Asheville, located in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge mountain region, is a destination that should be on everyone’s bucket list. The city and surrounding area has become a mecca for outdoor adventure, fine dining, luxury hotels, arts and crafts, museums, and craft breweries, all surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in America.
I was only 14 years old the first time I visited Asheville, the City of Land and Sky. On that trip, my family was bound for our summer vacation in Hilton Head Island, and we made an overnight stop in Asheville. Our primary reason was to visit the historic Biltmore Estate, an opulent summer chateau built for George Vanderbilt II. I was amazed walking through the palatial estate. In the enormous Banquet Hall, I gazed at the triple fireplace, the mammoth chandeliers that dropped from the 70 foot high ceiling, and the beautiful tapestries that lined the wall.
The Biltmore was the main tourist attraction at that time, and there wasn’t much else that the city had to offer. The downtown was in major decline. Since then, Asheville has reinvented itself as a hip and trendy city and a major tourist destination, hosting over 12 million visitors a year. Since that youthful trip, I’ve visited Asheville a few more times, and it has become one of my favorite cities. It’s small enough to easily navigate, yet offers world class attractions, James Beard Award-winning restaurants, eclectic shopping, craft breweries, and breathtaking natural scenery.