Asheville, A City in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Our visits to Asheville are centered on visiting the beautiful and historic Biltmore Estates. Regardless of the season in which you visit, the enchanting beauty of the Biltmore House will leave you awestruck as you pass through each magnificent room and roam the grounds, gardens, and winery. Arrive early and plan at least an entire day to completely see the house. Do not allow others to hurry you. After you finish the tour, go back through again or visit the rooms that were your favorites. You will be amazed at how much you missed the first time through!

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs through Asheville, as it’s 469-mile road meanders through twists and turns from the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. On a warm December afternoon, we drove 8 miles to the north on the parkway before encountering the barricades of "Road Closed" for the winter. We stopped at the Haw Creek Valley pullout and enjoyed the view while photographing icicles that hung from the rock’s edges along the roadside. The natural beauty that awaits you in the spring or fall along this acclaimed parkway is astonishing!

Quick Tips:

For those who love the great outdoors:
The Appalachian Trail passes through the mountains of North Carolina on its trek from Georgia to Maine.
The Pisgah National Forest covers more than 500,000 acres and is known for its beautiful waterfalls, rugged mountains, hiking trails, and camping activities.
Ski resorts in the northwestern section of North Carolina, such as Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain, are within 1 to 2 hours of Asheville.
The Great Smoky Mountains and the town of Gatlinburg are within 1 to 2 hours driving time.
The Mall of Asheville is a HUGE shopping complex off of Tuggle Road.
Restaurant Row has just about any type of restaurant imaginable and will suit any palate: Outback, Don Pablos, Lonestar Steakhouse, O’Charleys, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Chili’s, Mikado (Japanese Steakhouse), Subway, Burger King, Arby’s, and Taco Bell just to name a few.

Asheville is a city of many venues, from its arts and cultural events to the many crafts and event festivals that are held each year. Spring and fall are beautiful and are my favorite times to visit; but beware, room rates go up when people flock to see the leaves change.

Best Way To Get Around:

A car is highly recommended to see the city of Asheville, but some higher-end hotels may provide transportation to the Biltmore Estates. (Inquire with your specific hotel).

City bus transportation is available with hundreds of stops on the major routes in Asheville.

Asheville is also easily accessed by interstates I-40 East from Knoxville, I-40 West from Raleigh, and I85 to I26 from Charlotte and South Carolina.

Several major carriers, such as Delta, Continental, Northwest, and US Airways, have flights in and out of the Asheville Regional Airport.

The Best Western of Asheville Biltmore East is only minutes away from the Biltmore House, which is one of Asheville’s main attractions.

This Best Western is an older motel, but one that has been very well maintained. Being a stickler for cleanliness, I was extremely pleased when we checked in to see their 97.5 "sanitation rating" displayed in the lobby.

Since we were only going to be in Asheville for a couple of days, I wanted a room that would serve our purposes without being expensive. I had booked a room with two queen-size beds and a refrigerator for $39 a night. I was slightly afraid of the price and thought that it might be a dump in the wrong section of town. NOT SO. My fears were quickly put to rest when we arrived and went to view the room before we checked in.

Our room was spotlessly clean, with the walls being painted an off-white color with coordinating colors in the border to match the prints and the bedspreads. The bedspreads had bright floral prints with shades of mauves, fuchsias, turquoise, grays, and navy to correspond with the rose-colored carpet. The room contained two queen-size beds, two wing-back chairs, a small table, a desk and chair, a TV, and a dresser. A refrigerator, an iron and ironing board, the standard four-cup coffeemaker, and a hair dryer completed the room’s accessories. Our room had a tub/shower combination, with the shower curtain being on a curved rod. It was an interesting setup since it provided more elbow room while washing your hair. A high-speed Internet connection was available for FREE, and cable TV provided 77 channels, including HBO and Showtime.

