This past weekend, Steve and I packed our bags and headed to Asheville, North Carolina for a much needed weekend getaway. We stayed in an Airbnb in West Asheville that was actually gifted to me for achieving our quarterly goals at my job. It’s good to know hard work doesn’t go unnoticed and that Steve and I get to enjoy the benefits of my job together from time to time. We had the option to pick any city we’d like to visit that was drive-able within a weekend, and Asheville had been on our list for quite some time since we both wanted to see The Biltmore and we enjoy craft beer. It was a no-brainer when the opportunity presented itself.
We set out Friday afternoon and the drive was about 4 and a half hours long.The weather was unusually cold and rainy for this time of year, so we were a bit chillier than expected. We got into town, checked into our Airbnb, and walked down the street to Westville Pub for a drink and some appetizers. Afterwards, we decided on grabbing some ice cream at The Hop since it was just down the road on Haywood. Honestly, for not being a huge ice cream person, I was really impressed with their Grasshopper ice cream (that I, of course, had topped with their hot fudge). It was delicious. Steve got the Horchata ice cream and loved it as well.
We played a few games of Connect Four while we finished our ice cream and then walked back to our Airbnb to call it a night. We had big plans for Saturday and wanted to make sure we were well rested. We kicked off Saturday morning with a southern breakfast at Biscuit Head. Steve ordered the half breakfast and I splurged on the Asheville Benedict with a Maple Bacon Latte. When in Asheville, am I right? It was an incredible breakfast and a total bonus that it, again, was within walking distance from where we were staying.
After our meal, we made a quick stop at the Asheville Outlet Mall so we could find buy some jackets (yes, we forgot to pack jackets and didn’t realize how cold it would be). Then we were on our way to visit The Biltmore Estate. I had been wanting to visit the Biltmore for as long as I can remember and was as giddy as a child on our way in. There was so much to see that I’ll probably have to eventually do a separate blog post dedicated specifically to the inside tour of the estate, so stay tuned for that.
The current exhibit during our visit was Designed for Drama: Fashion from the Classics. It included 40 decorated and detailed costumes from 14 major films. They are inspired by favorite stories in George Vanderbilt’s 22,000-volume library. It was really something to see. 
After touring the inside of the house, we walked out to the gardens where my breath was, yet again, completely taken away by the historic beauty of the property. The gardens were completely magical. I felt like I stepped into a fairytale the moment I walked through the fields of flowers.
After strolling through the Biltmore gardens, we took the short drive up to the Biltmore Winery for a complimentary wine tasting. The line was really long when we arrived, but went surprisingly fast– we only ended up waiting for about 10 minutes. When we entered the tasting area, I understood why. The tasting area was massive and ended up holding way more people than I expected it to. Steve and I were brought to a tasting area and each selected 5-7 wines from a list of more than 15. They were all great and I ended up purchasing a bottle of Rosé on my way out since our next Nashville Ladies Wine Club is rosé themed.
We concluded our visit to the Biltmore and Steve had to practically drag me out of there. I seriously loved it so much. He coaxed me out with the promise of food and I promised him craft beer in return. We headed over to Wicked Weed downtown for brews and burgers.
After a packed day of sightseeing and wine & beer tasting, we decided to call it an early night and actually catch up on some sleep during our mini vacation. It felt great to get rest. The next morning we woke up early and grabbed some breakfast at West End Bakery & Cafe. I stared in disbelief at the size of their cinnamon rolls and danishes. Though tempting, I settled on a breakfast sandwich and so did Steve. The bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwich was the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had in my life. Homemade HUGE biscuit, thick bacon, scrambled egg, and provolone cheese. It did not disappoint.
After fueling up with delicious breakfast, we hit the road to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I always find scenic drives so relaxing and refreshing, so I was glad to have Steve drive the car while I was able to sit back and take in the views while letting my mind hit refresh. It was the perfect ending to a weekend away.
That’s all for my Asheville travel diary. Be on the lookout for advice on visiting the Biltmore Estate in the near future, though! I have LOADS of photos and tips. 🙂
