Five Reasons to Honeymoon in Asheville-A Local's Perspective
I reckon I could write a hundred page thesis on this one. And trust me, , you’d be convinced. Your spouse would be convinced. Your in-laws, your employer, and your dog would all be convinced.
But seeing as I write travel blogs, not academic papers (thank God), it is my privilege to circulate local tips, tricks, and tirades; information that you and your companions can put to practical use.
So, you fluttering lovebirds, no matter whether you’re looking for a proper honeymoon, or a romantic getaway of any caliber really, I invite you to read on, and consider the following activities for your honeymoon in Asheville.
Many consider themselves coffee connoisseurs. But I do believe I am a cut above.
I love coffee. I breath coffee. When I sleep, I don’t sleep, because of coffee. Even as I write these words, I’m up to my very gills in coffee. If I were to honeymoon in Asheville, it would be because I married coffee.
Fortunately for my fellow caffeine-fiends, Asheville feels much the same way I do. You can hardly take a step in this city without stumbling into a local café, each with a unique flair.
In short, if your Asheville honeymoon needs some perking up, you have options. For the sake of brevity, I’d like to illustrate just two of the best.
Up first is our downtown contender. It’s a tough neighborhood for a little coffee shop; dense competition.
But Old Europe comes out swinging with some of the best deserts in the area, and remember its rivals are no lightweights. Locals and travelers alike have caught on. The place fills up swiftly post-dusk on the weekends, but long hours ensure Old Europe will probably be open whenever you can make it.
Keeping in a transatlantic vein, the ingredients used at Old World Levain Bakery surpass anything I’ve yet to taste west of Lisbon.
OWL offers menu items of deceptive simplicity: salads, boiled eggs, sandwiches etc. But no matter what you order, you’ll find yourself utterly satisfied within one small bite or sip.
If your Asheville honeymoon lands you on the west side of town around lunchtime, it would be a crime to not visit OWL. This crime would of course be forgiven if it were committed on a Sunday, the bakery’s busiest day.
Impress Your Spouse: Order your coffee in French. Repeat after me: “Un café, s’il vouz plait.” More than likely, neither the barista, nor your spouse, nor you will have any idea what you’re saying. Furthermore, nothing in French is pronounced as its spelled. Good luck.
2: Explore the River Arts District
Housed in a former industrial quarter along the French Broad, the River Arts District is equal parts culture, strangeness, and mural-sized graffiti. In short: it's the bones of Asheville.
An afternoon wandering about the District, arm in arm with your spouse/loved one/fishing buddy/whomever, will take you through a series of galleries, workshops, and informal exhibitions, each one well worth a stop.
Among the most unique of these art-foundries is Akira Satake’s ceramic shop. His forms at once evoke plant life, and formations of ancient stone, much like the mountains which cradle Asheville itself.
If your honeymoon in Asheville is apt to involve a spot of cooking, the River Arts District hosts a farmer’s market from 3pm-5:30pm on Wednesdays—a perfect place to procure fresh vegetables, cheeses, sweets, and Asheville’s ever-present natural curatives.
Impress Your Spouse: Buy them a plate. Everyone needs plates.
Perhaps you have heard “take a hike,” from someone who is less than enthusiastic about your recent marriage. Is it jealousy? Frustration? General sourness? Who knows.
I, on the other hand, write “take a hike” with nothing but your best interests in mind. A honeymoon in Asheville would be incomplete without capitalizing on the city’s natural surroundings—some of the best in the nation.
Even if you and/or your significant other are hesitant to engage in a little stretching of the ol' legs, your Asheville honeymoon may be enlivened by a trip to the local Arboretum. With a variety of walking paths, ranging from meanderings through manicured gardens, to trails through less tame nature, the Arboretum warrants at least one visit.
If, on the other hand, your honeymoon in Asheville demands some real hiking—some mono-y-mono with mother nature herself—Black Balsam is the challenge you need. The trail may be far from lethal—children will make it, with some encouragement—but the views atop Black Balsam’s summits are to die for. Seeing the clouds range above mountain ridges, hearing the stillness of uppermost sky; its an oceanic experience, and one that is even better when shared
Impress Your Spouse: Study the map. Plan accordingly. Its somewhat of a drive to Black Balsam. They’ll thank you if you’ve prepared a “Driving Through the Mountains - Asheville Honeymoon Playlist.”
The Biltmore Estate is a big deal. Perhaps the biggest deal in Asheville, besides of course your honeymoon.
With its sprawling grounds and monumental architecture, you could fill several days of your honeymoon in Asheville simply by traversing the Biltmore’s environs.
But once you’re done with traversing, its down to you to decide whether you’d like to engage in a tasting at the Estate’s winery, go for afternoon tea at its inn, or attend a not-infrequent open-air concert. Indeed, you could do all three.
For those of you seeking something off the Estate’s main menu, I’d suggest visiting the conservatory. Filled with fascinating specimens of flourishing flora, it’s quite the Eden-esque location, and thus evokes all the romance therein.
Although the Estate sees significant increases in visitors on Saturdays and Sundays, the grounds are extensive enough it seldom feels crowded. Furthermore, tickets to the Biltmore are discounted through the Summer. Now is the time.
Impress Your Spouse: When your spouse pauses to take in the awe of the Biltmore, an expression of wonder plastered on their face, lean in and whisper, “You like it? Its ours now.” Work with the Estate’s management to keep up the charade for as long as possible.
5: Escape to a Luxurious Mountain Cabin
When it comes down to choosing a residence for your honeymoon in Asheville, a hotel may at first seem like the obvious choice. However, you’ve been to a hotel. Your spouse/loved one/fishing buddy has also been to a hotel. There’s nothing special about a hotel.
And your spouse/loved one/fishing buddy deserves something special, and so why not spirit them away to Asheville Cottages, the city’s premier provider of cabins with character?
What’s that? You’re reading this blog post on Asheville Cottage’s website at this very moment? How fortunate! As you have the information on this matter within your fingertips, I’d like to surmise some particularly engaging details.
Firstly, the location. these cabins are within a quick drive to both downtown and the Biltmore Estate. Your honeymoon in Asheville couldn’t ask for a better staging-ground.
Furthermore, as each cabin comes complete with a kitchen, hot tub, grill, fireplace, and heated bathroom floors, I would not hesitate to call these cabins nicer than any place I have or ever will live in. Don’t think log cabin, think high-class house surrounded by trees.
Impress Your Spouse: Give them the old "rose petals in the shape of a heart" treatment, but more so. Rose petals in the bathtub. Rose petals in the grill. Rose petals in the refrigerator, spilling out when your spouse tries to get a drink. Rose petals on the floor, ceiling, and nailed to the walls. It's not madness; it's love. It’s a honeymoon in Asheville.
Businesses Mentioned
Old Europe
(828) 255-5999
13 Broadway St, Asheville, NC 28801
OWL Bakery
(828) 785-1770
4545, 295 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Akira Satake Ceramics
(828) 275-7612
191 Lyman St Studio 165, Asheville, NC 28801
River Arts District Farmer’s Market
(828) 774-9812
175 Clingman Ave Extension, Asheville, NC 28801
The North Carolina Arboretum
(828) 665-2492
100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806
The Biltmore Estate
(800) 411-3812
1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803