The lobby is staffed 24 hours a day, and if you have forgotten any personal care items, they are available at the front desk. The continental breakfast room is separated from the lobby. They serve breakfast from 6 to 9am. The breakfast included fresh fruit, cereals, assorted breads for making toast and jelly, bagels and sour cream, juice, milk, and freshly made coffee. Hot water was available for making tea/hot chocolate.

This Best Western is an exception from most motel/hotels today in that they accept pets for a charge of $10 per day. Just notify the clerk when making reservations or checking in that you are traveling with a pet.

A seasonally heated outdoor pool is onsite, with pool hours from 9am to 10pm with no lifeguard.

The BW Asheville Biltmore East is within 1 mile of Asheville’s Restaurant Row, which is where you will find all the major chain restaurants and some of Asheville’s finest local restaurants. It is also just 5 minutes from the Biltmore House and the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance.

Judging from the number of vehicles on each of our night’s stays, we are not the only ones who discovered this well-kept, inexpensive place to stay.

While it might not be a major chain restaurant name that you recognize, Cornerstone Restaurant is a favorite of many judging from the always full and occupied tables. Regardless of the time of day, there were always several cars in the parking lot, and during the normal timeframe for eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, the parking lot was always packed to capacity.

Our Cornerstone Restaurant meal was breakfast on our last morning in Asheville. We were quickly seated, with our server being very friendly and attentive. We decided on our favorite breakfast foods, French toast and pancakes. My hubby had the French toast ($5), which was six golden wedges lightly garnished with powdered sugar and cinnamon, along with a big dollop of whipped butter. I decided to try the four buttermilk pancakes with bananas and pecans ($6). Both meals were deliciously light and fluffy and didn’t leave you with the feeling that you had just eaten a brick.

The breakfast menu was filled with selections of one, two, or three eggs, with prices depending upon which option of bacon, sausage links, sausage patties, ham, corned beef hash, country ham, or Canadian bacon you chose. Their three-egg omelets were also very tempting, as you could create your own omelet for only $8, and this included your choice of any four ingredients. Belgian waffles and various breakfast sandwiches were also available, as were some specialty breakfasts, such as the country fried steak and eggs or pork chops and eggs ($8). The ribeye steak and eggs breakfast was the most expensive item on the menu at $10 and included an 8-ounce ribeye steak, three eggs, and one choice of grits and toast, two pancakes, home fries and toast, or one biscuit with gravy. A kid’s breakfast is available for children under 12 for $2.79.

If you are looking for a healthy breakfast, egg beaters or egg whites only can be substituted for an additional charge of $.50 per egg. Fruit, cereal, and oatmeal are also available for less than $3.

Lunch and dinner is also served at Cornerstone Restaurant. They are open 7 days a week from 6:30am to 10pm. This restaurant could easily be classified as a home-style restaurant or a good country cookin’ restaurant. Just look for the tan-and-green building that resembles a Shoney’s at the corner of Tuggle Road and the I-240 East exit. It has been in business since 1997, is located on Asheville’s Restaurant Row, and must be one of the area’s best local places to eat.

When we walked inside Joe’s Crab Shack in Asheville, I couldn’t believe my eyes as I looked around in amazement. I have never seen so much "stuff" crammed together in such a hodge-podge fashion. Hanging from the restaurant’s rafters was everything you could imagine, and probably some items that you would never have thought of in a million years: a full-size version of John Wayne, a round life preserver, a seagull, a full-size shark complete with a mouth full of sharp teeth, crabs, lobsters, fishing nets, and much, much more! Anything that you would find near an old fishing cabin was dangling above your head!

Joe’s is known for crabs: Alaskan king, snow, Dungeness, or blue crab. It is served fresh year-round, and each entrée can be prepared steamed, barbequed, or with garlic. I don’t know about you, but barbequed crab just doesn’t sound appealing. However, it must be popular since it remains on the menu! Since we are seafood lovers, I couldn’t get past the crab-cake dinner, which was served with parsley potatoes, and I chose steamed vegetables as a side. My husband chose the fried-shrimp platter, which consisted of fried, coconut, and popcorn shrimp along with fries. He also had the New England clam chowder, which was rich, creamy, and utterly delicious. If you don’t like crab, shrimp, or seafood, that’s not a problem since Joe’s also serves steaks, chicken, pasta, sandwiches, or salads. Most of the seafood entrees are priced in the $13 to $20 range.

