For my last break, I visited Asheville, North Carolina. I went for 6 days. Here is what I did and how I liked it!

I (of course) had to visit the famous Biltmore (Vanderbilt) House. December is a great time to visit, as it is decorated for Christmas. I went on the audio tour of the home and listened to a choir perform multiple holiday songs as I entered.

For dinner, I ate at the Biltmore’s Bistro. The restaurant is a bit like a carnival with its atmosphere, but has scrumptious food. Each bite was filled with flavor and presented beautifully. Dining here is definitely pricey, but also deserves acknowledgment for the wonderful dishes.

I ordered…

Trio of artisans bread, which I recommend as a tasty filler

My top three favorites were the carpaccio, artisan breads, and the artisan cheese plate. The cheese plate included candied cranberries, bread crackers, a blue cheese, a mix of soft and hard cheeses, and my favorite, a whipped goat cheese. With the cheese plate was a paper with where the cheeses where from, my favorite one was from a local goat farm, Round Mountain Creamery. After a bit of research, my family discovered that this farm does tours and so we booked a tour for the next day. We were lucky to have a one-on-one tour with the guide. We got to look at the goats and taste their different cheese flavors. The cranberry zest was my favorite (this was the same cheese that was on the Biltmore cheese plate). I definitely recommend this tour, as it doesn’t take long and is the perfect excuse to eat cheese.

Next, I visited a waterfall in Pisgah Forest. This waterfall was pretty, but I wish it had a hike in order to get to it rather than just off the main road.

While planning a trip, it is always good to leave some down time to explore the town and understand what it’s like to be a local. One way that I did this was by visiting local breweries with my parents and bringing a game to play while there. I also enjoyed shopping in local boutiques. I had a delightful surprise when there was a Christmas parade on the streets one morning.

I did a hike in Montreat, which was great! It was difficult, but not impossible. It’s a great hike if you have kids or are looking for a mild exercise. The view is great! Tip: Park by the start of the trail for a less tiring hike. I made the mistake of parking on the College grounds and was already getting tired by the time I reached the trail (there is a big hill).

I did a foraging adventure with ‘No Taste Like Home’. We got to hunt (with professionals) for anything edible in a forest. We found wild mushrooms, fruit from bushes, onion grasses, and other interesting wild plants. They then made a dish with us out of our harvested ingredients. We had the option to take the leftover ingredients to select restaurants which they will use them to make you dinner. I had reservations to do this, but didn’t get the ingredients to them soon enough. I didn’t let this put me down. Instead, I made my own dish out of the ingredients at our airbnb, it was great! My family had fun creating a few new recipes to use what we found. Looking back, I am happy that this is how my evening ended up.

The following day, I got breakfast at Stay Glazed…Donuts, which had unique flavors, like miso maple and blueberry bacon pancake (both were great).

I finished the day with La Bodega by Cúrate. This was a great find. Curate is a well known Spanish tapas restaurant that gets very busy. I didn’t have reservations, and the wait would be a while. I did some quick research and found their bodega just around the corner. I believe that the menu items are similar. There was no wait, and the atmosphere was a lot less busy. My waiter was a little edgy, but I have no complaints on the food. I tried many of their dishes and they were all good in their own ways.

The tartar, mushroom dish, and salad where my favorite. The fish with the tartar was very yummy. The salad was phenomenal, with its mandarin oranges, crushed pistachios, and shredded parmesan. Mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

On our way to the hike, we stumbled upon The White Duck Taco Shop and it was the perfect stop for a bite. I recommend these tacos if you are looking for a lower in cost but still delicious lunch.

The Green Sage Cafe was just down the street from my rental house and was a great breakfast/brunch spot. I had their huckleberry bowl (granola base), which was a nice healthy breakfast (sometimes it is difficult to find healthier and lighters meals while traveling). I also went here one morning to read while drinking a smoothie.

Old Europe Pastries has a great quiche that they make fresh every day.

That’s it for my Asheville, North Carolina trip. All of these destinations that I visited, I would love to return to. If you were looking for trip ideas, I hope that you will be able to enjoy these spots and embrace a little adventure. Sometimes it’s best not to know what you are going to do in the afternoon, take time to experience what’s around you. Feel free to stop into that bakery you have had your eye on. That’s the joy of traveling!