Red-eye flights. Woo, talk about an adventure. RJ and I had the great adventure to catch a red-eye flight to the beautiful town of Asheville. We were in Asheville for roughly 72 hours, a quick trip filled with plenty of fun things that I will treasure forever. Asheville is a darling town filled with beautiful brick roads and dreamy homes. We got to do a historical trolley tour, and we found out that many writers lived and planted in Asheville for some time. I have no doubt why writers lived there, as it was so beautifully romantic and inspiring.
The prime time to visit this town is in October/November as you will see a sea of red trees as the fall colors explode amongst the rolling hills of trees. We are talking about red, red. The red is so glorious, and something that we don’t get to see every day in the state we live in. Apple orchards upon apple orchards outside the city lines. So many pumpkin patches filled the outskirts of town. Ugh, I am gushing over the countryside of Asheville, as well as the funky city limits filled with limitless breweries, antiques, shopping, and treasures.
In this guide, you will find the very things we did, on top of the things we researched and noted prior to going on the trip. Some of the things weren’t on our itinerary as we ran out of time, but I will share those as well as they were something we would love to do when the opportunity to visit Asheville meets us again.
To arrive in this charming town, we flew into the airport of Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte is about 1 hour and 50 minutes from Asheville. Honestly, the drive was gorgeous and one of our favorite parts about this trip. There is also a smaller airport located in Asheville where you can find direct flights! We ended up doing red-eye flights, and that’s how we found the most affordable flights! So we flew in on a red eye and arrived Friday morning in Charlotte. Then drove the 2 hours up to Asheville! We got to catch a colorful sunrise along the highway! The trees along the highway are stunning!!
We went to Asheville at the start of October, so the fall weather was almost prime. The temperature was in the range of 63 to 75 degrees while we were there. At night, the weather dropped to a low of 47 degrees! The humidity also made the air chilly in the mornings and at night when there was no sun present!
So my packing list for the weekend entailed of:
I packed additional clothing for a wedding specifically. But ultimately, jeans, t-shirts & jacket/flannel will suit you well for the weather in Asheville!! Comfy boots and sneakers are a must as there is a lot of exploring and walking to do in this town!
Biscuit Head– This place is an absolute must-place to eat. They have southern-style biscuits for breakfast and lunch. You will find biscuit sandwiches & fun drinks! RJ ordered the Filthy Animal Biscuit Sandwich which had buttermilk biscuits with fried chicken & egg smothered in gravy! My mouth is watering remembering this biscuit sandwich in memory! I ordered a Classic Biscuit Sandwich with their sriracha maple sausage and egg with a side of espresso red eye gravy! I also ordered their maple bacon latte, and it was a sip of sweet & salty heaven! There is a location in Biltmore and West Asheville (the one we went to)!
This place was too good that we walked away with their cookbook, t-shirt, and a coffee mug 🙂
Sierra Nevada Brewery – This brewery was full of beautiful scenery. The drive to this brewery was breathtaking. The back porch had some food trucks, string lights, and large campfires to sit around. It was a fun atmosphere! My choice of order was their hard kombucha —- their watermelon, sea salt, lime & mint was so refreshing! RJ ordered various beers from their brewery, which were all very good.
As for food, we shared their pretzel and cheese! Additionally, we shared their “slack” burger which was delicious with our drinks!
Pack’s Tavern- After doing our Gray Line Trolley Tour, we decided to stop at this tavern-style restaurant. It was located in Downtown Asheville and it was full of burgers & sandwiches & pizzas. We ordered a Blackberry Blosson and beer on tap! For Food, we shared a beer cheese Philly sub with a side of aus jus! It was a yummy tummy filler after a scenic trolley ride!
Ginger Revenge Brewery– We didn’t officially get to stop by this brewery. However, we got to try their ginger beer that was on tap in the antique store Marquee! It was so tangy, delicious, and refreshing! I tried the Hibiscus Lavender, and I wish we got to stop by to try a flight! I would highly recommend stopping by this Ginger Beer Brewery as it doesn’t come around often!
Where we wish we got to eat (but ran out of time)
White Duck Taco- We love tacos. This was on our list, but we just didn’t get to do it. There were incredible reviews about this place on Pinterest and on Google Reviews! It’s known for its electric taco combinations! We also would have loved to have tried Taco Billy’s! I think a trip back to Asheville is calling us back 🙂
Farm Burger- On our trolley ride, we were informed that Farm Burger has some of the best burgers and fries in town. It was highly recommended to stop there. We were in Asheville for a wedding, so our time and meals were limited! Our burger-loving hearts still think about this place, and I hope you get the chance to try it!
