This fall, my husband and I took a long awaited trip to Asheville, NC en route to Nashville, TN. When you live near Charlotte, you always hear about how accessible both the mountains and the beach are, and it's true! However, we are really beach people, so the trips to the mountains are sometimes few and far between. As we knew we'd be driving through to get to Nashville anyway, we decided to add an extra night onto our long weekend and spend some time in Asheville - a city we had heard many raves about.
Our first stop was Chimney Rock, which is about 25 miles southeast of Asheville. If you are anywhere in this area and enjoy beautiful panoramic views, do not miss this stop! We did lament the fact that we were a few weeks too late for prime fall color (we traveled mid November), so this is definitely something to consider if you are planning a trip. I can only imagine how much more beautiful this area would have been a few weeks earlier!
We chose to do the Outcroppings Trail and the Skyline Trail during our hike, the latter which will take you to the highest point at Chimney Rock. Be prepared - there are about 400 stairs involved to get to this point. Honestly, this intimidated us a little, but in the end I think anyone with average endurance and fitness will be just fine here. There are options to drive to certain locations if you can't do the stairs (be sure to explore these ahead of time so you are not disappointed), but don't depend on the elevator that is often referred to in literature or online. This has apparently been out of order for about 6 years and there are really no plans in place to repair it. They do kindly offer a discount on park admission due to this - adults are $13 each.
One thing I would advise is to enjoy the view on your way up and take photos on your way down. As you climb, they get more and more spectacular.
From below Chimney Rock
From the Chimney Rock viewing platform. Chimney Rock itself is 315 feet tall at an elevation of 2,280 feet.
Above Chimney Rock from the Opera Box
Exclamation Point - the highest point on the Skyline Trail
The last 17 minutes of the film Last of the Mohicans were filmed here, including a fight scene at Hickory Nut Falls.
Chimney Rock from Exclamation Point
The Outcroppings and Skyline Trails took us about an hour to complete. If you are wondering about taking your children, we did see a 5 year old girl with her father who climbed right along with us all the way to Chimney Rock! I think it's a personal decision and you have to be willing to carry them if they quit, but they will probably enjoy the views just as much :)
After coming down from the top, we turned to Hickory Nut Falls Trail, which I would recommend as a great addition to the Chimney Rock hikes. It took about 45 minutes round trip and is much more moderate hiking - do the stairs first!
Hickory Nut Falls is a gorgeous 404 foot tall waterfall and the second highest east of the Mississippi.
After a wonderful time at Chimney Rock, we decided to hit a few wineries before heading into the city of Asheville. As we have discussed before on the blog, there are quite a few fun small wineries in North Carolina and we love to explore them. You can find some gems for sure, although expectations need to be tempered - it certainly isn't Napa :) They are usually very relaxed, friendly places and sometimes you will find a great vintage!
Our first stop was Burntshirt Vineyards in Hendersonville, NC. It was so pretty all decked out for Christmas! This is definitely a small place but there is a gorgeous outdoor patio perfect for enjoying a glass on a nice day.
We asked our tasting host about the name and loved the story. From their website: "Mountain lore has it that back in the day farmers would burn their fields to clear the land on Burntshirt Mountain for planting. They tossed their shirts in the fire for good luck and the fields yielded a bountiful crop!"
View from the patio
We didn't find anything we wanted to buy a bottle of, but we did take a glass out to the patio. Souvenir wine glasses with tasting! We did the dry flight only for $7 each, add the sweet flight for $10 total.
Really loved their ornaments!
Our second stop I would highly recommend if you are driving around in the area - Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards. I only got one picture there, but this tasting room is located in a cool old warehouse type building and the tasting room is very cosy with a big fireplace. The wine labels are beautiful, designed in honor of the St Paul Church the winery is named after. I am never really one for sweet wines and especially not fruit based ones, but their blueberry wine was amazing and we even took a bottle home! Our only complaint is that a lot of their dry reds had sold out for the season - we will have to come earlier in the year next time! We LOVED our tasting host Helen. They often feature live music out on their patio so if this interests you, check it out ahead of time on their website.
And finally - it was time for Asheville proper! Asheville is a little tough for me to describe - it's a city, but not a huge one, and it has a very alternative, liberal vibe. It is very well known for its craft beer scene and great restaurants. We aren't really craft beer people, but if you are, you will be able to have the time of your life here! Food, though? We're in.
We stayed at ALoft Asheville Downtown. I tend not to like ALoft hotels because they are very modern and all feel very cookie cutter, but this one served its purpose. Very clean and well kept, with a great walkable location.
Our first stop was The Social Lounge, a quirky little cocktail bar with an excellent rooftop deck. It was a cool evening, so we were the only ones out there, but it was very cosy and relaxing. If you want sunset views, however, make sure you hit Skybar, where you get to see things like this...
One caveat is that the outdoor space is small and fills quickly, so keep that in mind.
Dinner that night was Curate, a wonderful tapas bar in the heart of downtown. Casual to dressy casual, this is not a quiet relaxing restaurant, at least on a weekend night. But they have a fantastic menu and a blue cheese I will be dreaming about for a long time. Make sure to make reservations ahead of time.
Overall, I'm not sure that Asheville itself is really the vibe we typically go for, but I can understand why so many people like it, especially those who love great food and craft beers. It's a very easy day trip from Charlotte with plenty of things to do in the surrounding areas. I might suggest looking at a cabin or house outside the city if you were staying longer than a night to enjoy the natural surroundings even more. I have also heard raves about the Grove Park Inn, especially the spa - something we need to try in the future!
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