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Craggy Gardens. Rhododendron blossoms frame the Blue Ridge Parkway.
PICTURE BY NORMAN POOLE |
Land of Waterfalls, Paris of the South… whether you’re looking for hikes to remote cascades or an afternoon browsing galleries, the glamour of the Biltmore Estate or a happening music scene, head for Asheville, N.C. and its surrounding peaks for a long weekend.
After living a short time in Atlanta, Ga., I test the words of Thomas Wolfe’s famous book, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” as I return to Asheville, N.C. While I know it is possible to go home again, I have a new understanding of what Wolfe meant. It’s impossible for me to see it in exactly the same light as when I left. My experience in another place creates contrasts and comparisons with my native city.
But this isn’t necessarily a negative. I still love Asheville, and yet I have a wider vision when I look at its treasures. On a recent trip downtown, I found myself taking different streets, exploring new shops and observing the whole atmosphere with a fresh vision.
Scones, Tea and Wireless: A Stop at Grove Arcade
I turn right out of the chamber parking lot, drive straight across the bridge over I-240, and left on Haywood Street and then turn right as I head to the Grove Arcade. Metered parking is available on all four sides of the Arcade, plus there’s a parking deck nearby. I park on the Page Avenue side and enter beside True Confections café. I order a cup of hot green tea while trying to resist the temptations awaiting in the glass enclosed cases: fresh pies, cakes, cookies, scones and pastries.
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On the street. Posters, historic architecture and busy streets are evidence of the city’s thriving mix of old and new.
PHOTO BY JIM HARGAN
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Clever signs posted on and around the display stands say “Nobody Knows the Truffles I’ve Seen” and “Forget Love, I’d Rather Fall in Chocolate.” I relax at a window seat – the perfect spot for people watching. This café, like many in town, has wireless internet access.
E.W. Grove, the man who created Asheville’s famed Grove Park Inn, is also responsible for the Grove Arcade. He envisioned the arcade as a new kind of retail center, which would be “the most elegant building in America.” He died in 1927 before the building was completed. The Grove Arcade’s web site says when it opened in 1929; it housed “candy and cigar stores, a haberdashery, a public stenography office, fruit stands, millinery shops, beauty parlors and barbershops, a photography center, bookstalls and specialty groceries.”
It operated successfully as a commercial center for 13 years until the federal government took over the building during World War II. Following the end of the war, the building served as the headquarters for the National Climatic Data Center. Public demand eventually led to the Grove Arcade being restored for its intended use. It reopened in late 2002.
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In Pisgah National Forest. The Moore Cove Trail curves away into the woods.
PHOTO BY DENISE CLAY |
The current tenants include a mixture of specialty retail stores, cafes and a market area selling fresh vegetables and other food items.
I stop at Mountain Made: celebrating contemporary mountain arts, which is owned and operated by the Mountain Microenterprise Fund and features the work of area craftspeople. MMF provides business training, loans and assistance to people creating small businesses.
“The requirements are they have to live in Western North Carolina,” says Melinda Knies, store manager. “About a third of the artists who have items here went through the MMF program.”
I comment on some beautiful pottery at the front of the store, and smile with recognition when Knies tells me the name of the potter: Tommy Williams. The Burnsville native is a friend of mine.
“Our biggest sellers are jewelry, pottery and wood, and in that order,” says Knies. Dulcimer music played by Madison County’s Don Pedi plays on the store’s CD player.
Beyond the City
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Chimney Rock. The 315-foot tower rises above Hickory Nut Gorge.
PHOTO BY TIM BARNWELL |
Before you set your itinerary, explore many of the available options. Certainly, you can spend a weekend (or longer) discovering Asheville. Other popular sites include Biltmore Estate, historic Biltmore Village, Grove Park Inn, the River District Artists’ Studios, art galleries in downtown Asheville and an abundance of antique stores.
As for me, I’ve already got my next excursion planned. An arsonist set fire to the “Old Kentucky Home,” Thomas Wolfe’s childhood home, in July 1998. It reopened in 2004 after a $2.4 million restoration. While it won’t look exactly the same as I remember, it will be interesting to see its new evolution.
Downtowns and Big Rocks
Leaving Asheville, head east on I-26 toward Hendersonville. Take exit 49B to U.S. 64 west (Four Seasons Blvd.). Stay straight on Four Seasons (about two miles) until you reach the downtown area. Turn left onto Main Street. Spend the morning exploring the antique stores, eclectic shops and eateries located in and around the serpentine-shaped Main Street. Keep your eyes open for bears as you walk down the sidewalks. That’s right – bears! The annual “Bearfootin’ in Hendersonville” project kicks off this year on April 29. It’s a temporary art exhibit featuring 30 ceramic bears that have been transformed by area artists. In the fall, the town will auction off the bears to raise money for local charities.
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Traditional music. The Orchard at Altapass, in Little Switzerland, is one of many places in the area that host live music.
