Why Asheville?

Sometimes in my obsession to get more stamps on my passport, I forget that I live in a huge country full of amazing things to see and places to go. So, I decided to make more of an effort to see my own country while also exploring the rest of the world.

That decision left me staring at a map of the good ol’ US of A, searching out my next destination. We used a decent chunk of our vacation days for Guatemala, and we need to have a lot of vacation time saved up for a big trip next year. That means our “in-between” trip would need to be fairly short, so no exploring the national parks of Wyoming and Montana or road tripping the West Coast this time around.

We also needed somewhere that wouldn’t drain our travel budget before next year,so we needed a place with affordable accommodations and free entertainment (of which Mother Earth is typically the best provider).

Which leads me to Asheville. I’ll only have to take 4 days of vacation for it, so it meets that criteria. Through travel hacking, we got nearly free airfare directly to and from Asheville, and while we are in downtown Asheville, we will have free bikes at our disposal which should save us money on a rental car those days. Since most of our planned activities revolve around hiking and exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway, we should only need money for lodging, restaurants, and a rental car for a few days.

But why Asheville specifically? I have a thing for quirky, artsy towns with lively downtown areas, an abundance of local restaurants (particularly if they cater to us vegetarians/vegans), local breweries, live music, and a plethora of outdoor activities to enjoy. Asheville checks every box. We will be spending a few days in downtown Asheville, getting a feel for the city and what it has to offer, and then a few days outside of Asheville, in the Smoky Mountains, kicking back in a home with an endless, beautiful view. I plan to do so much hiking while we’re there that I will barely be able to walk by the end of the trip. Did I mention that this will be in October, when all the leaves will hopefully be at their most colorful?

Until then, we’ll enjoy our summer the way many Midwesterners do- weekend lake trips, float trips, camping, and time with family.