North Carolina Family Vacation
This June our little family completed its first official vacation together to Asheville, North Carolina area. Here are some of the details!
Our Cabin
We stayed the Swannaoa/Black Mountain area, which is northeast of Asheville within a pretty humble two-bedroom cabin, which was all we needed. It included a hot tub, a little “falls” nearby and was tucked away in a private area which was what we wanted. We were out and about during the day but in the evenings, we typically soaked in the hot tub and then played games inside before going to bed. Anna enjoyed ringing the dinner bell they had on the porch!
OUR HIKES
Before choosing where to stay, I did research on the hikes available in the various areas. I landed on this area since there seemed to be quite a few shorter hikes with scenic views. We ended up doing three hikes during our time there: Tom Creek Falls, Lineville Falls and Hickory Nut Falls. Most were around 2 miles or so, which was all little Toodie could do. She enjoyed getting into the water at TCF and Lineville Falls. It was so nice to get back out in nature and share it with her.
Other sights
Biltmore
You can’t go to Asheville without taking in the historic Biltmore. In looking at the forecast, we decided to go the day rain was scheduled. In did end up raining … most of the day. Although, it dampered our Biltmore experience some, it was still a good place to be when it was raining outside. I didn’t take too many photos since they really don’t showcase the grandeur nature of the estate. We enjoyed the tour and Anna did great listening to the audio tour and not touching anything. (I was impressed!). We mixed in some fun for her later, with a onsite playground that she thoroughly enjoyed. We also stopped by the area … talked to a blacksmi with Minnesota roots and did some wine sampling. th.
Chimney Rock
On our way back to Charolette (where we flew from), we stopped at Chimney Rock State Park. At the heart of the park is a 315-foot monolith that is reached by way of a hike or a short ride on an elevator. We opted for the elevator ride since we were already doing the Hickory Nut Falls hike while there. From the top of Chimney Rock, we got a 75-mile views, including looks of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge. Anna had zero fears while being at the top. I was the one with shaky knees!
Dining
We mostly dined in Black Mountain, which was a small charming town not too far from our cabin. We ate on the outdoor patio at Black Mountain Bistro, enjoyed a casual meal at Trailhead Restaurant and Bar and made a quick stop at Lookout Brewery. We also enjoyed BBQ enroute from Charlotte. With having a cabin, we were able to make sandwiches for picnic lunches, which I think Ryan and Anna enjoyed the most!
We visited North Carolina in early June and in October, severe flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene caused widespread damage in this area. Knowing the exact areas we visited months earlier were devastated made us sad. I hope the communities are able to be rebuilt. 💗