Last weekend, I spent an amazing two days exploring Asheville, NC for the first time. In just 36 hours, the quirky city easily became one of my favorites. It was a 3.5 hour drive from Augusta and we didn’t leave until James was done with classes, so Friday night was pretty much spent enjoying dinner and lounging around. After walking around the downtown area, we indulged in “French comfort food” at Bouchon, which was just delightful. The pâté and Crème Brûlée actually reminded us of our time in Paris!
Day two started off early, with a tour of the Biltmore Estates. I had an idea of what to expect from America’s largest home, but was still in awe at the architecture and detail at the home and estate. We first took an audio tour of the home, which I highly recommend and went room to room while listening to the history and lifestyle of the Vanderbilt family. The curators did a great job describing the day to day activities; I felt like I was walking through the home in the 1900s. After exploring the home and walking through the estate, we headed to Antler Hill Village to check out the winery and farmhouse.
At Antler Hill Village we had a quick lunch and went for a winery tour. We saw the facilities that produced the dozens of wines made by the Biltmore Estates. Following a quick tour, we sampled about 20 different wines and found some favorites! The employees were so friendly and knowledgeable about the wines making it a really fun experience. All in all, we spent the whole morning and much of the afternoon at the estates, checking out everything we could. It was pretty cold, so we were unable to tour the grounds (something to do next time.)
When we researched what to do in Asheville, we decided that a brewery tour was a must, so we headed to Highland Brewery. There were some food trucks in the area, so we first enjoyed some delicious snacks from El Kimchi (yummy bulgogi tacos and a kimchi hotdog.) Highland Brewery is the 4th largest craft brewery in the southeast, so it was awesome seeing their setup. We sampled some great beers and learned about the company’s history and future. Saturday was definitely jam packed with tons of tours!
The final thing we did on Saturday was an AMAZING dinner at Rhubarb in downtown Asheville. I can honestly say that it was one of the best meals ever! We treated ourselves to rabbit rillette, duck confit, half a chicken (it was HUGE and YUM), and goat cheesecake. I will recommend this restaurant to everyone; it was such a feast! (do make a reservation in advance, it was packed when we went)
The weekend was extra cold, and I had lost my voice at this point, but every bit of the trip was worth it! Sunday was a simple day. We pretty much just walked around the downtown area and window shopped. There were many great galleries and artsy shops. We ended our trip with brunch at Tupelo Honey Cafe; their biscuits and honey are to die for!
It was such an enjoyable weekend, I cannot wait to go back! Now we’re planning a trip to somewhere tropical for Spring Break!
I grew up in Greenville, SC which is only about 45 minutes from Asheville and we would go visit all the time. My Nana grew up there and it's so neat hearing her tales of the Biltmore and Grove Park Inn. I've never tried some of these restaurants, so I'm adding them to my list (especially Rhubarb) for next time we visit!
I live in North Carolina and am always amazed by the rich history and photo worthy gardens surrounding the Biltmore Estate. It's still a treat to go each time though. Your pictures and commentary makes me want to book a trip soon. Thanks for sharing!
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What an amazing place ! Your blog is adorable, love your look also =)
Fashion and Cookies – fashion blog
lovely post Nidhi….seems like you had a great time,…xoxo, Neha
http://www.theinstylejournal.com
Sounds like such a fun visit!
Amy Ann
Straight A Style
Ahhh seriously what a fantastic post! Loving all these photos! Looks like you had a blast!
xoxo,Victoria
http://www.coffeeandablonde.blogspot.com
How awesome! I would love to get to visit here one day. It's been on my list fo awhile now!!
http://www.amemoryofus.com
Such a great post, love the photos.
Blonde in Cashmere
I grew up in Greenville, SC which is only about 45 minutes from Asheville and we would go visit all the time. My Nana grew up there and it's so neat hearing her tales of the Biltmore and Grove Park Inn. I've never tried some of these restaurants, so I'm adding them to my list (especially Rhubarb) for next time we visit!
Erin, Attention To Darling
http://www.attentiontodarling.com
I live in North Carolina and am always amazed by the rich history and photo worthy gardens surrounding the Biltmore Estate. It's still a treat to go each time though. Your pictures and commentary makes me want to book a trip soon. Thanks for sharing!
XxKaSonndra
http://livewellbefabulous.com