We stayed in a cheapo hotel (I think it was a Quality Inn or something) because we knew we wouldn't be spending a lot of time in our room anyway - and because we were kind of broke after our wedding / buying our condo. Our plans were to see the Biltmore and to hike as much as possible. We loved every minute of it. By the end of the trip, we were perfectly exhausted.
The Biltmore was incredible. I'm not a museum kind of person, but it was really fun walking through the mansion and estate and imagining what life would have been like back in the day. I wish they had allowed photos inside the mansion. We paid for the audio tour (definitely worth every penny) and learned all kinds of tidbits about the Vanderbilt family and their home - all of which I have forgotten by now.
After the tour, we stopped at a lovely little restaurant in the Biltmore Village called Rezaz. We ate in the Enoteca (the wine bar) and sampled several delicious Mediterranean bites...yummy.
Next was a visit to Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock was worth a visit, but it wasn't the most natural of hiking. It was a bit crowded, but still enjoyable. The climb to the top was pretty intense...it was like doing the stair master for a couple of hours.
The view on top of Chimney Rock was incredible. We could see for miles.
We also took a short hike to Hickory Nut Falls. This hike was much easier and it was a bit more rustic.
The next day we drove through the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak East of the Mississippi. It was a bit cool and cloudy at that high altitude, which was actually quite refreshing. We hiked to the top of the mountain (we started up pretty high to being with) and then returned to the hotel.
That night, we went to a restaurant in downtown Asheville. The restaurant was good, but not very memorable. What was memorable was the group of gypsies dancing and singing in the square. I'm still not quite sure who they were or what cause they were supporting, but it was entertaining for sure. They were playing Bluegrass music and the locals were joining in the square dancing. It definitely gave me a flavor of the liberal, earthy atmosphere of the local culture.
The next morning, we went out for a HUGE breakfast and then hit the road to go back home.
