Asheville, North Carolina has a personality that’s entirely its own – laid back, quaint and a little quirky. It’s the perfect spot for a mountain getaway.
From day trips to a weekend with the girls, Asheville holds some fun memories for me. Here are all my favorite things to do and places to eat when I visit.
The Best Things To Do
Flora Botanical Living & Forage Coffee
Flora is the most beautiful plant shop and will always be first on my list of Asheville favorites. Housed inside the brick and mortar is the cutest coffee shop, Forage. Right next door is Bagatelle Books. It’s the perfect place to grab a book, drink some coffee, and take a plant for the road.
Regeneration Station
Regeneration Station might just be my favorite antique store ever. Asher and I stumbled upon it accidentally a few years ago. It’s a huge warehouse of anything and everything vintage, including old vinyls and furniture.
The Blue Ridge Parkway & Hiking
You can’t visit Asheville without taking a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway for some of the most beautiful views of the mountains. My favorite time to take a drive is in the fall. And if you’re into hiking, I highly recommend Craggy Gardens and Black Balsam Knob.
Downtown Shopping
If hiking isn’t your thing, shopping in downtown Asheville should be. I always stop at Lexington Park Antiques (for – you guessed it – antiques), Shady Grove Flowers (for all things plants), Horse and Hero (for local art), Mast General Store (another Asheville must-visit), and Duncan & York and Anthropologie (because sometimes you need to buy yourself a gift). My most recent favorite is the Asheville Bee Charmer. I love bees!
The Biltmore Estate
Did you even visit Asheville if you didn’t take a photo in front of the Biltmore? The answer is no. This is probably the most touristy attraction in the city and for good reason. From the winery to the gardens, this should be high on your must-visit list.
Photo courtesy of Emma Deihle (@emmadeihle). 
Photo courtesy of Emma Deihle (@emmadeihle).
The Grove Park Inn
I LOVE going to The Grove Park Inn, especially at Christmas to see the gingerbread houses. The views are spectacular, the restaurants are worth the splurge, and if a spa day is what you need, they have that too.
The Best Things to Eat and Drink
White Duck Taco Shop
My favorite food is tacos (specifically, fish tacos), and White Duck does not disappoint. White Duck has multiple locations. We visited the one by the river on Riverside Drive and loved it!
Early Girl Eatery
Early Girl Eatery is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and has two locations – one downtown and one in West Asheville near Flora. There’s normally a wait to be seated, but it’s so worth it.
Double D’s Coffee and Desserts
Serving coffee and dessert out of a double decker bus, Double D’s might deserve the award for most unique shop in all of Asheville. Go there. Your Instagram will thank you later.
French Broad Chocolate Lounge
Chocolate. That’s really all you need to know. The French Broad Chocolate Lounge serves everything from bonbons and cakes to ice cream and macarons. Do yourself a favor, and grab a chocolate bar to go.
Trade and Lore
Trade and Lore is my favorite coffee shop in downtown, and their order window is the cutest.
Other Recommendations
The Laughing Seed (vegan), Cúrate, The Market Place, Bouchon, Session at Citizen Vinyl
Faith, Olivia, Meg, Emma, and me. Love these girls! 
Outside Asheville
When I went on a recent girls’ trip (which I highly recommend doing, by the way), we stayed at this cabin in Marion, a little bit outside Asheville. I cannot give you my full Asheville list without telling you all about the places we visited outside the city.
Dot’s Dario in Marion, N.C.
My claim to fame is that I’m friends with the granddaughter of the people who own Dot’s, the cutest ice cream shop located in Marion. It’s so cute that Our State Magazine wrote an article about it.
Hillman’s Brewery in Old Fort, N.C.
I’m not a beer drinker (although I hear Hillman’s serves the some of best) and I’m not much of a juicy sandwich eater. So when I ordered a kale salad at a brewery, I was skeptical. But LET ME TELL YOU. The salad was amazing, and the atmosphere was perfect. So grab some friends and go have dinner by the river in Old Fort.
Sky Top Orchard in Zirconia, N.C.
Located about 45 minutes from downtown, Sky Top is one of the best places to pick apples in the fall (or eat apple cider doughnuts). For more info on how to plan your trip, visit this post on sky Top Orchard.
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