10 Reasons Why Asheville, NC is the Perfect Girl's Getaway - Page 2 of 2

10 Reasons Why Asheville, NC is the Perfect Girl’s Getaway

July 2009

Nature: As we approached Asheville the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains shimmering in the sunshine was enough to render a car full of women, normally not shy with their words, speechless. The area surrounding this small city is literally breathtaking, and with every mile traveled around the city there is on view spectacular displays of lush greenery from the surrounding mountains. Asheville has more than enough to satisfy anyone’s desire to commune with nature with not just one, but several national and state parks within driving distance of the city.
Chimney Rock State Park – 25 miles SE of Asheville.
Grandfather Mountain Park – 57 miles NE of Asheville.
Great Smokey Mountains National Park – 85 miles NW of Asheville.

Spas: We didn’t schedule any spa visits during our stay in Asheville this year, but I know that we will be coming back for another girl’s getaway and checking out the spa scene here will be high on my list of things to do. I didn’t know this when we were planning our trip to the city but Asheville has long been known as a premier spa destination. One of the best is the Grove Park Inn Spa which was ranked 13th among the world’s best hotel spas by Travel & Leisure Magazine.

Culinary Delights: From the time we arrived in Asheville until we left we were constantly delighted with the food scene in Asheville. The city has acquired an impressive reputation as a culinary hotspot. We particularly loved the focus on organic and local fresh food, this is so important to Asheville that the city has developed a Foodtopian Society to encourage the development and success of “sustainable food, with farm-to-table meals that feature seasonal ingredients from local fields.”
Recommended restaurants:
Early Girl – great weekend brunches!
Tupelo Honey Café – described as “an old fashioned tea room” by The New York Times.
Carmel’s Restaurant and Bar – one of best outdoor patio’s in Asheville.

Arts Scene: What we saw of Asheville’s art scene was out on the street, interacting with the community, drawing in not only the arts elite, but also tourists and locals as well. I think this is why Asheville has such a vibrant and exciting creative feel and energy. For example, on a short walking tour in downtown Asheville, we came across a human statue, banjo pickers and a drum circle in the park. Guess what, this is a normal Friday evening occurance in Asheville.

Farmer’s Markets: Ok I have to confess I have a weak spot for farmer’s markets, as soon as spring arrives I starting counting down the days until my local farmer’s markets open. I’m jealous of what the people of Asheville get to have in the way of markets. It’s a small city, it’s in the middle of the Blue Ridge mountains, so how the heck did they end up with over 35 markets?! A couple of the most popular farmers markets include:
City Market Two locations – downtown Asheville City Market at Charlotte Street and Asheville City Market – South at Biltmore Park Town Square.
French Broad Food Coop Tailgate Downtown Market – Voted Asheville’s Best Tailgate Market for over five years.

Festival Fun: Asheville is a happening town and for each month of the year there are several festivals you can choose from, you can start the new year with the Fringe Arts Festival in January and end it with a visit to the Dickens Christmas in the Village in December. Some recommended festivals to check out are:
Bele Chere – a great entertainment, arts and food festival held in July.
Festival of Flowers – Biltmore Estates during the months of April and May.
GoomBay! Festival African-Caribbean style festival in August.
Asheville Film Festival Showcasing independent films from across the world in November.