While we were in the Aruba airport heading back for the States, we all sat together waiting for our flights. Blake said, "When do you guys work this month?". They took December off and were looking for things to do. It just so happened that we took off 4 days for my birthday and none of us have ever been to Asheville, NC. So, we booked an Airbnb and started finding things to do!
After working 5 days straight, we packed up the truck and started the 6 hour drive to Chimney Rock State Park.
Once we arrived Blake, Ruby, their dog Venture, Aaron, and I headed up to the top of Chimney Rock!
There are a few things to check out along the way. A great way to take a break from all the stairs.
Once we got to the top of Chimney Rock we were able to soak in all the views!
There is also an elevator you can take up, but I convinced everyone we can take the stairs. Someone would've had to take Venture down since dogs are not allowed in the elevator. After this, we went grocery shopping and headed to our Airbnb.
The next day was my birthday! Aaron got me lots of goodies and Venture came in to enjoy them too. Blake and Ruby got me a book full of pictures from Aruba and birthday decorations! It was so sweet.
The view in the morning was beautiful. You can find our Airbnb here: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/44105184?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=691622cb-b774-4d92-99d1-a2410d914ca3
We go dressed and headed out!
First stop was breakfast at Biscuit Head. This is a very popular place in Asheville and has 3 locations. We went to the Haywood Road location since it was closer to our Airbnb. My friend Sahriah told me the downtown location gets very busy, so this location worked out perfectly. We also were there during the week which helped. The food was delicious!!!!
After this we walked to a few shops and absolutely loved Provision Mercantile where they sell lots of Asheville made goodies.
Then we headed to downtown Asheville to walk around. We parked across the street from Mast General Store Asheville. This store has so much to look at! Hiking clothes, gear, winter jackets, Asheville made treats, and much more. We spent awhile here checking everything out.
After this we started walking to the Grove Arcade. On the way we stopped at the Double D's Coffee & Desserts. They had delicious Hot Apple Cider.
Having a nice warm beverage to walk around in the cold and rain makes it not feel so bad. We continued out walk to Grove Arcade and stopped at a few more places.
We did have to turn around and grab the truck and move it because where we parked the meter ran out. There is a nice parking garage across from the Grove Arcade. The Grove Arcade is not an arcade, but an indoor mall with local shops and lots of places to sit and talk.
It was beautifully decorated for the holiday season.
After this we were walking to the car and noticed Cultivated Cocktails Distillery. We decided to stop in!
Then we headed home to check on Venture and grab some playing cards. For dinner we visited White Duck Taco Shop on Riverside Drive. There are 3 locations in Asheville so you can pick from them. This was probably one of the best taco places we all have ever been to!
Naturally I had my birthday margarita!
Our last stop was New Belgium Brewing Company which was a no brainer on my list for Asheville. My dad and I are huge Voodoo Ranger fans. While we were there we bought a six pack that is a limited edition and only sold at the breweries!
That night we hung out in the hot tub at our cabin and talked.
The next day we visited Early Girl Eatery. There are also 3 locations of this and we visited the Haywood Road location. Once again, another delicious meal. Highly recommend the biscuit french toast. Really everything on the menu is good though.
A few doors down from here is an amazing hiking store where you give as much as you can. Everything there has a price tag, but if you feel the value is a lower amount or that's all you have, they'll accept it! We all bought a few stickers here and I bought a book. They also have Cotopaxi!
After filling our bellies, we headed for the Blue Ridge Parkway in hopes for some beautiful views. Thankfully it did clear up enough for a few views along the drive. Driving up here was a little dangerous as the fog made for limited visibility so be careful of that!
Our first hike was Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower. This was a recommendation from Sahriah as well. We were not sure how long it was going to take to get up there and we were worried about the fog. It was roughly 2 miles round trip and the views were amazing!
Our next stop was Upper Log Hallow Falls. This was a little difficult to find, but well worth the effort. The drive to get in here was not paved, but easily manageable.
On our way to the next stop, we noticed Sliding Rock which is closed this time of the year. Blake and I ran to snap a quick picture.
Next was just a pull off on the side of the road, Looking Glass Waterfall. It is 100% worth the stop!
Lastly was DuPont State Recreational Forest where many scenes from Hunger Games was filmed! We checked out the Triple Falls Trail. It was maybe half a mile and beautiful!
After this we headed over to Smokey and the Pig in Fairview, NC. Near there was Whistle Hop Brewing Company. We saw Whistle Hop Brewing Company when we were driving home from Chimney Rock State Park our first night in Asheville. Ruby and I were in the car and both said, "Woah look at all the lights!". So we took our food from Smokey and the Pig over to the brewery and enjoyed live music (and lots of lights).
The next morning we checked out of our Airbnb and headed for breakfast. Our original plan was to try Sunny Point Cafe. The line was ridiculously long so we headed back down the road to Biscuit Head where we did not have to wait in line and the food was just as good, if not better, as the first time.
After this we said goodbye to our friends and headed back to Fairmont, WV. Getting back from Aruba and working 5 days, then driving 6 hours to Asheville, then working 4 days, and then driving home for the holidays made for a very busy month, but was totally worth it! We are so thankful Blake and Ruby were up for the adventure!
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