While we were waiting for our dinner, we watched the restaurant get busier and busier and were glad that we had beaten the rush. It was Monday night, and the Crab Shack was starting to buzz when all of a sudden the lights dimmed, the mirror ball started to spin, and the sounds of "Stayin’ Alive" belted from the speakers. At that moment, all of the servers stopped what they were doing and started singing and dancing through the restaurant, clapping their hands and grooving to the music. I looked around the restaurant, half expecting to see John Travolta himself joining in the fun! As soon as the song was over, they quickly and quietly went back to whatever they were doing - as if nothing was out of the ordinary!! Half an hour later, the same thing happened again, and finally, temptation got the best of me. I had to ask our server what was going on. She explained that this was the norm at Joe’s Crab Shack. Define "normal."

Our dining experience at Joe’s was totally fun and enjoyable. The food was delicious, our server was very attentive, and we lacked for nothing. Our server was very pleasant and seemed to love being the center of attention when the music started. The total bill for us was $35, which included an appetizer but no dessert! What an experience! If you love seafood and a fun environment, this is definitely the place to eat.

America’s largest privately owned home is The Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. Sitting on 4 acres of land, this 255-room chateau is a magnificent masterpiece of George Vanderbilt’s vision, which is today a totally self-sufficient working enterprise.

The Biltmore Estate entrance is through the Lodge Gate in Biltmore Village. Follow the winding road that passes deep forests and gently rolling creeks until you reach the Reception & Ticket Center. Here you will purchase entrance tickets, audio headsets, and any specialty tours, such as the Rooftop or Behind-the-Scenes tours. The ticket center’s hours of operation are January to March 14 from 9am to 4pm and March 15 to December from 8:30am to 5pm. We were given a time-stamped ticket on our December visit that allowed us to enter the house at a specified time. This system is used on busy days to help keep the crowds moving smoothly.

From the Reception & Ticket Center, pass through security and continue to the parking area, which is approximately an 8-minute wooded walk to the house. Alternative arrangements are available for disabled patrons.

The Biltmore House is pure grandeur! There are several rooms included on the tour, which covers three floors filled with antiques from the 1890s and the basement. My favorite on the first floor is the 90 Tapestry Room and the Library! The roaring fireplace with its warm golden glow reflecting off the highly polished, dark wooden paneling made you want to curl up in front of it. The basement includes the Halloween room, a bowling alley, an indoor swimming pool, and a gym. Such luxuries were unheard of when this house was designed and built. These are only a few of the rooms included on the tour, which also includes the gardens, conservatory, and the winery. Purchase the audio tour, which guides you from room to room with an informative commentary. We have done the tour both ways, and without the audio, all you see is just a room. The audio brings the room to life!

Spring and summer at Biltmore is breathtaking! The gardens are spectacular. If you love flowers, and especially roses, you will immensely enjoy the 2,500-plus varieties. Fall produces many colors of chrysanthemums, and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountain splendor adds a backdrop of fall foliage. Christmas is magical with the Winter Garden room filled with beautiful poinsettias and each room on the tour decorated with its own themed Christmas tree. Although no photography or video taping is allowed inside the house, you can take photos/videos of the immaculate gardens and grounds, the house and its many gargoyles, the winery, and the Biltmore Inn.

The Biltmore Winery is the second most visited winery in the US and offers a tour of the facility as well as a tasting room where visitors can sample various Biltmore wines. The wines are also available for purchase and can even be shipped home.

Allow at least an entire day to thoroughly experience the Biltmore Estate, which is another one of America’s treasures.