Have you been to Asheville, NC?
Unless you hate house museums for some reason, I say you gotta do Biltmore. It's fantastically grand. Lots of restaurants -- take your pick. Check local performances -- a lot of nifty acts come thru there; plus there are the many people playing on the streets.
Agree with touring the Biltmore. I enjoyed my lunch at Curate and touring various art galleries.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is as beautiful as anything in the eastern U.S. We mostly drove in the direction of Tennessee from Asheville. Look into it and find a hike. The hike(s) in the "balds" were magnificent, with stunning 360 views. There are some nice waterfalls too. Also think its worth going over and seeing what the Omni Grove Park Inn looks like from the outside front (or maybe its considered the back, I don't know).
Tupelo Honey Cafe is Yummy.
The Omni Grove Park Inn Hotel- go for a drink and watch the sunset- AMAZING!
If you like beer, there are of ton of breweries and tap rooms to visit.
It was years ago, but the Biltmore Estate was amazing. We also went to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.
Loved climbing to the top of Chimney Rock and ate at the Old Rock Cafe for a quick bite. Nothing fancy but had a great chicken salad sandwich and the Rocky Broad River/stream was right in the back. Took a long beautiful walk down the stream after lunch. Also had a dessert at Woolworths and if you are into knitting, crocheting, or weaving, there are lots of yarn stores in downtown Asheville.
Oh and loved the Biltmore, but had more fun strolling the gardens and visiting the grounds. Truly a beautiful estate. You could spend an entire day there.
I'd say avoid the immediate Pack Square area unless there are other people around. There are good restaurants there and it is very central but we were there in April of 2016 and found the combination of young street people and a truly poor, probably homeless presence was overwhelming and not comfortable.
Things to do: the boardinghouse run by the mother of Thomas Wolfe the 1930s novelist is really interesting even if you haven't read his books. Asheville is very proud of him. Interesting shopping in that area as well. There is also a wonderful arcade, glorified mall but wonderful architecture and lots of artisan shops, a few blocks off Pack Square, near the Haywood Park Hotel. That hotel is a couple of blocks off Pack Square in a repurposed department store and is very comfortable as well as interesting--also appealing because it is walking distance to downtown without being right on the rather sordid square. Tupelo Honey is a mini chain and pretty good. There is also a restaurant more or less across the street from it on a street that runs diagonally near the HP--and that is a cutesy street in itself. Agree about the Biltmore though not sure who the gardens will be in October. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a very time consuming though beautiful drive. I don't know that I would recommend it as something to do per se if you only have a short time in Asheville, though on other trips to NC we have enjoyed other mountain towns such as Boone and Blowing Rock.
I haven't been to Asheville recently, but I enjoy visiting unique independent bookstores, so I'd recommend this one if that's something you'd enjoy:
The folk art center (on the Blue Ridge Parkway at/near Asheville) is great!
Another vote for Malaprop's!
Also recommend staying at the Grove Park Inn, or at least having a drink on the terrace looking out at the mountains.
If you'd prefer to stay closer to downtown, the Renaissance is fine.
Check to see what shows may be in town. We saw comedian John Mulaney when we were there. It’s a stop for many performers. Also agree with Baltimore Estate (we did the self-guided tour) and a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Many scenic overlooks, waterfalls.
We enjoyed a visit to the Sierra Nevada Brewery. This is not a small, craft brewery - it’s large and very nice. Big restaurant with a good menu, great beer selections, beautiful facility - it was a surprise. They also offer guided tours, tastings, and self-guided tours.
We found the downtown area to be congested and there was construction going on everywhere. But there are lots of restaurants to choose from.
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Planning a short visit early October.
What did you like? Recommend? Avoid?
TIA