Laura & Kevin
Things To Do
Gray Line Trolley Tours of Asheville
Interested in exploring Asheville, but not so interested in navigating the tourist traffic? Hey, we get it. This tour company offers a hop-on hop-off option so you can see the sights AND rest your feet!
LaZoom Tours
Would you like a tour of Asheville, light on history but full on fun? Here’s the ride for you. Lazoom tours are the large purple buses you will see all over town They are BYOB, and incredibly funny! They do book up, so if you’re interested go ahead and get your tickets!
The Well-Bred Bakery & Café in Biltmore Village
Venture outside the Doubletree to grab coffee and breakfast - you’ll be glad you did! Short walk from the hotel.
Village Wayside Bar & Grille
A Biltmore Village staple, and a favorite of ours - Wayside is a great dive bar and restaurant with service that can’t be beat! The building is the former Biltmore train depot!
Catawba Brewing Company
We’d be missing something big if we didn’t add Catawba to our list. We affectionately call this location “Baby Catawba” and if you’ve ever been to their other locations, you’ll know why. Baby Catawba is the 2nd location of the Catawba brand, and the 1st in Asheville.
The Cantina At Historic Biltmore Village
Highly recommend if you are craving a margarita at the end of the day (or beginning? Hey, we’re not here to judge). We recommend 1) house margarita 2) Pacifico 3) queso and chips to go 4) grab a seat outside if the weather is nice. 5) stuffed avocados off the appetizer menu.
Biltmore
Hey, what’s this name that keeps popping up everywhere in town? Visiting the Biltmore Estate is a great way to spend an entire day in Asheville. We are annual pass holders ourselves, and we really enjoy walking with Murphy on the property. Tons of history to be found — oh, and wine. Lots of wine.
Forestry Camp
One of our favorite new additions to our neighborhood! Sister concept of Burial Beer located downtown, but with a historic twist. If you are looking for a serious dinner experience, make a reservation with the restaurant. If you’d like to stick with cocktails (yes, cocktails!) and small bites, stay with the Outpost. The camp (6 buildings on 2 acres) was built by the U.S. Government briefly after Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) on April, 5 1933.
Highland Brewing Company
Another favorite we like to call our neighbors - Asheville’s 1st brewery! Highland is a great spot to have a beer outside , listen to music, and enjoy the fall weather. Just watch out for the free-range children in the meadow, they’re everywhere!
The S&W Market
Interested in several Asheville spots, and also saving yourself some time? Welcome to the S&W Market! Inside the historic S&W Building, you will find Highland Brewing, Buxton’s Chicken Palace (little sister of Buxton Hall BBQ), Bun Intended (Thai street food), Farm Dogs (Farm Burger hotdog concept), Peace Love Tacos (Mountain Madre downtown Mexican concept - also a Laura favorite), the Hop Ice Cream, and The Times Bar (cocktails). A one-stop shop!
The Omni Grove Park Inn
Even if you aren’t a guest of the hotel, the Grove Park is historic and certainly worth a visit. Grab a parking spot (we think first 3 hours are still free), walk through the open doors into the lobby and pretend that you are back in time. You are free to self-tour the premises - the hot chocolate is famous. Pro tip - figure out when sunset will happen and make sure you have a spot outside below the Sunset Terrace restaurant. Best view in the city!
Sierra Nevada Taproom & Restaurant
Ah, the Disney World of beer. If you choose to make the commitment to drive out there, take some time to marvel in its beauty (and make tour reservations ahead of time). Our area is home to the East Coast operations of Sierra Nevada brewing company. Fair warning — driving on I-26 is awful almost all of the time (we know, we know) Turn on your Waze or Google Maps and let your GPS take you through the backroads to get there and back.
New Belgium Brewing Company
If Sierra Nevada is Disney World, we’ll call New Belgium Disney Land. Or maybe just the Magic Kingdom. Anyway, this employee-owned brewery is another can’t-miss spot. Right on the French Broad River (where we seasonally kayak and fall in occasionally), this is also a great spot to sit outside and enjoy a brew, while watching paddlers float by. Don’t forget to wave!
Hiking
Okay, okay, we’ll give you one physical activity. You know us, so you know we aren’t big hikers. Actually, we aren’t hikers at all, ha! But there is a lot of nature to be found on the parkway, and we would be remiss if we didn’t mention it. We’ve enjoyed Craggy Gardens and Triple Falls, and we hear good things about Max Patch. For details and other options, check out the website I added here. https://www.exploreasheville.com/outdoor-adventures/hiking/easy/