Asheville?

[zack_adcock]

I'm going to post something non-TBF related, just because I'm jealous ...

I'm headed to the Asheville area the second week of July and was hoping for suggestions of fun things to do, places to eat, etc. We like beer, whole foods, etc. I'm hoping, especially, to take my lovely wife out for a dinner while we are there and can leave our daughter with my parents.

I'm hoping to land two Beck tickets for the 12th, which is a sold out show that I found out about too late -- so if anyone has a suggestion that doesn't involve scalpers there, I'd appreciate that, too. Otherwise, we don't have a lot of plans.

Thanks for any insight into the area! We know there's a lot of fun stuff to do and that it's beautiful!

Zack

[nfire]

i live in asheville.  there's a lot to choose from.  do not miss the wicked weed brewery, it was started up with a head brewer who was a longtime brewer at dogfish head and their offerings are incredible.  also check out the wedge brewery, hi wire brewery, the new twin leaf brewery, green man, french broad and catawba.  in the summer it's very popular to tube down the french broad, perhaps from carrier park and get out at the bywater, a large "bar" on the river with about 2 acres of land with plenty of cornhole, grills etc and just one small bar in the middle.  for hiking consider montreat:  greybeard is great but long or else the shorter incline to rattlesnake rock.  For waterfalls you can go down to dupont forest and see three huge falls in a short walk.  You could drive up Mt. Mitchell for easy, great views.  great restaurants include curate, salsa's (new world brewery is downstairs from here), the bull and beggar (next door to wedge brewery), the lobster trap.  Those places are more high end.  For bbq go to 12 bones.  For brunch think early girl eatery, biscuithead, tupelo honey, or sunny point.  Lastly, go for a Friday or Saturday night out in Jack of the Wood, they have great bands there every weekend and it's always cheap.  You don't even need to look at who is playing, just go!

[zack_adcock]

Thanks for all that, nfire. Helpful stuff. So you'd say Wicked Weed does beer the best there? I know it's a beer town, and I'm looking forward to being overwhelmed by that, but in terms of actually going to a brewery I'm not sure how many times we'll do that.

I should also mention we have a 2.5 year old -- how would those hikes fare with a kid? We could bring our Kelty kidpack, but I've never actually used it (it was given to us), but in my experience hikes beyond 1.5 miles round trip get a bit taxing as she changes her mind about walking/wanting to be held every 15 seconds.

[nfire]

Yes I would say that if you go to one brewery you should choose the Wicked Weed!  They actually have really good and reasonable food in there too.  As far as hiking with kids, a great option are the waterfalls in Dupont state forest.  Very short little walks to some pretty incredible stuff.  They filmed part of the hunger games there, the three falls are called triple falls, high falls, and hooker falls. 

Driving up Mt. Mitchell would be an easy thing to do with a kid too.  There's a restaurant up there.  Mt. Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi.  The closest place in the US that is higher than Mt. Mitchell is in Colorado.

Also with a kid you might really enjoy the drives along the blue ridge parkway, just getting out at the numerous beautiful outlooks available to park at.  The blue ridge is how you access Mt Mitchell as well.