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Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Asheville NC Recap + Review

Happy Tuesday friends!

So get this, I've lived in NC for twenty-six years and somehow have never managed to visit Asheville! I've technically only been there for the SoCon Basketball Tournament in college when I was on dance team, but that doesn't count - I'm talking VACAY people!

So, I was super excited when I got a weekend off from work and we were able to visit for a couple of days and truly experience how beautiful Asheville is! This is a bit overdue, but I wanted to share some details about our stay and our favorite parts about the trip.


Shop my outfit above HERE!

+ Where We Stayed: The Omni Grove Park Inn

Living in NC, I've always heard such amazing things about how gorgeous The Omni Grove Park Inn & of course the Biltmore Estate are. The Biltmore was something we wanted to save for Christmas time, so we decided to stay at The Grove Park Inn! Let me tell you, this choice did NOT disappoint. 

From the second we pulled up to the gorgeous resort, we received the best customer service that I have EVER had at any hotel. I'm not kidding, I was beyond impressed by how kind every staff member we came in contact was. We stayed in the Main Inn part of the resort which was honestly pretty cool because it felt very historical and you could really feel the background of the resort. We walked around for so long just exploring the depths of the resort, the outdoor grounds, and so forth. It was probably the coolest place I have ever stayed at. There is honestly so much to explore and see!



If you're staying at this resort, I highly recommend that you eat a meal there! They have various options when it comes to eating breakfast/brunch, lunch, dinner - or even just enjoying a cocktail.

+ Where to Dine in the Grove Park Inn:
No matter which one of these you choose, you should 100% make a reservation as soon as possible! We really wanted to eat at Vue 1913 due to the views, but they were already fully booked. Same goes for the Sunset Terrace! We also were wanting to eat a little something there to watch the sun go down, but they were also booked. So definitely make those plans ahead of time!

We ate at The Edison and ate outdoors overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. No matter where you choose to eat at this resort, you will definitely still have a gorgeous view no matter what. The food and drinks were GREAT and it was so relaxing to sit outdoors in the evening with that view.  



+ The Spa

Not going to lie, we 100% wanted to visit the spa. Their spa is raved about in travel guides all over the U.S. It's a subterranean $50 million, 43,000 square foot spa with ENDLESS spa packages and options. It's definitely a bit on the pricier side, but it's worth it to treat yourself for a one of a kind spa experience. If you're planning a trip to the Grove Park Inn, definitely book your spa day well in advance because they become fully booked months out! 

Find all the spa treatment options HERE & pricing details HERE!


+ Where We Went
  
So, we were literally in Asheville for two days. There were so many things we had in mind that wanted to do, but we had to pick and choose! I'm a major foodie and here lately I've been on a brewery kick, so of course had to knock out these two raved out Asheville breweries!

Wicked Weed Brewing

Every single person recommended we go to Wicked Weed (Brewpub), so obviously we had to see what all the hype was about. We went to the Brewpub, because we wanted to eat - but the Funkatorium location is a taproom dedicated to their sour beers, which is where I want to go next time I visit! We went on a Saturday around lunch time, and it was definitely pretty busy. Luckily we had only a 15 minute wait and we got to sit outside, and it was so nice! 



I don't know if we were just starving, but the food was AMAZING. We ordered the Soft Pretzel with beer cheese + apple butter and I think we both devoured it in like not even two minutes. Neither of us had ever had beer cheese and y'all, it is life changing. LIFE CHANGING. For our actual meal, I had the HNG Grassfed Wicked Burger with bacon, pepper-jelly, and brie. IT WAS BOMB. Probably the best burger I've ever had!






Fave Wicked Weed Beers:
- Coolcumber Beer: This one is a golden ale with juniper berries and basil, and if you don't like cucumbers, this probably isn't for you. But I love them and it's a super refreshing summer beer! 

- Watermelon Dragon Fruit Burst: This one is a sour beer though, but it's also a great summer beer for a hot day with a lot of flavor! It's AMAZING.




You can view their food menu HERE & their beer menu HERE

Sierra Nevada - 


This may actually be the coolest brewery I've ever been to. First of all, it's HUGE. There's so much to do and so much to see. It's a bit of a drive from Asheville, but totally worth it and it's not bad at all! We went on a Sunday, so the actual brewery area was closed. But you're able to do a self-tour and we walked around and were able to see every massive room where the Sierra Nevada beers are brewed and processed. It was definitely a cool process to see!

We didn't eat in the restaurant on the first level but it was PACKED and looked like a great experience for sure. We walked up to the second floor inside and you're able to sample beers and get a flight at the bar up there. You can also go out on the terrace on the second level and overlook the gorgeous grounds. 





After we finished our flight up there, we walked down to the grounds and explored. There's an area for entertainment, a garden area full of blooms, areas for games (cornhole, etc.), and you can also purchase beer out there. We walked down the hiking trail for about 5-10 minutes and it was super relaxing. It led down to an area by the river with tables and hammocks and a food truck. Oh, and you can also bring your dog, so that also makes this place a win! It was honestly the coolest experience and hands-down a perfect day.



Our Favorite Sierra Nevada Beers:
- Hazy Little Thing IPA (Trey's favorite!)
-  OtraVez (my favorite - tastes like a Corona!)
- German Style Kolsch (on tap at Sierra Nevada)
 
+ Where We Went Downtown:

Wicked Weed (MY FAVE!)

The Mast General Store
- This is just a major tourist attraction in Asheville you have to visit! It's always packed with visitors and it's just a cool place to look around. I got a couple gifts in there to take back home and they have really unique things. Downstairs you can also do some shopping as well, they have brands like Patagonia, etc.

Old Europe Pastries
- This place was so cute! We had a sweet craving and stopped in for a little something. I got some macaroons and Trey got a piece of cake and it was the cutest little place to stop in! 


Urban Outfitters 
- I don't have one of these near me at home, so I was really excited to go here! It was HUGE. Two levels of straight shopping, and that's right up my alley. It was definitely a great place to shop! 


Hat I got from UO linked HERE!

Hazel Twenty Boutique
- This boutique was SO CUTE. It was hands down my favorite (and Trey's because there was a nice couch for him to sit on while I shopped). They offered me champagne as I browsed, so obviously that's a plus. They had the cutest clothing and accessories and had awesome customer service! 


Carolina Cigar Company 
- We randomly popped in here to look around and we had such a great experience. The owner was in there and he was the sweetest elderly man, and was such a pleasure to talk to. He told us all about the history of the company and his family. We had a humbling conversation with him and we were both so glad we stopped in there!



All in all, we had such an amazing weekend in Asheville! The views are gorgeous no matter where you are and there are so many places to explore. I highly recommend staying at the Grove Park Inn because of it's vast NC history. It's just an amazing experience and we loved every second of our stay! Reach out to me if you have any questions at all about our stay or need any recs! 

Thanks for reading!





 



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