pools. You can also head over to Sliding Rock and literally slide down a foot natural boulder into the chilly waters.
Sliding Rock has reopened, and Skinny Dip Falls looks a bit different — the bridge washed away and the falls have a new path. Imagine walking along the Riverwalk in the River Arts District and suddenly spying a gaggle of floating and cackling unicorns…. Where can you get your tubing on?
French Broad Outfitters and Zen Tubing are just a few. While the best things to do in Asheville, NC — to us — are all outdoors, our next go-to are those breweries. Asheville has no shortage of beer. Below, find the best Asheville things to do that involve all of the booze: wineries, distillers, cideries, wine bars, and rooftop bars.
You cannot come to Asheville without trying as much of the local craft beer as possible. As locals, what are our favorite breweries in AVL?
For something different, Bhramari and Funkatorium sours are sure to impress or weird you out. Directly in Asheville, check out pleb urban winery in the River Arts District. Of course, Biltmore has a famous winery, and wine tasing is included with your ticket. If you head out of Asheville, our personal favorite wineries are in Hendersonville , including Sawyer Springs, St. If you know Christine from The Uncorked Librarian, you also know that we partner with Cultivated Cocktails for some of our literary-inspired drinks.
They sell the best cocktail schwag, too. Of course, if you are gluten-free or looking for apple-related drinks, Asheville and Hendersonville have the best cideries and meaderies. Many ciders are sold at the local breweries and wineries. Urban Orchard and Noble are the most well-known cideries in Asheville.
Botanist and Barrel and Bold Rock just opened downtown Asheville taprooms. Rooftop bar hopping always makes the top of the list for the best things to do in Asheville, NC.
The poshest Asheville rooftop bars promise sunsets, small plates with your Southern favorites, and jaw-dropping views. Their delicious craft cocktails are perfect before a fancy dinner out in downtown Asheville. You may wish to take an Asheville Rooftop Bar Tour to see them all with a designated driver. However, if you are looking for relaxing things to do in Asheville with a bottle or glass of wine, head to:. Wedge Brewing is right next door.
Battery Park Book Exchange — This champagne bar used bookstore is iconic. Read more about the best and most hipster Asheville wine bars. We just love the Asheville bar scene , and bar hopping is one of the most fun things to do in Asheville. Have we made you hungry yet?
You must need something to eat by now to soak up all of that booze. And man, all of those waterfalls and hikes sure do make a gal ravenous. One of the best things to do in Asheville is eat. We always openly share that Tom and I Christine have many food intolerances. Asheville is extremely understanding and accommodating for food allergies, intolerances, and preferences.
This entire section is all about the food. PennyCup Coffee Co. Vortex has delicious donuts and coffee. Just look for the double-decker red bus.
Newer to Asheville, Rowan Coffee in downtown is simple but delicious. That historic building is gorgeous inside. Find a park, art museum, music, restaurants, and chocolate shops. The French Broad Chocolate Lounge has everything a chocolate lover desires.
Discover desserts, hot cocoa, truffles, bonbons, cakes, custards, cookies, coffee, brownies, booze, and ice cream. Need we say more? French Broad Chocolates serves up lactose-free, gluten-free, and vegan options.
We also personally love nearby Asheville Chocolate. Asheville Chocolate features tea, coffee, and hot chocolate with a variety of hand-crafted chocolates. Plus, find decadent gelato. Vegan and gluten-free options included. At the end of August, the best apple orchards around Asheville start opening.
Create your Asheville fall bucket list here. We love grabbing a light dinner with some of my favorite cocktails at Edison. If you are stuffed from lunch, just snack on a charcuterie board with drinks from The Great Hall Bar.
We are not going to lie: waking up in the mountains is rough, especially if there is fog. The darker mornings make it harder to get up and out the door early.
Not only do they serve breakfast all day, but they offer lunch and dinner as well as locally source their food. And, mimosas. Read all of our top breakfast recommendations — touristy and more local — with vegan and gluten-free options, too. One of our weekend brunch favorites includes Jerusalem Garden Cafe in downtown Asheville.
Read more about the best Asheville brunch spots. Personally, two of the most fun places to get lunch if you are visiting Asheville are at Biltmore Estate. You will need a Biltmore ticket or annual to enter them. Stable Cafe has the best sandwiches and cocktails in the coolest setting: The former Vanderbilt horse stables. GQC has both vegan and gluten-free options. Whether or not you are a vegan or vegetarian, Laughing Seed Cafe is another gem, and we devour subs gf pizza and grinders available at Apollo Flame Bistro, especially after a BRP parkway hike.
