Give yourself a little time to enjoy the experience. Bookstore slash champagne bar.Īs I walked around the store, admiring old leather-bound books, sipping my blood orange mimosa, I couldn’t help but feel very Gatsby. As you round corners, entire sections appear with leather couches and more twists and turns, like a book maze. The vibe is vintage and the store is designed for visitors to explore and become lost. It’s a bookstore with an eclectic mix of books, from old school anatomy to modern-day bestsellers. Number 6: Visit Battery Park Book Exchangeīattery Park Book Exchange is located in the Grove Arcade. It was a lucky accident I found it, but without the map, or getting lost, it’s easily missed. As the wheel turned, a speaker in the adjacent bushes made sounds based on the wheel including an airplane and a train. I stumbled across one after getting a bit turned around and found a young boy spinning a giant metal wheel. But some of the best are hidden down little streets and finding all 30 without a map can be difficult. Just walking around town, you’ll see many of them. It was designed to provide a walking history of There are videos online explaining each of the items. You can find information online about the 30 installations throughout the city, along with a map here.
Number 5: Check out the Urban TrailĪsheville has a walking museum called the Urban Trail. Me additional time to wander downtown, buy some chocolates, and grab dinner. We arrived back at the Visitors Center around 5 pm, allowing
It was a full day, which I really enjoyed. I hopped off at the Omni Grove Park Inn, Pack Square Park, the Grove Arcade, and a small shopping area called Biltmore Village. If you start with the first trolley at 10 am, you will be able to tour the entire city, hopping off at least four times, and make it back to the final trolley of the day without rushing. I found it easy to hop off, take pictures, grab a meal, and hit a gift shop before hopping back on. The guides are great and as they drive along, they provide a history lesson with some flair. There are 10 stops and you can hop off and on at any of them.
Want to see the entire city in one day? Head to the Visitor Center and hop on the trolley.Ĭlick here to learn how to use the Trolley to explore Asheville in One Day! Number 4: Hop on the Hop-on/Hop-off Trolley I now judge all other ghost tours based on this one. It was the most fun 2 hours I’ve had on a tour. The research turned up, and then shrugged and moved on. Our guide left it up to us to determine what was real and What I loved about my tour is that our amazing guide delved into the history of Asheville that you won’t hear on a daytime tour.Īmong other things, we learned about a mass murder told in the most entertaining way and a few ghosts haunting local churches. I admit I’ve been on ghost tours that weren’t great, but this is Asheville, home to Haunted Asheville Ghost Tours with people who actively research the history of the city and are called by locals when something unusual happens. I can hear you now, “But they’re so hokey.” Number 3: Explore Asheville at Night on a Walking Ghost Tour
You’ll have fun, learn a lot from your guide, and gain a new perspective on the city itself.ĭid I mention the free parking at the Visitors Center whereĭuring prime season. Try Moving Sidewalks tour for one of the best ways to see the city. It works like an app, only it’s in Excel (no reading glasses or tiny thumbs required). Need help packing? Grab my FREE customizable packing list here. You have to be happy on a Segway, it’s just too much fun! When you see a Segway tour go by, everyone has huge smiles. Number 2: Tour Asheville on a SegwayĬome on, you know you’re dying to be one of those people in the little helmets on the Segways. But somehow the flavors blend seamlessly making it the best dish I had all week. With seasoned sweet potatoes, salsa, avocado, kale, and eggs, I thought I wouldn’t like it. If you’re there for breakfast, give the Veggie Breakfast Bowl a try. It’s pretty clear a chef with creativity and zest is heading up the kitchen. There are two locations, Wall Street in downtown, and Merrimon Ave.Īn upscale diner atmosphere paired with dishes that can only be described as downright inspired equals a great meal. More Ideas for Things to Do in AshevilleĮarly Girl Eaterydoesn’t appear on a lot of top 10 lists, but it should.Number 11: Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway.Mount Mitchell – The Highest Peak East of the Mississippi.Number 7: Visit the Omni Grove Park Inn.Number 6: Visit Battery Park Book Exchange.Number 4: Hop on the Hop-on/Hop-off Trolley.Number 3: Explore Asheville at Night on a Walking Ghost Tour.