Hi friends! Yep, I’m back with another travel blog. This time from the artsy and bohemian town of Asheville, NC. I’m going to share with you where to visit, what to do, where to stay, and funs things along the way. Although we were only here for two days, we packed a lot in (an Austing family specialty), so I have you covered for all your Asheville needs.
Food
Asheville is foodie town central, so you bet as a food blogger that I was hella excited to spend all the time here. I kinda forgot to take a lot of pictures of what I ate, but I will try my best to fill you in (I know, I’m the actual worst food blogger)
Sunshine Sammies
First stop is always ice cream. This ice cream shop actually had a twist, it was an ice cream sandwich shop. They also had some really delicious vegan ice cream flavors. I, of course, being a fruit ice cream fan, chose the vegan pineapple coconut cream flavor. Sadly, none of the cookies were vegan but I was quite content with my large scoop in a cup.
Sierra Nevada Brewing
This is a must-go-to if you are a beer fan. My dad is the biggest craft beer fanatic ever, so this whole trip was spent mostly at breweries. I think the top one for all of us was Sierra Nevada. Originally based in Chico, California, this brewery was more like a college campus than anything. As you pull in, there’s big brass gates, and a tall, resort looking building. We ate lunch here one day and the food was just as good as the beer. Not so many vegan options, but I did have the beet steak, which was absolutely delicious. My family had the veggie pizza with a creamed corn base, the jalapeno grilled cheese with tomato soup, the hummus platter, and the mixed greens salad. All the food was delicious and my dad couldn’t stop raving about the beer. It’s also a full distribution center, and you can walk through and observe where they make and package all the beer. A super cool experience!
Green Sage Cafe
All my vegan/ health peeps out there, this one is for you. This was probably my favorite place I ate at in Asheville due to the broad menu and wide range of options. We ate there for breakfast and I ordered the Green Sage plate (Biscuits and mushroom gravy, tofu scramble, potato hash, and kale and onion stir fry) and my dad ordered the breakfast burrito. We both made them vegan and they were delicious! I hadn’t had biscuits and gravy since going plant-based and I was ecstatic to be able to eat it again. They also served coffee, smoothies, oatmeal, and a bunch of lunch options. You can guarantee that I am going to try and recreate a bunch of their menu items in the future.
Fun Things To Do
Looking Glass Falls
This place was stunning!! I would recommend going early in the morning because we went around 2 and it was packed. If you’re anything like me, this is a fun place to stop. You can hike up around the waterfall, swim in the little waterhole in front (warning, though, the water is freezing!!), and climb in the rocks all around. Plus, it’s right off the main road and there’s a parking lot right in front. So, if you’re not super into hiking, this is a perfect stop.
Slippery Rock
Just two miles or so up from Looking Glass Falls is Slippery Rock. Bring a bathing suit because this is literally what it sounds like. It’s one big natural rock slide. Yep. I wish I took pictures (all I have is a super embarrassing video of me sliding down) but it was all because I was having too much fun. Again, it’s right off the main road and a super easy walk down. You do have to pay $3 per person to go in for an unlimited day pass, but it was well worth it. I was the only one out of my family to go down and guys I can say, I would do it ten times over again. The water was freezing and it was packed, but so much fun. Definitely, a fun place to spend a hot day. There’s also some wading pools and a creek that you can swim around in too.
Blue Ridge Parkway
We drove up this road for a bit on the same day that we visited Looking Glass Falls and Slippery Rock. If you continue up the road from Slippery Rock and turn right onto Blue Ridge Parkway, you will see some of the most stunning views of the mountains. There’s a bunch of lookouts to pull over and take pictures too. Also, if you were to turn left, there’s even more hiking trails and cool views as well. This is a drive that stretches from North Carolina into Virginia, so you can get on it at any point and see some pretty spectacular sights.
See a Movie at the Fine Arts Theatre
Sadly, I didn’t get a picture but only because I was enjoying the movie wayyy too much. On our last night in Asheville, we decided to see Yesterday, which is that new movie about if everyone forgot The Beatles. I highly recommend seeing it!! It was cute and funny and super well made. Plus, Ed Sheeran was in it. Also, I highly recommend seeing it at the Fine Arts Theatre in Asheville. It is an old-fashioned movie theatre located in the heart of downtown Asheville and was the smallest, but cutest little thing. I felt as if I was transported back to the 1950s. Plus, on Tuesdays, all tickets are $5, which is definitely a big bonus.
Lexington St
Broadway is the main street in Asheville for a lot of the shops and restaurants. But I really loved exploring Lexington St, which runs parallel. I loved it because it was a little less crowded and had some really cute boutiques along it. There was Anthropologie (which somehow seems to be better and cuter in Asheville, Instant Karma (a VERY boho and hippie shop with some cute souvenirs), Voltage Records, Old North, plus so many more.
Asheville was such a fun city to visit with so much personality. I definitely recommend if you are looking for a fun weekend place or for a family vacation. It has a little something for everyone. Food and breweries for the adults. Fun nature hiking and adventures for the kids and nature lovers like myself. Vibrant shops and a hippie vibe. I hope you enjoyed this post and add Asheville to your list of places to visit.
Emma xxx