Bouchon, Ukiah, and Limones are the perfect date night restaurants. You may also grab dinner at the breweries like Wicked Weed and Bhramari. Asheville has the best donut shops. We just ate a delicious Vortex donut the other day; it melted in our mouths. If you are here in the fall, go to all of the apple orchards and try their donuts.
We think Sky Top has the best since they make their cinnamon cider donuts in front of you and serve them piping hot. Many of the AVL food trucks circulate the brewery scene. We always go for the tacos and burritos — and yes, they can do lactose and gluten-free. Visiting Biltmore is a must, at least once. We are annual passholders and head to Biltmore a few times a month. You can easily spend a day at Biltmore touring the house and wine tasting.
Grab a bite to eat, walk the gardens, and hike one of their miles worth of trails. Think red wine and chocolate. See how to make the most out of that Biltmore ticket price. Also, know that there are kid-friendly activities on the Estate , including a farmyard and live demonstrations. If you are visiting Asheville in November through early January, Biltmore at Christmastime is spectacular.
Enjoy a Candlelight Christmas Evenings Tour of the home with the fireplaces lit and Christmas trees in every room. One of our personal favorite things to do in Asheville involves visiting The Thomas Wolfe Memorial and taking a house tour. You might recognize his name from his novel Look Homeward, Angel.
Most notably, Wolfe barely changed the names and spellings of his Asheville community members. This was scandalous and ill-received gossip, at the time. She was quite the entrepreneur of her time. Also watch a short video and tour the museum. One of the free things to do in Asheville, the Black Mountain College Museum offers contemporary and historic exhibitions, events, and research opportunities for the community.
We dropped in one afternoon and toured the current art exhibitions. Small but worth a quick visit, you can budget about minutes here. Of course, kids are welcome. This area is a mini-version of Wynwood Walls in Miami, Florida. You might just catch Gus Cutty or Jerry Cahill working on a masterpiece. See the many murals in Asheville. See our Foodie Favorites guide to get you started. Also, see our Kid-Friendly Restaurant guide.
Sample the local brews at dozens of craft breweries in Asheville and western North Carolina. See our Top 50 Beer Guide to get started. Enjoy a wine tasting at some of our favorite mountain wineries. Pack a picnic and head out to one of our Favorite Picnic Spots.
In the fall, visit the apple orchards. Find the grand historic courthouses in our towns. Like to learn about local heritage and history, check out our Top 35 Museums and landmarks. See our top picks for spas. Stay in a cozy cabin nestled in the mountains with books, games, and views. Relax with an hour of tranquility in a Salt Cave. Find one of our Top 15 Mountain Views and soak in the scenery. See our list of family-friendly places to stay with extra perks and amenities for kids.
Get tips and things to do at Biltmore with kids. Find indoor activities for kids on rainy or snowy days, along with hands-on learning centers and children's museums to visit. Get outdoors and discover many kid-friendly hikes or waterfalls for kids , including Sliding Rock. My Trip Planner. Also See. As far as Asheville attractions go, No Taste Like Home is not very typical, but you can probably see the great appeal to it!
Wacky hijinks ensue throughout the ride as the bus shows you what to see in the downtown portion of Asheville — edutainment at its finest! Expect silly slapstick comedy, ridiculous costumes, and jokes throughout each ninety-minute bus ride. The big purple bus is here to make an impression and it will certainly do just that while managing to teach you about history, too! The Craggy Gardens are a delightful spot that offers the best things to see for plant-lovers and nature enthusiasts in general, especially those who love rare plants.
More than 20 threatened or endangered flora types are grown and displayed here in these amazing Asheville, North Carolina gardens. The trees are quite unique thanks to the high winds faced in this part of Asheville, which means they only have vegetation growing on one side of them and they never get very tall.
The Moog Factory is home to the Moog synthesizer, a big brand that left a large imprint on the world of entertainment and music composition when it emerged in the s. The Omni Grove Park Inn Spa is considered one of the places to visit for relaxation in Asheville, thanks to being famous not just in North Carolina but all across the nation for being one of the most highly-rated spas of its kind.
