Asheville Fall Getaway

Description:

This resort, built in 1913 on the side of Sunset Mountain at an elevation of 3,100 feet, is one of the oldest and most famous in the South. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it's a favorite year-round destination, providing old-world charm and panoramic views of the city's skyline and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its great-hall lobby is flanked by 14-foot fireplaces; comfortably padded chairs and sofas create a feeling of coziness despite the size of the 120-foot-long room. Twenty-eight of the guest rooms are oversize and contain extras such as whirlpools. The resort has hosted some famous names, including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald stayed at the hotel while his wife, Zelda, spent her nights in a sanitarium nearby, hence the hotel's "romantic" getaway package called the Great Gatsby.

Horizons Restaurant, featuring an innovative but classic cuisine, is the finest in the area. Guests can also dine in the moderately priced Blue Ridge Dining Room, which has a legendary outdoor dining veranda. The Carolina Cafe also overlooks the mountains. Elaine's has reopened as a dueling piano bar.

Description:

Not your typical North Carolina or South Carolina barbecue joint, Ed Boudreaux's differs from many with its location in downtown Asheville. The restaurant isn't your typical barbecue spot where you take the sauce you're serve. Ed Boudreaux's features 14 different barbecue sauces, each offering their own unique flair. Other popular items at this downtown Asheville restaurant includes the Voodoo Reuben, steak and other hot sandwiches. Ed Boudreaux's also offers over 100 beer selections, including local microbrews, imports and high gravity beers. During the weekends you can usually find a different band taking the stage or you can even take the stage yourself on the open mic nights.

Description:

For more than two centuries, Pack Square has marked the center of downtown. As Asheville has grown from a small country town to a metropolitan area, Vance Monument and the fountain on Pack Square have remained icons of the bustling city. Visit the art museum, sit and enjoy a mocha latte, have dinner at an outdoor café and people-watch as visitors and residents alike are drawn to the sounds of live music drifting from surrounding restaurants and clubs. The city's Renaissance Plan for the square assures a promising future.

Description:

This resort, built in 1913 on the side of Sunset Mountain at an elevation of 3,100 feet, is one of the oldest and most famous in the South. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it's a favorite year-round destination, providing old-world charm and panoramic views of the city's skyline and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its great-hall lobby is flanked by 14-foot fireplaces; comfortably padded chairs and sofas create a feeling of coziness despite the size of the 120-foot-long room. Twenty-eight of the guest rooms are oversize and contain extras such as whirlpools. The resort has hosted some famous names, including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald stayed at the hotel while his wife, Zelda, spent her nights in a sanitarium nearby, hence the hotel's "romantic" getaway package called the Great Gatsby.

Horizons Restaurant, featuring an innovative but classic cuisine, is the finest in the area. Guests can also dine in the moderately priced Blue Ridge Dining Room, which has a legendary outdoor dining veranda. The Carolina Cafe also overlooks the mountains. Elaine's has reopened as a dueling piano bar.

Description:

The French Renaissance château, built by George W. Vanderbilt, has 250 rooms. This is one of the largest and most impressive privately owned historic estates in the world, still under the control of the rich Vanderbilt clan.

Visitors should allow a minimum of 5 hours to see the place -- it's huge. The fourth floor is now open, expanding your tour to view the servant's quarters. Many sightseers make a day of it. If you get your pass stamped when you leave the estate at the end of your first day, you can return anytime the following day for a flat fee of $10.

The estate is divided into four different attractions, including the mansion itself, part of a 2- to 2 1/2-hour self-directed tour. Visitors are supplied with a map that covers three floors of the building and the basement. Immediately adjacent to the mansion lie the greenhouses and conservatories. Three miles from the main house is the Winery and Biltmore Farm Village, the most visited winery in the U.S., featuring tours and wine tastings. It sells wine that's produced on the grounds. Finally, there's the Explore Biltmore Center, devoted to outdoor sports and family activities, including horseback riding, cycling, trips on the French Broad River, and other events. There isn't an ordinary spot in the place -- not even the kitchen. Vanderbilt gathered furnishings and art treasures from all over the world for this palace (Napoleon's chess set and table from St. Helena are here, for example) and then went further, creating one of the most lavish formal gardens you'll ever see.

