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Asheville, NC Quik Guide
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QUIKGUIDE to Asheville
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---QUIK GUIDE TO ASHEVILLE, NC & THE BLUE RIDGE/GREAT SMOKIES---
By Lan Sluder
Copyright 1994
>>WHAT TO SEE IN AND AROUND ASHEVILLE
Ratings:
* Of interest
** Of special interest
*** Don't miss it
**** Worth a special trip just to see it
**** Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, largest private home in
America, on 8,000 acres, self-guide tours of house, winery, gardens,
conservatory, open daily, sizeable charge (but worth it)
*** Thomas Wolfe Memorial, Asheville, the boyhood home of the famous
novelist, open daily, tours, small admission
*** Carl Sandburg Home and Farm, East Flat Rock, home of the poet in his
later years, open daily, tours, small admission
* Riverside Cemetery, Asheville, O'Henry and Wolfe are buried here, free
* Black Mountain College sites, Black Mountain, two locations the
experimental college called home, (now privately owned), admission by
request
* Folk Art Center, Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, heritage museum,
demonstration center and shop of Appalachian crafts, open daily, free
* Pack Place Museum complex, Asheville, four museums in one -- art
museum, health and science center, Black history museum, and mineral
museum, open daily, charge
*** Downtown Asheville -- staging a terrific comeback after almost
closing when the suburban malls opened in the 1960s and 70s. Increasing
number of restaurants, clubs, art galleries, museums, antique shops,
bookstores, boutiques, craft stores
* Art Deco tour of Asheville (Asheville has one of the largest remaining
collection of Art Deco architecture in the U.S.), on tape or with
Preservation Society, time varies, charge
* River District -- area along the French Broad River being gentrified as
an area of lofts and warehouses for artists and craftspeople
* Brevard, Hendersonville, Flat Rock, Waynesville, Highlands, Cashiers,
Bryson City and Black Mountain -- pleasant small towns around Asheville,
highly rated as retirement places
** Cradle of Forestry, near Brevard, home of the first forestry school in
the U.S., reconstructed school and living quarters, self-guide tours, daily,
admission (currently not being collected due to construction on new
visitors center)
* Vance Birthplace, interesting reconstruction of 19th century mountain
homestead, self-guide tours, daily, free
* Grove Arcade building -- one of the first "indoor malls" in America. Now
a federal building, plans are underway to make this a public market
similar to Pike Place in Seattle, c. 1995-96
**** Blue Ridge Parkway, between Virginia line and Cherokee, with more
than 250 miles in NC, one of the most-scenic drives in America,
sometimes closed due to snow, ice and fog, free
**** Great Smokies National Park Most visited US National Park --
Highway 441 through the park can be crowded especially on summer and
fall weekends, but once off this road there is all the privacy you want
*** Joyce Kilmer National Forest -- one of the last stands of truly virgin
forest in Eastern America
** Pisgah National Forest -- nature by the square mile
*** Cataloochee, at eastern edge of Great Smokies National Park,
mountain cove with vacant homes, churches, schools and farm buildings,
left standing as monument to early 20th century mountain life, after land
was acquired by Park Service, open daily weather permitting, free
* Oconaluftee Visitors Center, Cherokee entrance to Great Smokies
National Park, reconstruction of large mountain farm, open daily, free
** Mt. Mitchell State Park, north of Asheville off Blue Ridge Parkway,
highest mountain peak east of the Rockies, open daily weather permitting
(often closed in winter), free
** Grove Park Inn, Asheville, mountain resort hotel with interesting
exhibits, including Biltmore Homespun Museum, Classic Car Museum and
large collection of Arts and Crafts-style furniture, open daily, free
* Penland School, near Spruce Pine, nationally known folk and crafts
school, open by appointment, free
* North Carolina Arboretum, near Asheville, state arboretum now being
developed, open daily, free
There's more, but these are probably the highlights of interest to the
visitor.
>>LODGING
Some of the best places to stay in Asheville, my ratings * to ****:
B&Bs (Asheville has about 40 B&Bs) Inns:
**** Cedar Crest -- deluxe, romantic B&B
**** Albemarle Inn -- lovely setting, very nice
*** Richmond Hill -- restored inn, fine restaurant, setting not as nice as
Grove Park
*** Abbington Green -- friendly, comfortable B&B
*** Beaufort House -- nicely restored
Mountain Resort:
**** Grove Park Inn -- classic mountain inn, beautiful setting, lots to do
including golf and tennis, old section is most interesting but one newer
section has just been refurbished
Cabins:
**** Mountain Spring Cabins, Chalets, Cottages -- everything you want in
a mountain cabin except not as isolated and private as perhaps it should be
Ranch:
*** Pisgah View Ranch -- family-run "dude ranch" on 2000 acres, lovely
mountain setting, great country food served family style -- not fancy,
though
Chain Motels:
** Hampton Inn at Biltmore Square -- indoor pool
** Great Smokies Hilton -- golf course, setting not ideal
** Quality Inn Biltmore -- convenient to Biltmore House
* Fairfield Inn, Airport -- good economy motel near Asheville airport
** Ramada Inn West -- indoor pool
** Haywood Park -- downtown luxury hotel
** Radisson -- high-rise downtown hotel
>> RESTAURANTS
* Worth trying
** One of the best places of its type
*** Excellent in every way, clearly the best in its category
**** Worth a special trip even if far out of your way (none in Asheville)
* Acropolis, cheap Greek and Italian
* Barbecue Inn, cheap BBQ
* Beanstreets Coffee, good coffee (my brother roasts most of it)
* Biltmore Dairy Bar, classic sandwich shop
** Boston Pizza, good and cheap pizza and Italian
** Blue Moon Bakery, best French bread in town
* Chelsea's, tea room
** China Palace, nicely done Szchuan and other dishes
** China Wok, ditto, same owners
*** Delores and Jose's Mexican Restaurant, wonderful joint where Mexican
farm workers eat
** Four Cents Cotton, pleasant little place in Weaverville north of
Asheville
* Grove Park Inn, several fine but not special restaurants
*** Harry's Bagels, great, just like in Queens
* Iannucci's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant
* J&S Cafeterias, cheap local cafeteria food
** Latin Quarter, Cuban/Tampa food
* Laughing Seed, vegetarian
* Little Pigs Barbecue
*** Marketplace, new American cooking, best restaurant in town
* McGuffey's, local chain
* Mt. View Restaurant, blue plate specials
* Pisgah Inn, fair food, fabulous views
** Pisgah View Ranch, best mountain food around, served family style
(closed in winter)
** Red Rocker Inn, Black Mountain -- good country food servied family
style (closed in winter)
*** Richmond Hill Inn, interesting food, good service
* Stone Soup, vegetarian
* Three Brothers, blue plate special
*** 23 Page, runner-up to Marketplace
* Westside Grill, best and biggest breakfasts in town, retro
** Windmill, eclectic Italian/Indian/other
>>BEST TIMES TO VISIT
April and May, beautiful mountain spring, but before high tourist season
October: glorious fall color in the mountains
Christmas: Biltmore House and other sites are decorated for a Victorian
Christmas
July and August can see warm days though the higher elevations
sometimes require a sweater at night
Almost anytime except January and February, unless you like to snow ski.