Travel

Asheville Trip Recap

August 27, 2020Shannon Aycock

Richard & I celebrated our 14-year wedding anniversary last week. I am still trying to figure out how in the world FOURTEEN years went by so fast!? Instead of giving each other gifts, our anniversary tradition has always been taking a trip to celebrate. Some years that has been a simple weekend away at the beach, and some years it has included dreamy tropical vacations. Regardless of where we end up going, the time spent together, away from the normal day to day, is always welcomed and much needed. In my opinion, reconnecting with your spouse and experiencing new places and adventures together is so important, and should always be a priority!

Travel hasn’t really been top of mind for us this year due to Covid, but as our anniversary started nearing, we both agreed that we needed to plan something. We wanted to go somewhere that would be laid back and relaxing, and also within driving distance. I’ve always wanted to stay at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, and thought that would be the perfect spot to celebrate our anniversary (and no, this is NOT sponsored!). We planned the trip on somewhat short notice – I think we booked it three weeks in advance, so we were lucky to find a room. The Grove Park is famous for their spa, but sadly I was not able to get an appointment to experience it for myself (hopefully next time!). This resort is stunning and the views are unbeatable. The outdoor terrace was our favorite spot – we sat out there each evening, had a drink, and just soaked in the surroundings. Even if you don’t stay here, you should definitely visit the property and have a cocktail out on the terrace or have a meal at one of the restaurants that is on-site…you will love it!

Throughout the post below, I have shared details on where we ate and things we did, so scroll on through…

First things first…my travel OOTD! This top is what my dreams are made of, and it’s under $50!

(My jumpsuit is by Gal Meets Glam via Clair de Lune but it is sold out now)

Where we ate:

We stayed for three nights, and we ate dinner at the resort all three nights. On our first night, we just had small bites out on the terrace. The second night, we had dinner at the Sunset Terrace – Richard got the large, bone-in ribeye and said it was the best steak he had ever eaten (and he has eaten steaks from some pretty awesome restaurants). This was a great option for a special occasion. On our last night, we had dinner at Edison – they had a pretty wide selection of apps, salads, sandwiches/burgers, and entrees. The turkey panini was my favorite!

We also had lunch at the Sunny Point Cafe, which came recommended by a friend. It was SO good. I had the pecan encrusted fried green tomato sandwich with goat cheese and bacon, and it still makes my mouth water just thinking about it, haha! Indoor dining was closed due to Covid, but they do have outdoor seating at picnic tables. Unfortunately it was raining on the day we went, so we just ate in the car.

Another spot that was recommended by a friend was Blue Ridge Biscuit Company in the Black Mountain area…holy moly, it did NOT disappoint. The biscuit concoctions they have created are insane! I had “the lookout” which was a friend chicken, bacon and cheese biscuit smothered in gravy and it was incredible…it’s a good thing I don’t eat like that every day, lol! Their indoor dining was open (masks were required though).

What we did:

On our first full day in town, we woke up to rainy weather, so we decided to hop in the car and head over to Cherokee to visit the Harrah’s Casino and do a little gambling (fun fact: we went to Vegas every year for ten years in a row! We love to play blackjack!). Cherokee was about an hour drive from Asheville, and it was the perfect way to spend a rainy day.

On our second day, we started out with a late breakfast at the Blue Ridge Biscuit Company in Black Mountain. From there, we hopped onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and went on an adventure! I had never ridden on the BRP before – it is so beautiful! A fellow blogger friend, Zelle, had just been to Asheville two weekends before us (you can read her trip recap here ) and she had posted pictures from the Craggy Pinnacle overlook, so I made it a mission to find this trail ourselves. We did the “Pinnacle” trail, which is a .7 mile hike each way, so very doable. To find it, just take the BRP into the Craggy Gardens State Park area, and shortly after you pass the Visitor’s Center, you will see a parking area to the left. You can park there and hop right on the Pinnacle trail. Once you reach the overlook, you will be mesmerized by the views! There are several photos below but they don’t do it justice.

This was one of the first overlooks we stopped at along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Elevation at this point was 3,175 feet.

This is a photo from our hike on the Craggy Pinnacle trail.

And here are photos from the Craggy Pinnacle overlook:

After leaving the Craggy Pinnacle trail, we stopped at the next overlook, which was an elevation of 5,365 feet (over a mile up!). From here, we kept heading up…

And we made it to the top of Mt Mitchell – the highest peak east of the Mississippi at 6,684 feet! Getting there was not stress-free though, lol. Richard is afraid of heights, and driving up the mountains can be quite scary. It was very cloudy up there, so the views were not clear, but we were happy to have accomplished it nonetheless!

Another spot that we got to explore was The Never Ending Flower Farm! Another fellow blogger friend, Jessica at Frapps & Frills, also visited Asheville right before we did, and she went to this farm (you can find her blog post here). I knew immediately I needed to go see it for myself! You can cut your own flowers and create a bouquet to take home with you, plus it is a great photo opp 😉 ! If you love flowers and are looking to do something a little different that is off the beaten path, then definitely check it out! I think it was about a 30 minute drive from the Grove Park.