Asheville, North Carolina is a city that made me put my foot in my mouth. Having previously spent a total of 4- hours in the city I thought I knew enough to give my opinion (not uncommon with me). My initial experience with the city was it was too small, Asheville restaurants were over rated, and prices were too high…I just couldn’t understand the fuss. Yeah, I had a good time, the food in some Asheville restaurants was decent, but its size made me think I would get bored quickly. In addition, there were so many liberal millennials running around, I was scared I would end up in a rally fighting for the habitat of an extinct species.
My opinion changed when, on a whim in December, for my wife’s birthday we stayed the weekend. I spotted a special on the semi-famous Omni Grove Park Inn and I knew I had to give it a try. Of course, specials being what they are on Christmas, the price rose about 50%, but I digress. Getting to the hotel was eye opening, and it is a good barrier from the various hipsters on the outside. As we got into the trip, I realized something…I was ..enjoying myself. Now I changed my tune. I can say Asheville, North Carolina is a beautiful city, with a lot of great ways to spend a couple of days…
The Great About Asheville, North Carolina: Asheville at Christmas
Asheville is the perfect place at Christmas time to spend a 3-day weekend. It feels as if the whole city is designed to get you into the holiday spirit. First, unlike a lot of the North Carolina, Asheville is in the mountains. This means it is usually colder than the rest of the state. I needed a cold Christmas, shorts while shopping for presents always feels strange to me. Secondly, I wholeheartedly recommend you stay at the Omni Hotel at Christmas. Between the Gingerbread house exhibit and the multiple Christmas trees, you will think you wandered into Whoville.
The Biltmore Mansion is also must see during Christmas time. The candle light tour is a great way to cap off the night and the entire scene is impressive. The decorations were off the charts, both inside and outside the house. They also have a Christmas village, complete with hot chocolate and overpriced knicknacks. If you like Christmas and you like giant houses (that you can’t afford on bloggers salary) than make it a point to stop by Asheville and hit the Biltmore.
The Great About Asheville: Things to Do
The Biltmore
I already mentioned the Biltmore at Christmas, but it is worth mentioning that any time of the year the mansion is should be visited. I always complained that the United States lacked the history of other countries, but this mansion really held my interest. From the bowling alley, to the servant quarters and (how they were treated), it is one of the better tours I have taken. The Biltmore Estate, a place with 45 bathrooms, but not one for the guests that take the three-hour excursion…
The Breweries
If seeing an old rich guys house isn’t your thing, then feel free to grab an Uber or two and hit the breweries around Asheville, North Carolina. You can also replace a trip to an one of Asheville’s restaurants, with some bar snacks and liquid refreshment.
I have been to a couple, but I certainly need to explore the brewery scene further. Wicked Weed was once great, but then it got all corporate when Budweiser bought it… I was told that it is still the same after this, but why risk it? If you are a beer lover, Asheville, North Carolina has the best breweries in the state. I say this no matter how much Charlotte, NC whines about their beer.
The Spa at the Omni
I never thought I was a spa guy, I thought that it was a place to get your nails and hair done. Well The Omni Grove Park Inn, showed me the light. We melted about 7-hours away in this luxurious environment. There are several hot tubes, with massaging water falls. An outdoor tub, steam rooms and a fireplace lounge. You might think it would get old, soaking in warm water, drinking Champagne, and wasting a day away…it did not. One thing is it isn’t cheap, even staying at the hotel a day pass is $85 (if you are not recieving a treatment). In addition, there are a limited number of guest passes available. Even with all of this, I will say it was well worth the spend..
Mixed Reviews: Asheville Restaurants
Maybe there was just so much hype around the food in Asheville, or maybe I am just overly picky, but I wasn’t that impressed. Don’t get me wrong, we had some great meals in Asheville, NC. There are also a lot of tourist traps. Asheville Restaurants already have one strike against them for bringing the awful Tupelo Honey to other areas and hyping it as if it were the second coming of Ruth Chris.. I also had an overpriced, underwhelming meal at Curate. Curate holds the top spot on TripAdvisor, and I still can’t figure out why. The food was ridiculously expensive, having been to Spain it really killed the spirt of tapas. The wait to get into the place resembles your bill; both bigger than they deserve.
I don’t want to give the impression all Asheville restaurants are bad, to the contrary, we had some great meals. Wasabi, down the road from Curate, gave us some great sushi. It was convenient since after paying $125 for lunch we were still hungry. Blue Dream Curry house was also excellent, and the price was right. The place serves various curries from around the globe, and everything we tried was outstanding.
One strange thing is the service in many Asheville restaurants is less than desirable. In Curate, not only did the server HIT MY WIFE with a plate to her back, tapas and olive oil spilled onto her and we didn’t even get an apology until we demanded it..There was another time we had good brunch at a southwestern place, the food was fine, but the waitress was so baked I am surprised she didn’t take a bite of my sandwich. I know the town is full of hippies, but no need to be a stereotype..
The Bad about Asheville North Carolina: The Prices
Why is it that everything that is decent in the South is so overpriced? I loved the Grove Park Inn, but with the amount of times they nickeled and dimed me I thought I would have to sell my car through the valet… Restaurants are for the most part, pricey, especially for hipster grub. I remain in awe over how a week in Asheville or Charleston is as much or more expensive than week in Rome or New York…
A weekend trip in Asheville is not cheap. Especially for a place in the mountains, where a lot of the activities revolve around the outdoors. I will ask an open question…what ever happened to the $100/night hotel room. I can hear my wife gasping with just the mention of it…something about bedbugs.. Ok, maybe I am living in 1998. With prices for the Hotel Indigo at $350 (starting, fees will make it go up), you’re going to price me out of a weekend trip. For a town that worships at the throne of Bernie Sanders, they sure like their money…
Takeaways
Despite being somewhat overpriced, I think Asheville, North Carolina is still a must visit; this is especially true if you live within driving distance. Asheville restaurants, although hit and miss, are overall pretty good. There are plenty of things to do, with Biltmore Estate being one of the best kept secrets in the country. If you get the chance, go at Christmas, stay at the Omni Grove Park Inn and hit the spa. Admittedly, I still have a lot of exploring to do in Asheville, North Carolina. What I have seen so far, at least on the last trip, has inspired me to return…
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