French Broad Chocolate Lounge- I am a big chocolate gal! We didn’t get to stop by this place as we didn’t spend a whole lot of time in Downtown Asheville. Essentially, this French shop is all things chocolate! Chocolate truffles, bars, and even some tea-infused chocolate! I would have definitely purchased a 12pc caramel collection of chocolate truffles!
Buxton Hall Barbecue- RJ is a man who loves barbecue. Again, the trolley ride mentioned this place as we passed by! Southern-style BBQ! We would have ordered a Carolina Hot Chicken Sandwich and a Whole Hog BBQ Sandwich! Darn to miss this place!
Sunny Point Cafe- In search of breakfast places, Biscuit Head & Sunny Point Cafe were the two spots that kept popping up! Incredible reviews! They provide an American classic-style breakfast! Knowing us, we would have tried their Breakfast Burrito & Chicken + Waffles!
Tobacco Barn- This was a sight to see! Especially if you are a DIY Lover or Junkyard Scrap seeker! This was an old tobacco barn filled with antiques, scraps, and goodies! It was a good thing we had a flight home so we couldn’t bring much back! There were slabs of beautiful wood, funky frames & signs, and random treasures we would have loved to take back. Next time, we will bring a trailer and just load it up!!! Just kidding…
Marquee- This was a unique shop! It was an antique shop filled with vendor booths of different artists! You will find everything from funky rugs to upcycled denim to stunning light fixtures! There was a bar inside so you could sip and shop! Which was a fun experience, and the bar also served fresh doughnuts from a local shop that were amazing!
Olde World Christmas Shoppe- Who doesn’t love a good Christmas shop? This one was filled with ornaments, nativity scenes, dish towels, Christmas villages, and all things Christmas. You will find sentimental pieces in this store, and many of our crew left with ornaments!
Casablanca Cigar Bar– The guys in our crew would probably say that this was their favorite place. There were numerous cigars to choose from, and you were able to smoke them & drink whiskey at their bar! I found myself shopping next door, but this one is a good one to note for the guys in your crowd!
Nest Boutique– This was a cute clothing boutique we landed upon in Biltmore Village. I fell in love with a feather purse and decided to walk away from it. It was a little bit out of my price range, but I still have my eye on it online. This boutique had some statement pieces that were hard to pass up! Additionally, lots of good gold earrings and jewelry. I will definitely be keeping them in my heart through online shopping in the future! I would highly recommend stopping by with your girls while the guys check out the Casablanca Cigar Bar. There were lots of quaint boutiques in Biltmore Village, so I would make sure to check all of them out!
Gray Line Trolley Tour- I am usually not your tour girl, however since this was a new town that not many of us had been to before, this was an awesome idea. It was a hop-on, hop-off trolley that drove us throughout Asheville! You will find some rich history and fun scenery. Beforehand, we planned out the stops and where we wanted to stop based on restaurants and shops. The ticket for this trolley allowed us a 2-day access! This is honestly the best way to get a glimpse at all of Asheville in a short hour and then start stopping at locations that perk your interest! By using this trolley, that is how we identified the good restaurants and shops to stop by!
Breweries- If we were to go back to Asheville, we would take the breweries more seriously! We ran into a few folks that mentioned there is a map of all the breweries in Asheville and you can follow the map for a few days to taste all the breweries. I believe there are 43 breweries in Asheville!
Biltmore Estate- Next time, we will allow the time to tour the Biltmore Estate. We got to hear all about it on the trolley tour, and it seemed remarkable. There is a winery as well as the Antler Hill Village to shop at! This would be an all-day thing, and that was not possible in our schedule! I would make room in your itinerary to visit this estate masterpiece! At Christmas Time, I would highly recommend checking it out as it looks like a holiday dream!!
The Omni Grove Inn– The trolley takes up to the Grove Inn! This is the first stop of the trolley that we hopped off! What a beautiful piece of property. It has the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains and a retired PGA golf course. Some of our folks were golfing there, but once again, we didn’t have the time or reservation. You bet we would make an effort to golf here next time! I would stop by and have a drink here, coffee or cocktail and just take in the beauty of the mountains! The fall colors were unbeatable at this place! Something fun they have going on is a gingerbread house competition where people showcase their culinary creations!
Point Lookout Vineyards- This is actually where the wedding was hosted at! It was a scenic drive to get up to these vineyards. The rolling hills and ever-changing fall leaves coated the shuttle windows. At the wedding, we were served their wine. The Merlot & Sauvignon Blanc was flavorful and tasty! Again, the mountains here were so graceful and charming! This would be such a fun date with your significant other!
The only thing I regret about this trip was not having enough time. We spent 2 full days in Asheville, so next time, we will make sure to have more time to do the things we learned we wanted to do! I hope you read this and learn from our missed opportunities! I also hope you take our word for the things we did discover as we don’t want you to miss out! Have the best time in this fall fetching town!
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