This publish comprises affiliate hyperlinks. We could earn compensation if you click on on the hyperlinks at no further value to you.
Asheville, North Carolina is the proper place for a fast household trip. From upscale lodging suggestions to the very best locations to eat, our 72-hour information has every thing it’s essential to know to plan your individual journey with youngsters, teenagers, and grownup kids.
In case you might be simply becoming a member of this journey with us, listed here are the stops we already made and the whole route we took:
Beginning in Newport Seaside to the Grand Canyon, driving to Memphis for a few days, after which stopping in Knoxville, Tennessee (which we cherished)!
The following cease on our cross-country highway journey was Asheville, North Carolina.
After we had been planning our route, we purposely stopped in Asheville for one motive, and one motive solely. We had been there to see the well-known Biltmore Property. This was a bucket-list merchandise for me.
As visionary goals typically are, the fact didn’t match the imaginative and prescient in my thoughts. And that’s completely okay. I’m nonetheless tremendous blissful that we visited Biltmore Property and Asheville.
The place we stayed in Asheville on our household trip.
There are such a lot of resort and lodging choices in Asheville so it will probably really feel overwhelming to determine which one is the best choice for your loved ones’s trip. I believe I spent probably the most time selecting a resort in Asheville than I did at another cease on our highway journey. I ended up reserving 2 different locations (Hilton and Marriott properties) earlier than I lastly felt good about the place we’d keep.
A number of issues went into this decision- and little doubt if you learn all the main points right here you’ll be able to see that I used to be majorly overthinking this. However I’m so glad that I did. This turned out to be a wonderful determination and actually made our keep in Asheville a lot extra satisfying.
So the place did we keep in Asheville? The Windsor Boutique Lodge.
I selected this location after contemplating the next: location, meals choices, laundry amenities, outdoors air, parking, espresso, walkability, opinions, and stage of luxurious lodging. See, I instructed you I actually overthought it.
At first, I used to be satisfied we needed to keep on the Biltmore property.
I figured that will improve the expertise and because it felt like a one-and-done go to, I needed to go all out.
However then I noticed that there have been restricted eating choices and that to get off the property, it might be a 15-20+ drive. So that will take up numerous time simply attending to meals we might eat with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free eaters.
The following factor I checked out and truly booked was at a Marriott proper outdoors Biltmore Estates. The opinions had been everywhere although and it appeared to rely upon what a part of the resort you stayed in that will decide how nice you thought the resort was.
Since we would have liked 2 rooms, I used to be a bit leary if we’d even be as shut to one another as we would have liked to be because of the completely different room sorts, and the place every sort is positioned all through the resort. So I canceled that reservation.
I then booked a Hilton that appeared fabulous, however upon additional analysis, their AC didn’t sound nice and I’ve determined AC, or lack thereof, is a deal-breaker for me. So I canceled that one.
I’ve by no means finished this sort of resort shuffle earlier than and haven’t since.
The truth is that there are numerous good inns to select from within the space and as an alternative of this making it simpler to determine, it made it more durable. One other side that affected my decision-making is that up till this level, I had been at house for over a 12 months. It had been 7 years since we had been house for greater than a month at a time. So I used to be a bit itchy to guarantee that this was the very best darn highway journey I might plan.
As soon as we walked into The Windsor Boutique Lodge, I knew I had chosen the proper place to remain after we had been in Asheville.
Here’s a little mini-review of the resort:
The Windsor Boutique Lodge has completely different suite sorts. Pete and I stayed in suite 305, a 950 sq. toes Government Suite. It felt extra like a luxurious condominium than a resort, which is what we would have liked at this level in our highway journey. Some further room to stretch out and chill out. It had a washer and dryer, bed room, toilet, kitchen, sitting room, and really tall ceilings. It was immaculate and really snug.
The foyer had a refreshment desk with complimentary packaged snacks and drinks. I’ve grown to actually love lounges at inns merely for the easability of bottles of water and small snacks and this had the identical impact.
Associated: We now have sought out membership stage ever since we stayed at a membership stage suite at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn.
Listed below are some photos from our suite:
The women stayed in room 204 which is a Double Queen Suite (over 600 sqft). Their suite was equally good.
