Asheville, NC vaca. on a budget questions

[Maybelle]

We are thinking about a short, midweek vaca. to Asheville, NC for our 20th anniversary this summer. I've heard good things about it, and it's a place I've always wanted to go to. Thinking about flying into Charlotte and renting a car to drive into Asheville. Several questions for those of you from the area:

What is the easiest, vs. the most scenic ride from Charlotte to Asheville, and how long should we plan on?

Are there any places in Charlotte we should make time for either before or after Asheville?

Besides the Biltmore Estate, what should we definitely NOT MISS while in Asheville?

Any specific recommedations??



We have also looked into a place to stay in Pilot Mt. If we did this, we would like to take a day trip to Asheville...how long should we allow for the trip, should we decide to stay in Pilot Mt.?

Thanks a lot for any suggestions!

 

[LJC1861]

Maybelle,

How long will you be in Asheville? Doing Biltmore and seeing it all can take all day.

As for Pilot Mt.....I have never heard of it! If I were you I would stay here in town, there are lots of affordable places to stay.


As for what else to do.....downtown is filled with galleries, shops and great restaurants.

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs right through town. On one end is the NC Arboretum which has great gardens, walking trails, greenhouses, exhibits and a great bonsai display. On the other end of town just off the Parkway is the Folk Art Center and the Destination Center. The Folk Art Center is a museum/gift shop dedicated to very high end crafts. It is really something to see. The destination center features exhibits about the parkway and the wildlife in the area.

There is SO much to do here in Asheville and the surrounding area.

Linda

 

[sharlon]

Let's see, the Charlotte airport is 2 hours from Asheville. The best route as far as time would be to take I-85 south from the airport, then exit onto 74 West and take that until you hit I-26 West into Asheville. The prettiest would be to divert off of 74 West and come up through Lake Lure.

As for Pilot Mt. that is a LONG way from here. It is north of Winston-Salem. You are talking probably at least 3 hours away in a completely different direction.

I agree with Linda, there is so much to do here. You can't go wrong.

 

[Maybelle]

Thank you ladies!!