Asheville Visit (Henderson, Hendersonville, Waynesville: hotel, houses, restaurants)

[kelsie]

We are planning our first visit to Asheville later this summer. We have never been to the Western part of our beautiful State, and we would like to know what attractions to see. My wonderful husband does not want to spend the money to go to the Biltmore. What are some of the things we should see and good restaurants we should go to. We are also planning on going to see Gatlinburg for the first time. Thank you for your help.

[roadpony]

I'd skip Gatlinburg and put that money into going to Biltmore, unless you're dying to go outlet shopping at Pigeon Forge. Not to bash our neighbor to the west, but traffic in the summer and on most weekends is horrible bumper -to-bumper. Definitely not a back-to-nature mountain experience.

I can't imagine visiting Asheville for the first time and NOT going to Biltmore. Of course Biltmore Village is a must-see area too.

Downtown Asheville is a must-do.

You definitely want to visit the Grove Park Inn. You don't have to spend any money to walk through the lobby and some of the public spaces. Then drive down by the golf course and get the view looking back up at it. While you're in that neck of the woods, Grovewood Cafe is a good place to eat, and the Grovewood Gallery next door is one of the finest craft galleries in the Southeast.

The NC Arboretum is a wonderful place for a relaxing visit.

I never get tired of visiting the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway east of Asheville. You can get to it from Hwy 70 between Asheville and Swannanoa.

Black Mountain, Hendersonville, and Waynesville all have neat downtowns and are all easy day trips from Asheville. Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Park are within easy reach of Asheville. Then there is "The Land of Waterfalls (http://http://www.trails.com/activity.aspx?area=14291 - broken link)" near Brevard.

Gosh, so much to do, and so little time. You'll find that you'll want to come back again and again and let Asheville be a great base from which to make all sorts of day trips.

[Cofga]

Do as my wife and I did last October. I went fishing while she and her mother toured Biltmore--I couldn't have been happier!

[adamtrip]

I agree-don't waste your time going to Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. It's a huge redneck tourist trap. The drive is ok, if traffic isn't too bad, but it usually is. Definitely go to the Biltmore House if you can. Other than that, walk around downtown. There are plenty of cool restaurants and shops.

[gigimac]

Since your husband does not want to spend the cash to get into the Biltmore Estate, which is understandable becuz it is ridiculously costly, why, the next best thing is, as another poster said here, Biltmore Village. It's across from the gate to the estate, and is fun to walk around through ye olde Victorian houses turned to shops. Maybe another time when you do go thru the gates, while the house is interesting, so is the huge flower garden adjacent to the greenhouse, plus the stables and winery are worth checking out, too.

Another free place to visit is over at UNCA in the north part of town, their botanical gardens are pleasant to walk through, shady path circles around past a creek, and over a little bridge back to the parking area.

Ask someone how to get up on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and check out the views at various pull-offs...this is really a must and so easy to do. If you feel adventurous, keep going on the Parkway up to the Pisgah Inn, really high up, nice place to grab some lunch, lots of people stop there. And if you'll come back home via the National Park just past the Inn (ask), there's two waterfalls w/ parking that you can get out and look at, and you wind up at the bottom of the hill in Brevard...pretty long ways back, tho.

In Asheville, to get a good flavor of the place, go downtown and park in the Wall Street parking deck, and check out the Grove Arcade across the street, and the cobblestoned Wall Street area, and walk thru the atrium at the Haywood Park Hotel, they're all right together in a cafe-populated couple blocks there.

The advice from previous posters is really good, too. Just wanted to add those couple things.

[LPnerd]

why not just google attractions in ashville NC and see all the stuff for yourself. You know what your family would be interested in. I don't blame your husband. We really have to stop being impressed with things.