Our Blog "A Local's Perspective"

Growing up in Asheville has left me with a fine collection of memories. Raking leaves in the fall. Getting sushi and ice cream with my sister, near the campus of UNCA. The first time I saw a movie at Asheville Pizza and Brewing. Raking leaves in the fall, again. And again. And again. Truth be told, there was a lot of raking.  But if you have the pleasure of being a visitor to Asheville, you won’t have to put up with any of that. Unless you want to get hands-on with our fam

I believe travel is one of life’s great joys. See new sights. Taste new things. Meet strange and exciting new people, and come away with a refreshed appreciation for the great mysteries of existence. Travel makes you worldly and better yet, provides a break from the patterns of day-to-day life. For all these benefits, I don’t mind a little planning. Indeed, you could say over the years I’ve been planning trips not just for myself, but for the many others who read this blog.

Asheville’s one of the most scenic places you could imagine and I’m not just saying that for nostalgia’s sake. Over ten million visitors per year can back me up, coming from near, far, and everywhere in between just for a chance to witness our own beautiful slice of nature. If you’re after a primo photo-op, you could rely on happenstance, hitting the shutter when the moment just feels right. Not a bad plan. Or you could comb through my previous articles on Asheville’s best hi

I’ve been on the road a lot recently. Traveling around, seeing the sights. Breathing that fresh air breezing in through my window while I cruise down these mountain roads at safe and responsible speeds. It got me thinking about day trips. As many excellent things as there are to do here in the Paris of the South, sometimes you just got to go out and explore, roam further afield, and see what the rest of WNC has to offer.  Fortunately, this little section of the state is choc

Seems just about every other week a new restaurant opens up downtown , or a new brewery on the South Slope . There’s always something fresh and exciting to do in Asheville. Keeps you on your toes, especially for those few of us lucky enough to get to write about it. But today, I’d like to look backwards, into Asheville’s storied past. Rising from near anonymity in the late 18th century to North Carolina’s third largest city by 1900, my hometown has developed some truly signa

It's summer once again here in Asheville . A time of leisure, fine weather, and long sunlit days , perfect for delving into all the great things to do in the Paris of the South. Hiking’s always been a favorite of mine, of course. Follow that up with a little local ice cream, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a real summer’s day. But that’s not where the fun ends here folks. Summer in Asheville is one of the best times of year to experience the local arts and culture, to r

There’s something in that Blue Ridge air that always just fills you with romance. An idyllic view lies around every corner. The boundless wonders of nature surround Asheville like a blanket of pure concentrated romance-ium.  No wonder then, that the subjects of date-nights, romance, and Valentine's-day specials has come up so often here at Asheville Cottages. And indeed, it's no wonder that I’m the first person my friends turn to when they need help figuring out a killer dat

Its many a year since the first ground was broken in Biltmore Park. Some still remember when this place was nothing but pastureland and scrub. No longer. Now, here in South Asheville, we’ve got one of the finest shopping and dining centers in town, combining downtown-style quality with easy parking and a quieter, less bustling tone. Over my many articles, I know I have touched on Biltmore Park, here and there. Sitting only ten minutes away from the luxurious Asheville Cottag

Asheville’s known for a great many things, from the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains , to the historic Biltmore Estate , and of course, our unbelieving dining and local craft beer. But above all, I’ve always seen Asheville as a great place for music. Whether you’re stopping by a South Slope brewery, or even just taking a walk downtown, the nearest live music is never too far away. It's a great town for music-lovers, and if that fits your description, or you know somebody w

Many visit Asheville intending to spend most of their time hiking the Blue Ridge , drinking up that invigorating mountain air like landbound trout. And I’m all for some hiking , or kayaking, (even some bivouacking, perhaps) but no visit to Asheville is complete without a tour of our thriving downtown. Chock-full of awesome restaurants, and stylin’ cafes, there’s always a lot going on downtown. But somehow it still retains some of that sleepy, relaxed small-town feel.

Soon another fine year will wind its way to a close here in Asheville. For some, this is a time of reflection. Did I do everything I set out to accomplish this year? Did I hike enough? Get enough fresh mountain air? Eat at all my favorite restaurants ? Did I broaden my horizons, discover any new hidden gems ? But the fact is, when it strikes New Year’s Eve in Asheville, its not the end of things. You still got twenty-four hours to fit in all the excitement you didn’t think

Between the Biltmore Estate , the South Slope, and the timeless beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it's no wonder why Asheville NC’s long been a prime vacation destination for travelers across the southeast.  We’ve got luxury cabins, awesome spas , primo nature , and even award-winning restaurants. But in between all these high-profile locales, there are a few places off the beaten path. Places where locals like to hang. Small-town cafes and tearooms . Restaurants wh

Usually I assume I’m writing for travelers who already have their hearts set on a visit to Asheville. People who understand just why they call this place the “Paris of the South.” But how about the rest of you? The wanderers. The last-minute vacation-planners. People who may have an inkling of what Asheville’s all about, but are unsure of just why they should visit the Paris of the South.  Well, this one’s for you. The undecided. The uninitiated. An article written so that in

Mothers! Many of us have them. Caretakers, nurturers, teachers, astoundingly adept finders of things that are lost. From mayonnaise to car keys to winter coats, mothers always appear to find them within the first five seconds of searching. How do they do that? Grand mysteries of life aside, if you’re treating your mom to a tour of Asheville this Mother’s Day, it pays to be well informed. Luckily, come May, the Paris of the South is fair-weathered, and filled to the brim with

When it comes to hiking in Asheville , the first thing folks think of is typically the autumn leaves. But if you don’t just visit Asheville, but live here—when you stew yourself in Asheville like a teabag in a hand-fired cup—you’ll notice that the mountains actually come alive with color twice a year: once in fall, and once in spring. Today we’re about one month out from the equinox. The March weather’s calmed down, the skies are clear, and there’s no better time to go out

Living as a local, sometimes it's easy to take the wonders of Asheville for granted. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I’ve had to be away from my hometown for a while now. So I sat down and I started thinking: if I had just one weekend in Asheville, how would I want to spend it? What you got here, dear reader, is a condensation of the very best things to do in the Paris of the South, in the vein of this article right here . But with just forty-eight hours to spen

Love is in the air once again here in Asheville, and since the last time I wrote about Valentine’s Day I’ve come up with some hot new ideas. Yes, this past year I’ve done practically nothing else but muse on how to milk every drop of romance out of the Paris of the South , so that you too can have the Valentine’s Day trip of a lifetime. You could I've found my calling. From indulgent dinners to idyllic mountain getaways, Asheville is the place to be if you got love in your h

Woosh! There it goes! They tell me that colorful little number that just flew on past is called “the year.” Certainly felt endless in the thick of things, but here I am sitting at the year’s end once again, wondering what happened to all that time. There were hikes . Holidays . Dinners and lots of shows . Another vibrant fall and a rainy winter . So it goes. But now it's time to celebrate, to gather with friends and family, and to drink in all the recollections from the p

I may not be a parent, but I was once a kid myself (allegedly). To furnish this article, I had to delve deep into the pools of my memory,...

Romance! It's in the air, floating through the streets of Asheville like a perfumed mist. I can practically see the cupids in the trees....