Asheville
Stroll: There is no better autumn experience afoot than an amble around downtown on Asheville’s Urban Trail. The 1.7-mile route showcases the city with works of art and interpretive signs about history and architecture. (At www.ashevillenc.gov, type “Urban Trail” in the search window.) Turns out, Thomas Wolfe’s hometown has a collection of Art Deco architecture second only to Miami in the South. Another strolling site – and sight – is the N.C. Arboretum (www.ncarboretum.org) just outside town. The facility’s easy trails are truly in season when exploding flower beds meet fall color. Biltmore Estate (www.biltmore.com) is on many fall itineraries. Take a step off the beaten paths of the conservatory’s formal gardens and loop the trails to the bass pond and boathouse.
Shop: Asheville’s all about local, and you can wrap yourself in that philosophy at Spiritex (www.spiritex.net). The downtown Asheville shop sells sophisticated fashions for the entire family made of sustainably grown cotton produced and sewn in the Carolinas. Not far away, neo-Gothic architecture of the Grove Arcade (www.grovearcade.com) serves up a selection of specialty shops, including Bathe (www.bathe4u.com), where you can customize creams and body care products by scent and color. Asheville’s full of distinctive shopping spots and you’ll discover a wealth of them in Biltmore Village (www.historicbiltmorevillage.com). The focus is eclectic in this historic neighborhood, where fine art and furnishings are strong suits.
Hike: President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama hiked the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) in Asheville, and you should, too. This 1,000-mile trans-state path is close to completion in the mountains and there are day hikes aplenty. Take an educational stroll on a TRACK Trail part of the MST at Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 384.4 between the Parkway’s newish main visitor center and the Gary E. Everhardt headquarters building. Details: http://kidsinparks.com (type Blue Ridge Parkway” in the search field).
Or get serious. The Parkway’s Craggy Gardens is 20 miles north of Asheville but it (and Mount Pisgah, to the south of the city) are easy-to-reach, high-mountain experiences. Go north and turn into Mount Mitchell State Park at Milepost 355. Park on the right 0.6 mile from the turn and take the MST across the road. At Promontory Rock – a three-mile round trip – the vista to the south looks down on the sophisticated mountain town you just enjoyed. (Details: www.nchighpeaks.org).
Bike: Kolo Bike Park (www.kolobikepark.com), not far from downtown Asheville, has about four miles of mountain biking trails and two pump tracks (one for kids) on the grounds of the Crown Plaza Resort Asheville. Kolo rents all kinds of bikes, for park use or take away to more distant venues, such as the N.C. Arboretum and adjacent Pisgah National Forest Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Miles of mountain biking paths link these parks’ colorful forests. Details: http://ashevillecycling.com/pdf/BentCreekTrailMap.pdf. Randy Johnson
Eat
It’s hard to beat a fall evening overlooking the Blue Ridge from the Grove Park Inn’s Sunset Terrace. Colorful, alpenglow-tinted mountains ring the horizon and bonafide “big deal dining” fare (and prices) make for a one-of-a kind experience. Details: (www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park). Downtown is dining central in Asheville, but Mayfels (www.mayfels.net) stands out from the crowd for a delicious brunch. In West Asheville, the modest (to say the least) appearance of The Admiral hides a rave-about small plate menu, accented with seafood items like cioppino and seared scallops. Details: www.theadmiralnc.com.
Sip
Sample two of Asheville’s best beer bars within 100 feet of each other on Patton Avenue, The Thirsty Monk (www.monkpub.com) is a renowned venue for tapping the city’s enthusiasm for beer. The ground floor and patio serve a large craft beer selection, but even the most ardent beer connoisseur will be wowed by the range of Belgian beers found in the darker downstairs Belgian Bar. Across the street, Jack of the Wood (www.jackofthewood.com) is an Asheville classic, a Celtic-style pub with great beers from the house’s own Green Man Brewery and more. This is a small and intimate music venue; check their website for shows and events.
This story was originally published October 2, 2015 at 7:59 AM with the headline "Asheville."