Travel to Asheville, North Carolina – Episode 696

Hear about things to do in Asheville, NC as the Amateur Traveler talks to music journalist and cocktail aficionado Bill Kopp about his adopted hometown.

Bill says, “Asheville is really eclectic and funky. It has food, music, art, performing arts. There is something for everyone in Asheville. One thing that is really remarkable about it is that it’s not a big city. It has a very human scale. Outside of the day trip, everything here is either walkable or a few minute’s drive. It is a lot more artistic and cosmopolitan than one might expect of a city nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains.”

Bill moved to Asheville 20 years ago from Atlanta to make a lifestyle change. He says that most of the transplants to the city moved there for similar reasons. Over the years, famous residents have included the writers O’Henry, Thomas Wolf, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. They also included the inventor of the synthesizer Dr. Robert Moog. The resident to make perhaps the most noticeable mark on the city was George Vanderbilt who built America’s largest home, the Biltmore House in Asheville.

We start downtown which has a large collection of Art Deco buildings including its city hall. Bill talks about the hippy roots of some of Asheville residence that are evident in some of the tailgate markets, the music scene, and the drum circle in Pritchard Park on Friday nights.

The “best” tour is the irreverent Lazoom Tour. “As often as not there is a live band on the bus. Sitings often include a nun on a bicycle.” 

Visit the local restaurants of Asheville. After you have eaten the local BBQ, sampled the music and art scene it is time to get out to the hills and mountains around the city. It is close to Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can find white water rafting, skiing, waterfalls, and hiking a short distance from town. You can also find the tallest of the Appalachian Mountains at Mount Mitchell. There are winding country roads, historic Cherokee towns, and a cheese trail all a short distance from Asheville.

Listen to this episode and then plan your trip to the funky, relaxing, tasty city of Asheville, North Carolina. 

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This episode is sponsored by Skylight Frame which is an easy to use smart frame. Get it for mom for mother’s day and the whole family can keep it updated with new photos just by sending an email. Get $10 by going to skylightframe.com and using the code traveler.

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Show Notes

Asheville
Asheville Architecture Trail
Pritchard Park
Thomas Wolfe House
Lazoom Tour
Tourism Board Urban Trail Map
River Arts District
Southern Highland Craft Guild
Moog Museum
Theremin
12 Bones
Luella’s BBQ
North Asheville Tailgate Market
Biscuit Heads
Over Easy Cafe
Sunny Point Cafe
The Orange Peel
Diana Wortham Theatre
Montford Historic District, Asheville
Albemarle Park
WNC Cheese Trail
Cherokee, NC
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Blue Ridge Parkway
Mount Mitchell State Park
Craggy Gardens, Blue Ridge Parkway
The Dragon, Motorcycle & Sports Car Drive
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
Hot Springs NC
Whitewater Rafting near Asheville
Ski Slopes and Resorts near Asheville
Transylvania County
Christmas Jam
The Omni Grove Park Inn

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