We have scheduled a private historical tour of the Basilica of St. Lawrence on Friday October 25th at 4:15pm. All guests are welcome and it is free to attend.
Quintessential Asheville Sites:
- Biltmore: "America's Largest Home" built by the Vanderbilt family in 1890's.
- Blue Ridge Parkway: Wraps around Asheville through the Blue Ridge Mountains, great for leaf watching. Stop at the Pisgah Inn for lunch with a great view.
- Grove Park Inn: Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Gorgeous resort with golfing, a spa, dining, and many other events.
- Biltmore Village: The historic village and train station for the Biltmore, now is an upscale shopping center.
Outdoors:
- NC Arboretum: Beautifully sculpted arboretum with local species and exotic trees as well, indoor educational center.
- Pisgah National Forest, Cradle of Forestry: Well known for the cascading waterfalls throughout the park, some along the main road and others hidden on hiking trails. Visit their educational center on development of forestry in America.
- Waterfalls: Visit this site for more waterfalls in the Asheville area. Visit Courthouse Falls where Ryan proposed to Kristie. Looking Glass Falls is the most popular and easiest to get to in the Asheville area.
- Linville Caverns
- Grandfather Mountain
- Zip Lines through the mountains
Fly Fishing:
Our recommended fly shops in town, all lead guided services:
- Hunter Banks: Downtown Asheville
- Curtis Wright: Two shops, one in Biltmore village and one north of Asheville in Weaverville.
- Davidson River Outfitters: At mouth of Pisgah Forest in Brevard, NC. Ryan and Kristie would drive up for their free casting workshops.
Rivers:
- Davidson River in the Pisgah Forest in Brevard, NC
- North Mills River also in the Pisgah Forest in Mills, NC
- Laurel Creek past Marshall, NC
Shopping:
- Folk Art Center/Southern Highland Craft Guild: Off the Blue Ridge Parkway, has galleries and shops with local artwork. More info: http://www.romanticasheville.com/folk_art.htm
- Downtown Asheville: Many local art galleries and fun boutiques. We recommend Purls Yarn Emporium and Malaprops Bookstore.
- Mast General Store: Popular old fashioned general store near downtown Asheville (toys, clothing, camping gear, candies, etc).
- Biltmore Village
- Asheville Tailgate Market: Famer's market, Sat before noon
Nearby towns with cute main street shopping:
- Brevard, NC: Near Pisgah National Forest. Old time soda shop, amazing toy store, and other cute shops. When Kristie and Ryan biked Caesar's Head from South Carolina, Brevard was a half way point for lemonade and cookies.
- Hendersonville, NC: Also has Carl Sandburg's Home and Sky Top Apple Orchard nearby.
- Flat Rock, NC: Just south of Hendersonville. Visit the Flat Rock Village Bakery or Hubba Hubba Smokehouse for lunch, there is a cute gift store next door.
- Weaverville, NC: North of Asheville and smaller, has an amazing bakery and cafe.
Brewery Tours:
For more ideas and information: Explore Asheville