PHOTO BY BRUCE METCALF |
After spending a morning browsing through downtown Hendersonville, travel back down Four Seasons Boulevard (U.S. 64 east) through Edneyville, where dozens of apple farms highlight the scenery. In the fall, this is a great place to find a pick-your-own orchard, or simply stop at one of the many roadside stands.
Continue on 64 until it intersects with U.S. 74. Turn right and travel into the town of Chimney Rock. Cute shops and restaurants surround the entrance to Chimney Rock Park. The park offers a variety of trails, waterfalls, nature programs, and eye-popping views.
Another option is to keep driving on 74 until you come to Lake Lure. Enjoy a scenic boat tour or spend time splashing and sunning at the beach. Yes, there’s a beach area, complete with sand, even in the mountains.
Nearby, the 1927 Lake Lure Inn and Spa is the site where Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey filmed the movie “Dirty Dancing.” Another movie tidbit – crews filmed much of “Last of the Mohicans” in and around Chimney Rock, including Chimney Rock Park.
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Crabtree Falls. They’re located off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Yancey County.
PHOTO BY TIM BARNWELL |
Waterfall Country
This is a great day trip to pack a picnic basket and fill a cooler with drinks.
Transylvania County is known as the “Land of the Waterfalls,” with more than 250 of them. Head out of Asheville on I-26 east and take exit 40 at the Asheville Airport. Turn right off the exit ramp onto N.C. 280. Go west on this road for about 17 miles until you come to an intersection with U.S. 276 and U.S. 64. Turn right on 276 north.
Looking Glass Waterfall, is easily spotted on the right while driving up 276. Other attractions on this road include Looking Glass Rock, a favorite for rock climbers; Shining Rock, a 60-foot natural rock water slide; the Pisgah Fish Hatchery, which grows about 500,000 trout a year and the Wildlife Education Center.
Continue on 276 to the Cradle of Forestry and the Pink Beds picnic area. Guided trails lead to the historic buildings at the Cradle of Forestry, along with the Forest Discovery Center, gift shop and café.
Spend part of the day hiking, biking, picnicking or other outdoor activities, then make a choice for the rest of the afternoon. Continuing up U.S. 276 north, it’s only about four miles from the Cradle of Forestry to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Head back to Asheville via the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping at overlooks for viewing the mountains or taking more hikes.
Or travel back to the intersection you initially came to in Pisgah Forest. Turn right and head on U.S. 64 into historic downtown Brevard for an afternoon of shopping and sightseeing. You’ll find antique stores, art galleries, hardware store, soda shop and a great toy store called O. P. Taylor’s.
A Blue Ridge Parkway Excursion
Twist and turn through several N.C. counties as you travel the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can access the parkway from U.S. 70 east (Tunnel Rd.) in Asheville. You’ll actually drive under a Parkway bridge before exiting to your right on the entrance ramp. At the stop sign, turn right and head north. First stop – the Folk Art Center, about a half-mile on the left.
The Southern Highland Handicraft Guild runs the Folk Art Center, and sells the work of more than 800 craftspeople. It’s also home to the Allanstand Craft Shop.
As you continue north on the Parkway, you’ll pass Craggy Gardens, an excellent place to picnic, followed by Craggy Pinnacle Tunnel and then Craggy Pinnacle itself, which has perhaps the best payoff for a relatively moderate 1.4-mile roundtrip hike. The 360-degree mountain view is awe-inspiring.
There’s no set agenda for enjoying the parkway. You can hike or simply enjoy the view from your car as you wind along through Buncombe County, and then staying close to the county lines of Yancey, McDowell, Mitchell and Burke.
Sites along the way: Mount Mitchell State Park at milepost 355; Crabtree Meadows at 339.5, Little Switzerland at 334 and Linville Falls at 316.4.
| ASHEVILLE ROLLS OUT NEW WELCOME MAT |
A good place to start an Asheville getaway is at the Chamber of Commerce.
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Inside the new chamber. The 4,000-square-foot, $8 million visitor center answers lots of questions for travelers.
Courtesy Asheville Chamber of Commerce |
A few years ago, I would never have made that claim. At that time, the chamber, built in 1965, had few parking spaces and a crowded interior, making it frustrating for visitors especially in peak seasons. The limitations were eliminated in February 2006, when the chamber unveiled its new $8 million-dollar 33,000-square-foot building sitting on 4.5 acres.
I went over a few weeks ago to check it out. Located at 36 Montford Avenue, it’s just around the corner from the old building on Haywood Street in downtown. The two are miles apart, however, in appearance. I park on the upper tier of an expansive parking lot and sit for a moment while I enjoy the mountain view. There are 147 parking spaces here compared with 40 at the old location. Inside, the change is just as dramatic. The 4,000-square-foot visitors center includes a large area to browse through leaflets and flyers from the Western North Carolina region including the Blue Ridge Mountain Host area, which covers nine counties. The concierge desk provides immediate help with lodging, directions, and other questions, along with computer terminals where guests can gather information through the chamber web site.
There’s also plenty of elbowroom in the 800-square-foot Asheville Shop. Visitors can find Asheville-realted souvenirs: mugs, pens, t-shirts, and postcards, along with regional books and other items.
-MHM |
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