The Omni Grove Park Inn Spa has steam rooms packed with relaxing scents, contract pools to relax in, and lounges by fireplaces, all provided for on a huge service menu.
The design of the spa is pretty impeccable and fun, with a 6,star ceiling made with fiber optics, music that plays underground, and two waterfalls. This history gives the spa some added meaning, especially when you catch little bits and pieces of that old history within.
Massages, foot soaks, and other relaxing services are provided to help you enjoy peace and serenity during the more hectic periods of your holiday. Furniture in the form of plush chairs and sofas let you lounge while treatments are provided in rustic but equally opulent bowls of copper, handmade. Water is perfumed with delightfully calming fragrances that engage the senses without overwhelming them. Despite having only a population of 90,, it has multiple beer breweries and factories that provided unique, expertly crafted drinks special to the local area.
One brewery to stop by is Wicked Weed , which has a delightful Funktorium taproom praised for its industrial-chic charm. It specializes in sour beers and has a gift shop where you can purchase beers by their pH level and barrel type. Head down to the Pack Square Cultural District, which is where all the art of Asheville comes together. The intimate setting of the seat establishment and the wide variety of performances make this a wonderful place to catch something exciting that everyone will enjoy!
The Asheville Urban Trail spans 1. The tour is self-guided and takes you through five different eras in time, ranging from the very beginning of the Gilded Age to the current age, called the Age of Diversity. It takes about two hours to complete the self-guided tour, which feels a little like a scavenger hunt in many ways. The one sculpture you must make a point to find your way to with the tour travel guide is the Flat Iron Sculpture, named after the Flatiron building, by local artist Reed Todd.
It was set up in as a bit of a joking nod to the flatiron buildings popping up in the early s. This sculpture is a part of the Asheville Public Art Collection and is known in North Carolina for its unorthodox, tongue-in-cheek nature! Designed by Rafael Guastavino, a Spanish architect who worked on the Biltmore Estate, in , it is a mark of the 20th-century prosperity that the city and its wealthiest residents enjoyed.
Guastavino worked with fellow Biltmore architect Richard Sharp Smith to create what he felt the city needed: an opulent and grand Catholic church. Religious artifacts live inside, from German stained glass windows to Italian statues and even a marble frescoed high altar. Keen to explore other areas of North Carolina? Why not check out some of the places to visit in Greensboro, NC? The reason Pink Dog Creative is one of the best artistic Asheville attractions is that artists here open their studios for two days every week.
It is an interactive location that is one of the most fun things to do in Asheville, North Carolina. It showcases artifacts and information regarding the life and times of Bob Moog, or Robert Arthur Moog, who had a huge impact on the electronic music scene with his synthesizers. He would also invent concepts for the synth, like envelope generation, voltage control, pitch wheel, and modularity — all key fundamentals now! Moog began working on his synthesizer back in and it quickly skyrocketed to popularity — especially in , when it was used in a Grammy-winning album.
Moog passed away in and, a year later, his family established the Bob Moog Foundation to retain and pass on his legacy. Exhibits are interactive and involve multiple senses, with visualization showcases, playable exhibits, and educational info about how electricity can make sound. For unique activities and unorthodox stuff to do, check out the Asheville Mystery Museum. It is made from a collection of curiosities set up by Joshua P.
Warren, a paranormal investigator whose name you may recognize from his fictional counterpart in The Conjuring series of horror movies. This museum in North Carolina shows off photographs of alleged paranormal activity, exhibited items and memorabilia that tell the tales of said paranormal activity, and plenty of interesting creepy artifacts.
It is said that a woman named Helen once lived either at the mansion or close to it with her daughter, who she loved dearly.
Thomas Wolfe actually included the bridge in his famous novel, Look Homeward, Angel, because he walked under it so often in his youth. It was created thanks to John Andrew Rice, who had been dismissed from his Florida teaching spot in an allegedly unjust manner.
At this time, the Nazi Party antagonism led to intellectuals fleeing Europe as the Great Depression swung harder than ever. Rice and some European artists found themselves with a similar goal, and they holed up in this little wooded area of Asheville.
Since then, it has relocated and grown to encompass 6, square feet, with two floors, a library, and a bookstore. Exhibitions showcase all sorts of historical, meaningful works and rotating events are often fun and unique. The museum is housed in an old hotel that is actually on the National Register of Historic Places.
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