The Windsor Boutique Lodge is positioned proper in downtown Asheville and we had been in a position to stroll to a bunch of eating places. There’s additionally an abundance of buying proper outdoors the resort.
In regular instances, we’d have shopped till we dropped in any respect the lovable retailers, however alas we had been avoiding inside areas so we did numerous window buying whereas snacking on all the good meals.
We had been in Asheville for simply 72 hours, so on our full day, we visited Biltmore Property.
We pre-bought our tickets and selected the “Enhanced” bundle.
It got here with the next: Entry to Biltmore Home & Gardens, an Audio Information of Biltmore Home together with private Vanderbilt tales & archival particulars, Entry to Antler Hill Village & Vineyard, and Complimentary parking.
For the 5 of us, it was near $400. After seeing the property, I can completely perceive the fee they cost to go to. It’s fairly in depth and really properly maintained.
Professional Tip (haha)- there are not any restrooms in the home, so you should definitely use the amenities beforehand.
We spent a couple of hours touring the home and a bit of the gardens however didn’t make it as much as the vineyard or different areas- once more to keep away from unmasked individuals. This was again in the summertime of 2021 as Delta was simply beginning to surge. We had determined to up our avoidance recreation as soon as extra as soon as we noticed that beginning to sweep by, as Emmy was not then eligible for a vaccine.
Listed below are some photos from our go to to Biltmore Property.
You’ll be able to inform simply how opulent the property is. Positively a bucket-list-worthy cease!
In true Emmy style, she discovered the ice cream!
In addition they had gentle meals and low/drinks on the patio space to get pleasure from after the tour. We actually had a good time seeing the Biltmore Property and I’m so blissful we had been in a position to test this off our record.
You may positively spend the entire day right here taking all of it in, and I might say a day is simply the correct amount of time to go to.
If you wish to see much more of Biltmore Property or are on the lookout for a calming getaway with much less exercise, you might even keep in a single day in considered one of their lodging.
They’ve a restricted quantity of Cottages which can be extra like private properties in a method that will be nice for that. In addition they have The Inn and Village Lodge the place you’ll be able to keep at completely different worth factors.
In the event you wish to have extra of a busy trip although, I might suggest staying off the property so you could have entry to extra issues to do faster and simpler.
Talking of meals although, we had a couple of nice meals in Asheville.
Proper subsequent to Windsor Boutique Lodge was Mellow Mushroom.
We went right here a few instances as a result of it was so shut and since the meals is enjoyable and engaging. Get a pizza (they’ve vegan choices!) and the delicate pretzels. Belief me on this!
Throughout the road from the resort is a high-end Italian restaurant referred to as Stada Italiano.
They too have vegan choices, like this vegan lasagne! It’s also gluten-free. There are numerous gluten-free choices too. Make sure you make a reservation in advance- as they do e-book up shortly!
For lunch sooner or later we grabbed some meals to go from Entire Meals in Asheville.
Since we each had kitchens in our suites, we had been in a position to get a few of our favorites from the deli case there.
Considered one of my favourite issues I ate in Asheville was the Heirloom Natural Grit Cake Stack from Early Lady Eatery in Asheville. It was probably the most artistic dishes I’ve had shortly and the flavors all melted collectively properly.
We additionally ate breakfast at Biscuit Head in Asheville.
That is the one image I’ve from there. I submit it as proof that we had been there and that the meals was so good that as quickly as we noticed it, we ate it. We even went again once more and I promised myself I might get an image of my breakfast and once more I ate it earlier than I remembered. They’ve each gluten-free, vegan, and conventional choices so it was excellent for the entire household. I acquired the gluten-free, vegan biscuit with the Candy Potato Coconut Gravy.
Final recommendation- get espresso and a pastry at Outdated Europe in Asheville.
This cute little store is a block away from the Windsor Boutique Lodge and has wonderful desserts and drinks. Maddie and I acquired their decadent chocolate vegan cupcakes, Emmy acquired Tiramisu (it was gluten-free too if that’s your kinda factor) and Pete acquired a espresso.
It was the proper ending to an ideal keep in Asheville!
Pin for later:
