Things To Do
HICK BECKLER PUB CRAWL
Asheville has such good beer! We put together a little pub crawl for those who love beer: Start: Terra Nova Beer Co- 101 S Lexington Ave, Asheville Stop 2: Green Man Brewery- 27 buxton ave, Asheville Stop 3: Burial Beer Co (our fav) - 40 Collier Ave, Asheville (Nicks fav beer is the Prophet Maker, Hayla’s is the surf wax) Stop 4: Wicked Weed Brewing - 147 Coxe Ave, Asheville Food options: Bear’s Smokehouse (right next the Wicked Weed at stop 4), there’s also food at Burial and Wicked Weed
BEER: Burial Beer Co. Asheville Taproom
There's a myriad of breweries to choose from in Asheville, but this one is one of our favorites. It has amazing beer, really cool vibes, delicious burgers, and is located in South Slope which is a cool zone in downtown Asheville. Highly recommend making a pit stop here.
BEER: Cursus Keme
This place is so frikin cool. The vibes are immaculate- it's such a great place to hangout and the beer is good. Word on the street is that it has "the sexiest bathroom" - you'll have to just go and see for yourself.
DRINK: Anoche Asheville
This is our favorite tequila bar. With a robust list of tequila drinks and a nice indoor and outdoor vibe, this place is one of the best. Sometimes there’s a delicious Mexican food truck parked there, but don’t depend on it. If it’s not there, you can always walk across the street to All Souls Pizza for food
DRINK: Antidote at Chemist Spirits
This is the coolest cocktail bar right in the center of downtown Asheville. A perfect spot for a night cap or a pre dinner drink with live jazz music and the coolest vibes.
DRINK: Golden Pineapple
A great bar in West Asheville. They have good food too! This bar is in the heart of downtown West Asheville and is walkable to a lot of the other happenings in West Asheville.
DRINK: The Tiki Easy Bar
This bar is somewhat of a speakeasy in that it’s hard to find ;) go inside of Highwire brewery downtown, and head to the back of the room and find a door for Tiki Easy bar. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Recommend
EAT: All Souls Pizza
We love this pizza joint. It has a great outdoor space and serves some gooooood pizza.
EAT: Chai Pani Asheville
Indian street food in an eclectic restaurant. This place can get busy so make a reservation or check out their sister restaurant, Botiwalla by Chai Pani in west Asheville for counter service with a very similar menu.
EAT: Taco Temple
A great taco shop and one of our favorites. Order at the counter and the service is fast. We love this place
EAT: White Duck Taco Shop
This is not your average Mexican food taco joint. These tacos are unique and there's great outdoor seating right on the river.
EAT: 12 Bones Smokehouse
Hands down, the best barbeque food in Asheville. There are two locations, one in River Arts District, and one a bit farther from downtown. Our recommendation is the one in River Arts District. The hours are a bit peculiar as they are usually only open for lunchtime Monday-Friday 11:30 AM-4:30 PM. After lunch, walk around the area and enjoy art studios and a nice pathway paralleling the French Broad River.
HIKE: Bent Creek Experimental Forest
This whole forest area is a great place to gravel bike, hike, walk around, run, and mountain bike. Take a hike around Powhatan Lake for a scenic walk and a swim, or venture further away and explore the many gravel roads and single track mountain biking trails. We recommend parking at Hard Times Trailhead for good access to all the trails.
HIKE: Dupont 3 waterfall hike
This hike gets you 5 waterfalls (if you count Triple Falls as 3) in just under 5 miles on a nicely paved trail with great signage. Park at the DuPont State Recreational Forest Visitor Center and follow the signs for High Falls trailhead. Pass High Falls and continue down to Triple Falls and then all the way across the road and down to Hooker Falls. Hooker Falls makes a great swimming hole. The entire way back is an ascent but the views are so worth it.
HIKE: Tennet Mountain
Park at the Art Loeb and Black Balsam Knob trailhead. Hike across Black Balsam Knob up to Tennet mountain and enjoy the scrubbed out, above treeline landscape that is unique to this area of the Shining Rock Wilderness. There is an out and back hike that is 4 miles or you can do the whole loop which is just over 5 miles. It is at altitude so dress accordingly.
PLAY: Asheville Sports Club
Are you also a pickle ball fanatic? This sports club offers pickle ball courts and rentals to play. There’s also a bar for some beverages. In the heart of downtown! Perhaps a pre or post pub crawl activity?
PLAY: LaZoom Tours
This is a comedy show meets city tour and it's a total blast. We took Hayla's parents on the tour and they loved it so much we went on two back to back. They have 4 options to choose from, one even catering to kiddos. We highly recommend making time to take one of the tours!
PLAY: Tour the Biltmore Estate
Nestled amid 8,000 acres of Blue Ridge Mountain beauty, Biltmore is a one-of-a-kind destination. From the magnificent house, a spectacular art exhibition, and award-winning Winery to myriad dining and shopping venues, 20+ miles of nature trails, and distinctive overnight properties, Biltmore offers an unforgettable escape from the everyday. There are a variety of touring options available. Visit their website for more information.
PLAY: White water raft the French Broad River
Go white water rafting on a section of the French Broad with our favorite outdoor company- the Nantahala Outdoor Center. This section of the French Broad is really fun and is about a 45 min drive from Asheville.
RELAX: Sauna House
We LOVE this place. It's a public bathhouse that really feels like a spa. We recommend visiting the bathhouse and doing the 2 hour visit which includes access to the sauna and cold plunge. The 2 hour visit allows about 3 rotations of the 15 min sauna and 3 min cold plunge. Highly recommend.
SWIM: Route 9 Swimming Hole
Here's the google maps pin drop: https://maps.app.goo.gl/S7YCypRrh4ouNLyVA?g_st=ic (https://maps.app.goo.gl/S7YCypRrh4ouNLyVA?g_st=ic) This swimming hole is definitely a local secret ;) It's about a 35 min drive outside of downtown Asheville. Park on the side of the road, walk down the semi-steep and short trail down to a series of swimming holes and waterfalls. The rocks are incredibly slippery so we highly recommend some solid outdoor sandals. This spot may not be a great choice for those who aren't steady on their feet- this is more of an adventurous swimming hole. It's a beautiful spot for a warm sunny day.
SWIM: Hooker Falls
About an hour from downtown Asheville and located in DuPont State Recreational Forest, Hooker Falls features a swimming hole at the bottom of a 12-foot waterfall. Their waters are calm with almost no current, making it great for children or below-average swimmers. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, wade underneath the waterfall for a rush of refreshing water. You can also go between the rock face and the waterfall to a misty chasm, which is probably best enjoyed on an inner tube. A rope swing adds another element of fun to the mix.
SWIM: Turtleback Falls
About 1.5 hours from downtown Asheville, think of Turtleback Falls as a far less crowded Sliding Rock. Located in Gorges State Park, it was relatively difficult to access until 2009, when the state built a trail to make it easier to reach. However, this access hasn’t made it as popular as other water holes. If you’re a good swimmer, slide down the falls to an exhilarating 20-foot drop into the pool below. For something more relaxed, wade or hike about 1/4 mile down the river to the tranquil Hidden Falls.