5 Reasons Why Winter is the Best Time to Visit Asheville

Food, Food, Food, Food, Food

Views, Views,Views,Views,Views

That about says it all but here’s more;

It’s Asheville Restaurant Week January 21-27^th. There are so many of the independent, eclectic restaurants that are offering great prices (with a selected menu) like a 3 course dinner for $32. Our personal favorites are Curate, Tupelo Honey, and The Corner Kitchen. But we are dying to try Hemingway’s Cuba, Chai-Pani and Nightbell with 3 chocolate samplings from French Broad Chocolate Lounge for $10.
The Biltmore Estate offers it’s best prices of the season which range form $45-$55 and if you stay at Cloud 9 Farm we can get more discounts for you. Their current exhibition is The Vanderbilts At Home and Abroad which is an intimate look at the family that created Biltmore. Weekdays are less crowded. Complimentary wine tasting, too.

Views! You can see every geological fold in the shape of the oldest mountains in the world when you get to a high elevation viewing point either by hiking or driving the Blue Ridge Parkway. However, sometimes there are landslides or ice or government shutdowns on the Parkway so closures can be noted on a road status map. Our favorite local hike is to Bearwallow Mountain, which is privately owned, but thanks to a conservation easement, they have officially opened to the public for hiking. The trail takes you to the top at 4,232 ft on a grassy summit that is a cow pasture. In fact, when you stay at Cloud 9 Relaxation Home or Silver Lining Cabin, or Sawyer’s cabin, you can see Bear Wallow Mountain in your ev everyday view. It towers above the Hickory Nut Gorge, Chimney Rock, and Lake Lure areas and straddles the Eastern Continental Divide. Wave! We might see you up there!

Views Again! You don’t have to go far to see views because we’ve got them right out your back door on our 200 acre conservation easement farm. We keep trails open as tractor roads so we can access all parts of our property and they are easy to walk (especially if you keep sticks picked up on your way, thank-you very much). Our family name of our favorite hike is to Buzzard’s Roost-the apex of our property at 2400 ft above sea level. Look for the mailbox marking the spot.
Views with Food! OK, enough of this hiking stuff. Make a reservation at the historic Omni Grove Park Inn in the Blue Ridge Artisanal Buffet and get the window seat overlooking Asheville with Mt. Pisgah in the western background. A Sunday Champagne Brunch or a Dinner Buffet ought to deliver. While you are there, look for our favorite photo on display of Firestone, Edison, Ford getting a tour by builder Fred Seely, 1918.
Bring your binoculars.