We in Atlanta are lucky because we’re far enough north in the state that a jaunt to the mountains is never more than an hour away. Although the north Georgia mountains can provide some great fun, it’s definitely worth your while to take the roughly three-and-a-half hour drive up to Asheville, N.C. to experience the mountains of the western part of the Old North State.
Asheville is something of an oasis in the mountains. While the Appalachian region has been stereotyped as one filled with, shall we say, a hillbilly contingent, Asheville is one of the most progressive cities in the South. Downtown is alive with the spirit of a thriving arts and music community that helps to attract world class restaurants, fine shopping and some first rate hotels.
In a way, Asheville almost seems like a bigger Athens, minus much of the college town feel contingent (though there are several schools in the area).
The classic place to stay there is the Grove Park Inn, a favorite of celebrities, presidents, royalty and everyone in between. This large hotel on a ridge overlooking the city is comprised of a large lodge with hundreds of rooms, several terrific restaurants and a spa and fitness center. Also on the grounds are a championship golf course and tennis facilities.
Though I didn’t stay there with my family when we went last weekend (it was booked), we’ve stayed there several times before and is always a great place. This time we bunked at the Sheraton Four Points right in the heart of downtown. It seems this hotel has recently been renovated and the rooms were quite comfortable.
Downtown is meant for walking, and within a several block radius of our hotel, we were treated to some fine places to eat. One place that we particularly enjoyed is Bar 100, an offshoot of the Market Place Restaurant, one of the nicest joints in town. Bar 100 is their more casual concept downstairs where they feature an ever-changing menu comprised of ingredients almost exclusively found in a 100-mile radius of the city.
My five cheese macaroni ($8) with all local cheeses was excellent. My mom got appetizers of pimento cheese and flatbread as well as Tennessee prosciutto with melon ($3 each), and both were terrific. The desserts looked delicious, but we were stuffed. This much more inexpensive option will easily fit the budget of most anyone making a weekend up there.
One place that is renowned in the city is the Tupelo Honey Café, advertising nouveau Southern cuisine. It’s a fantastic place for any meal during the day, but the line is always out the door and we were a bit pressed for time this weekend, so unfortunately we skipped it this time around – but it should be on anyone’s list.
For a quick morning breakfast, The Green Sage coffee house is a terrific new option downtown. Very cheap fair trade coffee ($1.50 for a small cup with $0.50 refills) and the best blueberry muffin I’ve ever had have caused this place to be a new must for me when there.
But the real reason to visit the area is not the city, but everything around it.
