Asheville has a very walkable downtown—assuming you don’t mind a walk up the odd hill or two. And at the height of the summer season, it’s often easier to find a singular parking spot for the day than to continuously move your vehicle. If you’re visiting the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Home (and we think you…
The Village of Flat Rock has long been called “The Little Charleston of the Mountains.” During the 19th century, the community was an oasis for affluent land owners from the South Carolina Lowcountry who built English-style summer estates there to escape the heat. Today, the entire district is on the National Register of Historic Places…
If you’re going to channel your favorite writer, sometimes it helps to walk the streets they walked and stay in the places they stayed. And if that writer happens to be F. Scott Fitzgerald, you have a lot of options to choose from! Fitzgerald traveled extensively during his career, from his home in St. Paul,…
For many, October’s cool days and longer evenings invoke feelings of spookiness leading up to a frenzied demonstration on Halloween night. But in Asheville, the turning of the leaves signals a great season to visit Riverside Cemetery for another reason: its beauty. If you fancy yourself a local historian, cemetery tourist, or simply a nature…
September is a wonderful time for enjoying great outdoor restaurants in the mountains. The weather is still warm enough to comfortably dine al fresco. And the leaves are beginning to alight into the fiery reds, oranges, and golds that belie the name of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Want to make the most of outdoor dining…
At Pacolet and Trade streets in downtown Tryon’s historic district sits a stately brick building. Once a popular community gathering place, today the building has taken on new life. The Nest Artisan Market occupies the street level space, with Harper Eatery & Pub offering comfort food and small plates below. Passersby could be excused from…
It’s no secret that the Biltmore Estate is a masterpiece of architecture, innovation, and landscape design! But did you know that Biltmore has supported the literary arts for well over 100 years? One of the recent exhibits on the estate, “Designed for Drama,” featured costumes from movies based on books. It included displays from Sherlock…
The Biltmore House is not the only historical home and grounds of note near Asheville. The estate known as Connemara served as the home for Carl Sandburg and his family from 1945 until his death in 1967. Today, the estate is national property and open to the public for education, recreation, and inspiration. If you’ve…
Call me Asheville. Or, call me Ishmael. I’m not picky. If you’re in the mood to obtain your literary sea legs while in town, get in your dinghy and paddle as quickly as you can to The Whale, 507 Haywood Road in West Asheville. This bar is a cozy little nook festooned with nautical ornaments…