Two tours are offered. The Behind the Scenes Tour provides further access to the house, and the Rooftop Tour provides panoramic views.

Description:

This shopping village is reminiscent of a time capsule. As you walk the cobblestone sidewalk, you feel that you might catch a glimpse of old George Vanderbilt himself. Shops, restaurants, and galleries abound, so allow yourself plenty of time to see everything. One store, the Biltmore Village Co., is quite charming and affordable; it bills itself as a gift shop containing everything -- at half price. Hours are Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 6pm, and Sunday 1 to 5pm.

Description:

Though this rustic, lovely building was actually once a stable, it now houses a wonderful restaurant with terrific food. Located on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate at the stable courtyard, the Stable Cafe offers of good ol'stick to your ribs foods like burgers, fries, chicken and homemade desserts. Soda, beer and wine are available to quench your thirst. There is a kids menu available as well. They are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Description:

Bier Garden is downtown Asheville's equivalent of Boston's "Cheers." It's the place where locals go after work to unwind and enjoy one of the many beer selections available. Try a brew from Germany, Australia or Scotland and nibble on such tasty appetizers as portobello or black bean nachos or spinach and artichoke dip. Lunch and dinner selections include American and Continental cuisine: sandwiches, shrimp, pasta, burrito wraps, chicken, and more. Children are welcome and live music is offered on most weekend nights. A game room is also available.

Description:

In a unique location under Asheville's most famous bookstore, Malaprop's, Zambra serves an equally unique blend of Spanish, Portuguese, and Moroccan tapas. The enticing list of tapas and an extensive Iberian wine list make this one of Asheville's favorite dining spots. With rustic Spanish decor and dark paneled wood, the restaurant has the ambience of a quaint spot on the Iberian coast. Zambra has a lounge that opens at 4:30pm. Music groups often perform here, lending an extra romantic touch to a fine-dining evening. We recommend the lamb, as well as the steak tapas. Vegetarian selections are also available.

Description:

This resort, built in 1913 on the side of Sunset Mountain at an elevation of 3,100 feet, is one of the oldest and most famous in the South. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it's a favorite year-round destination, providing old-world charm and panoramic views of the city's skyline and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its great-hall lobby is flanked by 14-foot fireplaces; comfortably padded chairs and sofas create a feeling of coziness despite the size of the 120-foot-long room. Twenty-eight of the guest rooms are oversize and contain extras such as whirlpools. The resort has hosted some famous names, including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald stayed at the hotel while his wife, Zelda, spent her nights in a sanitarium nearby, hence the hotel's "romantic" getaway package called the Great Gatsby.

Horizons Restaurant, featuring an innovative but classic cuisine, is the finest in the area. Guests can also dine in the moderately priced Blue Ridge Dining Room, which has a legendary outdoor dining veranda. The Carolina Cafe also overlooks the mountains. Elaine's has reopened as a dueling piano bar.

Description:

No other restaurant in Asheville so effectively captures the imagination of both the down-home breakfast crowd and, on Friday and Saturday nights, the very-late-night supper crowd. Behind a storefront in downtown Asheville, it's a place where Sunday-morning breakfast crowds line up and wait (in some cases, for up to an hour) for an available table. Students at the nearby university also drag their parents here for a sense of how much Asheville really does respect old-fashioned Southern virtues and cooking. Breakfast is served throughout the day, with such dishes as grit cakes stuffed with cheddar cheese and served with green tomato salsa; sweet-potato pancakes; many kinds of omelets; and crab cakes topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Lunches and dinners focus on updated Southern favorites such as shrimp and goat cheese grits, Cajun-seared catfish, and Tupelo burgers. In honor of Elvis, you can order a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich, prepared with either honey or (if you're a hard-core Southerner) mayonnaise.

