Asheville, NC

I've had so many people reach out with questions about our recent trip to Asheville, NC so I thought I'd write a quick blog about it. Now, I'm not a travel blogger by any stretch of the imagination (although I'm definitely not opposed to the idea) but I'll do my best in giving my ameteur opinion.

First things, first. If you are a foodie, this town is for you. If you are a beer drinker or wine drinker, this town is for you. If you want to bring your kids, this town is NOT for you. But if you want to bring your dog, you will fit right in. Also, bring friends.

The area of Asheville where we stayed was called Biltmore Village, which is located near the Biltmore Estate, but not on the actual property of the estate. Driving into Biltmore Village felt like driving right into a Lifetime movie. The small village is in the city limits of Asheville but gives off a distinct small town feel. The buildings are defined by stucco pebbledash and at night are outlined with white Christmas lights making it look like a little Christmas village. I wish I had taken pictures of the buildings because they are so cute. Even the McDonald's follows suit with the architecture and houses a grand piano. Yes, a grand piano inside a McDonald's. You don't see that every day.

There are so many options to choose from for overnight accommodations: chain hotels, local hotels, bed & breakfasts, air bnbs, vrbo, etc. Considering we decided to go to Asheville on Valentine's Day weekend, 5 days in advance, our options were pretty limited on where to stay. And since our friends are hoity toity diamond status at the Hilton, we stayed at the Home2 Suites by Hilton Asheville Biltmore Village. It was clean and roomy, the beds were comfortable and was easy to get to. It also had an outdoor heated pool but with temps in the 40's we didn't try it out. I would reccommend this hotel if you want to stay near the Biltmore without staying on the actual estate property and saving $100 or more a night. However, if I were to go back to Asheville, I wouldn't mind staying closer to downtown. It was only about a 10 minute drive downtown from our hotel, but in nicer weather, it would be nice to be able to walk everywhere.

The number and variety of restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries is absurd - in the best possible way. Do not, and I repeat, do NOT visit Asheville if you are on any kind of diet because this will not work in your favor.

I can not even put into words how delicious the food and drinks are in this town. Yes, the Biltmore is cool and the mountain views are beautiful, but the food and drinks is where it's at.

Restaurants. Ohhhh the restaurants. Where do I even begin? How about my fave: Salsa's. Hands down, Salsa's was the best meal I've ever eaten in my life. My dish had lobster, scallops, shrimp, black beans, rice, guacamole and so much hidden goodness I couldn't stop eating it.

Their house margaritas were superb and our Kentucky guys enjoyed their cowboy margaritas made with Bourbon.

It's a mexican restaurant like none I've ever experienced. It's the oldest standing restaurant in Asheville and there is a reason for that. It's located right downtown and even though it's small, we were able to get a table and had amazing service as well. This is a must go-to.

For breakfast, you need to try Biscuit Head. They have a few locations throughout Asheville because they are that good. They serve actual flights of gravy so you can try multiple flavors. We tried sausage, chicken and vegetable chorizo. They were all to die for but the chorizo was my favorite. Kevin had a breakfast sandwich - which was buried somewhere under a heart-attack-size mound of gravy.

Also reccommended by some locals was Sunny Point for breakfast and The Admiral for dinner. But again, Valentine's Day weekend and last minute planning didn't allow for us to score reservations. We also tried to eat brunch at Tuepelo Honey but there was a 3 hour wait so we opted out. We went to Another Broken Egg Cafe instead and we were not disappointed. Their black cherry mimosas and their bloody mary's were equally satisfying. (Yes, I had both.)

Breweries are plentiful in Asheville. We loved the Urban Orchard Cider Company. So much so, we had to make a second trip to purchase a couple of growlers to take home.

Their spicy diablo beer was the best. However, their Tommy Two Knees beer tasted like urine so don't order that one. The rest of the flavors we tried were great though.

Our next stop was Pleb Winery and it did not disappoint.

We could've spent all day there. The wine was good and the atmosphere was very fun - although that could've just been the company.

Just like everywhere in Asheville, there were just as many dogs as humans in the winery.

But unlike many establishments in Asheville, they have separate men's and women's restrooms. I found that out AFTER using the men's room - oops.

Another place we visited was called Bottle Riot in the River Arts District.

They had great wine and a tasty charcuterie board with a beautiful view of the French Broad River. With better weather and less Covid restrictions, this would be a fun area to spend more time.

The Biltmore Estate was our final stop. It is pricey but a must-do. Tickets were slightly over $100 a piece but that gives you an audio tour of the mansion and access to all of the shops and winery. It only took us a little over an hour to go through the estate but we may have pushed through a little quicker to get to the winery. ;)

Pictures just don't do this place justice. You must see it for yourself.

Due to the impending snow storm, we decided to cut our 3 night stay short and leave after 2 nights. We didn't get to as many places as we had hoped but we still had a great time. I would go back in a heartbeat. I highly suggest going with friends, but that's my personal opinion. Maybe we've been married too long or we're just too old to be entertained by only each other in a town like Asheville. Or maybe our friends are just that awesome.

Also, I would like to go back when the weather is warmer and Covid is a thing of the past. The bars could only serve alcohol until 9:00 and most closed by 10:00. But then again, it gave us a good excuse to head back to the hotel early, put on pajamas and watch some HGTV. Yes, this actually happened. And yes, I will totally blame Covid restrictions and not our age. What can I say, we live on the wild side when we get away without the kids.

Bottom line: Go to Asheville. Take your dog, leave your kids. Take your friends. Bring your appetite, leave your diet. And for all that's good and holy, take me with you when you go.