A Long Weekend in Asheville (Part 1)

I just got back from a long weekend away in the mountains of western North Carolina, and it was exactly the rejuvenating trip that I needed. There's something about mountain air that's just good for the soul! It was my first time in Asheville, and after hearing from just about everyone that I had to make a trip immediately after I moved to Raleigh, I had high expectations. Somehow, it lived up to (and exceeded) what I imagined the town to be! Here's what we did on our first two days- I'll share our other two days in my next post!

Day 1

Check in at Annie's Cabin

When I was looking for a place to stay, I knew that I wanted a quintessential mountain experience which meant one thing- staying in a cabin. I looked around at a few places and stumbled upon Greybeard Rentals, which rents (and sells) unique cabins in the Asheville area. I set a few filters to find the perfect place and ended on Annie's Cabin. 

Located just 15 minutes from downtown Asheville in the small town of Fairview, it was absolutely perfect. We had a deck with a mountain view, where we did yoga in the morning and sipped wine while reading as the sun set in the evenings, a hot tub, fire pit, and adorable interior. I would highly recommend this place for the best cozy getaway.

Highland Brewing and Whistle Hop

After we got settled in, we headed into town to visit the famous Highland Brewing, which is the largest independent, family-owned brewery in the southeast. I've had one of their beers before which I didn't like, but was absolutely blown away by their brewery! It was basically a whole campus with multiple places to relax and enjoy a drink or food, as well as event spaces and volleyball courts. We stayed inside to listen to live music that was fantastic. I got a flight and really loved all four beers, so maybe the one I tried before was an outlier.

Next we made a stop at a brewery that's super close to the cabin called Whistle Hop. This is a much smaller place that's in a caboose of an old train- even the beer flight came in a mini train car! There were a lot of free outdoor games you could borrow while you were there (including a mini golf course), and it was a great experience. The beer wasn't my favorite, but it's such a unique place that you have to stop by.

Day 2

Lake Lure

We spent most of our first full day in the Lake Lure area. This is actually a place that I had pinned on my map before we even moved- I saw someone post a picture on a trip they took here and it was so beautiful that I knew I wanted to go one day. We finally made it, and it was just as beautiful in person as it was in that picture! We started out at the visitor's center and did a walk around Morse Park first, before making our way to the Flowering Bridge. 

This used to be a bridge for vehicles that was about to be torn down, but the citizens decided to start a garden and keep it open to pedestrians. It was such a beautiful place, filled with the most interesting flowers that I've ever seen and swarming with butterflies and bees! 

Lured Market + Cafe

By this time we were starving, so we stopped at a little cafe right on the water. It was a great spot with really good, fresh food, along with some outdoor games like Jenga and ladder golf. Dan got an Impossible burger while I had the daily special which was a tomato cucumber salad, along with a side of trout bites, and a delicious root beer. From here, we made our way to Dittmer-Watts Nature Trail Park to stretch out our legs. While the park was fine, I wouldn't go out of your way to visit since there are so many other, better trails around.

Point Lookout Winery

We made our final stop of the day at a winery that sits on the very top of a mountain with views for DAYS. This is a popular wedding venue and it's easy to see why- this place is so picturesque and romantic. Plus- their wine is amazing!

We both ordered a tasting, which came with 5 wines and 1 mead (or if you prefer mead you can do 5 meads and 1 wine), as well as a cheese plate. I got a mix of red, white, and rose wines, and honestly liked all of them! There was a good variety of sweet wines and interesting red blends that I thought were well balanced and flavorful. 

The only one I didn't love was the mead, but Dan really liked his and ended up getting a full glass after the tasting. I opted for the Bridal Veil, which is a light and sweet white wine that was perfect for a warm summer day. In the tasting notes they say it's "summer joy in a bottle" and I could definitely feel that when I was drinking this and looking at the unreal view!

By the way- if you have a dog all of these places were extremely dog friendly! Selma had a great time and received a ton of belly rubs, treats, and offers for fresh water constantly. I'm not sure who had a better trip- the humans or the dog!

These were our first few days in Asheville (besides all the time we spent relaxing back at the cabin). Come back later this week to hear about our day downtown touring breweries, the amazing summit hike we took in the cutest mountain town, and more!