Description:

What's a morning without coffee? Just drop by at the Dripolator Coffeehouse on your way to work and consume caffeine in its most delicious form. Formerly the Indigenous Tea Room, this place now serves up all kinds of teas, coffees, pastries, desserts and smoothies, as well as full meals. Another Dripolator Coffeehouse is located in Black Mountain, but the Ashville outlet is larger and has a full kitchen.

Description:

The town of Black Mountain has long been a tourist attraction. Wander the streets of Black Mountain enjoying the good food you will find in its charming restaurants and looking for treasure in the multitude of unique little shops that line the streets. The Sourwood Festival in August is also a fun event with food and craft vendors galore. There are also plenty of bed and breakfasts in which to rest and relax before starting your Black Mountain adventure.

Description:

This pizza and Italian restaurant is located in the heart of the Black Mountain historic district and is popular with both tourists and locals. There is nothing fancy here, just great pizzas, Italian pasta dishes and American specialties served up in great big helpings and with a not-so-big price tag. Beer menu is available and smoking is allowed in the upstairs bar area. The outside dining area lends to a charming restaurant experience.

Description:

Asheville's most authentically Irish pub draws after-hours workers who congregate either on an outdoor terrace, surrounded by masonry walls draped with ivy, or inside a woodsy-looking interior that evokes the early 20th century. The pub was named after the owner's grandmother, Hannah Flanagan, whose sepia-tone portrait hangs above the bar. Menu items derive from Irish traditions (corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew laced with Guinness, chargrilled salmon with mashed potatoes and a "wee" dinner salad). Open Monday to Saturday 11:30am to 2am and Sunday noon to 2am.

Description:

This vineyard is located in Tyron, around 26 miles south of Asheville. Lovers of cabernets and chardonnays head here to stock up their supplies. The quality of the wines is excellent, as they are sourced from vinifera grown on 200 acres of fertile ground. A tasting room and bar complete the experience and help you make the perfect purchase.

Description:

This resort, built in 1913 on the side of Sunset Mountain at an elevation of 3,100 feet, is one of the oldest and most famous in the South. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it's a favorite year-round destination, providing old-world charm and panoramic views of the city's skyline and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its great-hall lobby is flanked by 14-foot fireplaces; comfortably padded chairs and sofas create a feeling of coziness despite the size of the 120-foot-long room. Twenty-eight of the guest rooms are oversize and contain extras such as whirlpools. The resort has hosted some famous names, including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald stayed at the hotel while his wife, Zelda, spent her nights in a sanitarium nearby, hence the hotel's "romantic" getaway package called the Great Gatsby.

Horizons Restaurant, featuring an innovative but classic cuisine, is the finest in the area. Guests can also dine in the moderately priced Blue Ridge Dining Room, which has a legendary outdoor dining veranda. The Carolina Cafe also overlooks the mountains. Elaine's has reopened as a dueling piano bar.

Description:

Where can you get a microbrew, order up a veggie burger with soy cheese, catch CSI on the biggest television this side of the Mason-Dixon line and then see a movie all under one roof? At Asheville Pizza, that's where! Fear not, sports fans, that huge TV screen also broadcasts sporting events. The menu features typical bar food like "Crazy Hot" Wings and nachos, but it has a surprising number of vegetarian offerings as well. Hummus, spinach burgers, veggie lasagna and black beans with rice head up the list. If you are a movie buff, get a load of the in-house reels. Visit the website for more details on movie schedules and ticket rates.

Description:

Mount Mitchell State Park preserves an area around the Black Mountain Range, the highest range East of the Rocky Mountains. This is a wonderful place to come hiking, exploring, horseback riding or just enjoying the outdoors. Besides the main Mt. Mitchell Trail, which is just under six miles, there are several other paths including the Black Mountain Crest Trail and the Buncombe Horse Range Trail. Enjoy stunning views after a strenuous hike.

Description:

This pizza and Italian restaurant is located in the heart of the Black Mountain historic district and is popular with both tourists and locals. There is nothing fancy here, just great pizzas, Italian pasta dishes and American specialties served up in great big helpings and with a not-so-big price tag. Beer menu is available and smoking is allowed in the upstairs bar area. The outside dining area lends to a charming restaurant experience.