You can get as active as you wish, with horseback riding, hiking, fly fishing and more. The 8,000-acre grounds are gorgeous, with formal and informal gardens to wander through, as well as a conservatory. On our tour in mid-October, dozens of Christmas trees were already being set up and decorated for the season in various rooms of the home.īiltmore offers more than the house, though. One of the most popular times to visit is the Christmas season, which runs at Biltmore this year from November 6 to January 10. Built by the Vanderbilt family 125 years ago, the home today is open for self-guided tours, as well as behind-the-scenes guided tours. (photo by Paul Heney)įor many visitors to the area, it’s synonymous with Biltmore Estate, touted as America’s largest home. PHOTO: The Biltmore Estate's gardens offer beauty in every season. Peak colors start at the highest elevations and gradually work their way down over the course of many weeks. You can filter by difficulty, distance from downtown or length, as well as by scenery-are you looking for waterfalls, wildflowers, scenic views? Plus, year-end visitors enjoy a greatly extended fall colors season here, due to the wide variety of elevations from the top of the mountains to the downtown area set in a valley. But you’ll find great trails in virtually every direction our favorite was the easy-to-moderate Catawba Falls trail in the Pisgah National Forest, an easy 25-mile drive to the east.Įxplore Asheville has a fantastic Hike Finder page that is simple to use. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs for almost 500 miles and passes just a few miles east of downtown Asheville, connecting outdoor thrill-seekers with a multitude of hiking opportunities. From the queer-owned Asheville Bee Charmer and Firestorm Books & Coffee to the beautifully preserved Grove Arcade and the throwback Mast General Store, there was so much to see and do in every direction. Many cities its size have a few stretches, usually in the gayborhood or bohemian section, where there are quirky shops, but Asheville really over-delivers here. I’ve been to cites ten times the size of Asheville that didn’t have the block after block of interesting shopping and restaurants that this Blue Ridge gem does.
PHOTO: Downtown Asheville, as seen from the Kimpton Hotel Arras. The gay-owned WhiteGate Inn & Cottages and Abbington Green Bed & Breakfast Inn & Spa are other popular choices. We loved the historic Reynolds Mansion Bed & Breakfast Inn, run by a charming South African couple. Other interesting lodging options include The Foundry Hotel Asheville, a few minutes’ walk from the center of downtown, and a myriad of bed & breakfast options. Don’t miss the brownie sundae dessert here, either! Chef Peter Pollay’s menu delighted, with an excellent crab and shrimp ravioli in a creamy leek sauce, butternut squash pizza and a surprising hot chicken sandwich. The property’s main restaurant, Bargello, is locally owned and Mediterranean inspired.
Views from our 11th-floor room were stunning, with the city laid out before us in front of the not-too-distant green mountains. Our room featured a pleasing gray palette, accented with white stonework to keep the overall mood bright. Rooms at Arras are plush and comfortable, with a modern, elegant vibe. Once one of the city’s least charming high-rises, the former bank building was gutted and completely rebuilt-including adding a lovely new art deco façade-late last year.
We spent our first two nights here at the perfectly situated Kimpton Hotel Arras, smack in the center of the city. Asheville Is a Dreamy LGBTQ Getaway | TravelPulse