It’s no secret that I love the mountains. Given the choice between beach or mountains, I will always choose the mountains. Thankfully Mr is also a mountain person, so when planning a little getaway, it only made sense to head west. While we had a few things on our “To Do” list, our trip was open for inspiration, and ended up being exactly the restful-but-active break we needed.
Continuing our quest to stay in interesting and/or unusual lodging, we found the coolest house on Airbnb modeled after the designs and philosophies of Frank Lloyd Wright. Staying in Artesia was such a delightful experience, and we loved all the natural light.
Asheville, the main focus of our activities, was an easy drive away, and the weather was absolutely perfect for our explorations.
On a work trip last year, Mr participated in an e-bike tour and loved it, so one of the main things on our list for this trip was an e-bike tour with The Flying Bike. Our guide was very personable {you could tell he loves his job} and he was also able to give us first-hand insight into the impacts and recovery from Hurricane Helene. I found riding through downtown to be a bit much {my poor brain was processing all the things!}, but I loved when we got off the roads and on to the greenways. I can definitely understand the appeal.
In addition to being mountain people, we are urban garden people. Our elopement ceremony was even held in one of our favorite local gardens. We had to take advantage of being in Asheville to revisit the Asheville Botanical Garden. Tucked away near the college, it’s such a pretty oasis.
We also returned to the North Carolina Arboretum, which is a mix of organized garden areas and miles of trails. The trails were not explored this time, but one day we want to see where they go.
Another spot we love to visit whenever we’re nearby is the Folk Art Center on the Parkway. Sadly the main gallery was closed for an exhibition switch, but there is always so much to see.
In addition to gardens and art, we also took a stroll through the Western North Carolina Nature Center. I had visited before, back in 2017, and so much has changed since then! Not only have they expanded a good deal, but the hurricane definitely had an impact.
There was a lot of downtown wandering as well, from Asheville to Brevard to Hendersonville. I found a bookstore, of course, and we visited a honey store.
In Hendersonville we followed the signs directing us to the basement home of the Mineral & Lapidary Museum. Since I was little, I have loved rocks {fun fact: Mr and I took Geology together at the community college}, and it was such a cool collection to see. We even indulged my inner rock-geek and purchased a geode. I selected a good one, and it’s such a unique souvenir.
Our last night, we changed locations, and found ourselves in the most picturesque “old school” hotel. Echo Mountain Inn is such a step back in time, with actual room keys and communal areas.
We walked a lot of steps, we ate a lot of delicious things {check back soon for that post!}, and we enjoyed time together. Books were read, naps were taken, and it was the perfect getaway.
Do you prefer short trips or long ones?
What’s your favorite destination?
What’s the coolest or most unusual place you’ve ever stayed?
[…] 2 lists: one of things we wanted to do, and the other of places we wanted to eat. I’ve shared the recap of what we did, now it’s time to share what we […]
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Wow! What an amazing trip. That turtle was so cute!
So how are things going down there? It looks like some of these businesses are doing okay or built back up?
The Airbnb looked amazing as well. Thanks for taking us with you.
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The turtle was such a cutie 🙂
In some places, it is still very obvious that a disaster happened. The closer to the river you are, the more apparent: some buildings are just gone, bridges and roads are still in states of repair. Driving to the Nature Center, we had to take a “detour” because the bridge the direct route took is gone. That said, a week before we were there, the first train was able to make it through the gap over the repaired tracks – so there’s a lot of progress happening. We could even tell a big difference from when we were over there last summer, which is so promising 🙂
And of course! I love sharing our adventures ❤
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I’m glad there is some improvement!
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This trip looks amazing. I want to go there so bad!!! I also want that blue bear for my yard. Lol. Both the AirBnB and the Echo Mountain Inn look so cute. I love an AirBnB but I wouldn’t mind a hotel if it was super adorable like that one.
Wyatt loves wolves, he would love seeing that one! We took him on a special trip for his birthday a few years ago to a wolf sanctuary in Indiana. It was amazing! However, in the way of all children, he was more impressed with riding around in the golf cart. Lol.
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I wanted to bring the blue bear home with me, but it wouldn’t fit 😉 LOL! Echo Mountain was super adorable, but since it was 100+ years old, it was literally like staying in a big home rather than a hotel. No elevators, creaky wooden floors, etc. But I loved the big sun porch on the back side, looking out over the mountain range, and the whole general charm.
The Zoo only has red wolves, which to me look more like coyotes, LOL! So I was very excited to see this guy. I looked at Mr and was like “now that’s a wolf!” 🙂 And you know, it is pretty impressive to get to ride around in a golf cart, lol 😉
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It looks and sounds like you had a lovely trip 🥰 I always love visiting places with pretty gardens. You can see so many beautiful plants. There’s one near me I need to revisit soon actually as its famous for its roses and they’ll be out in force atm I’d imagine (judging by the roses we have anyway). I always love a trip to see animals too. I love how you captured the turtle looking at you like that and the wolf is gorgeous. I love your geode too. I had a thing about buying rocks from giftshops when I was younger, especially amethyst as a purple lover. Im glad you had such a lovely time away.
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If I had cracked an amethyst geode, I probably would have spontaneously combusted, lol … It is possible, they had examples of some that had been cracked there and donated back {I would have kept mine, not even gonna pretend otherwise}.
Ooooh, rose gardens. Yes! One of my favorite spots in the mountains has a walkway around a lake, and one whole side of it a “rose walk” – I used to love walking there in the evenings when I’d be on vacation. And yeah, animals are the best 😀
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Oh I’ve never had geodes, just the rocks you could get 😂 but yes I imagine that would have been a highly exciting discovery for you and I didn’t realise you got to cracked them yourself.
That sounds wonderful. I adore those kind of walkways 🥰 this one has lots growing against the walls and archways and trellises. Its really pretty to see as I’ve been during the summer before. Your one involving a lake too sounds wonderful.
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Well, technically the sweet old man running the place cracked it – but I got to pick it out. But I have cracked one before the old fashioned way with a hammer – definitely not as neat a finished product, lol
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[…] and with garden tours back on the schedule, there’s more of that to look forward to! We had our little adventure, and ate our way through the mountains. And the most adorable update of the month was the addition […]
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What a wonderful blog! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your adventure. The stunning photographs and vivid descriptions of your stay, food, cycling experiences, and breathtaking views made it a truly engaging read.
A little about myself, I am passionate about traveling and photography, and I have a keen interest in history. I enjoy discovering new places, capturing memorable moments through my camera, and learning about the historical and cultural stories behind the destinations I visit.
I enjoy both short and long trips, depending on the purpose and plan. However, short family getaways are especially meaningful to me because they allow us to spend quality time together while creating lasting memories.
Living in Europe gives me the opportunity to explore beautiful mountain regions, immerse myself in nature, and enjoy spectacular landscapes. At the same time, I also love discovering vibrant cities and their unique culture and history.
I’ve been fortunate to stay in many wonderful places, but one of the most memorable was Gruyères in the French-speaking region of Switzerland. We stayed in a beautiful valley where every morning was peaceful and serene, filled with the gentle sounds of cowbells and nearby waterfalls.
Another unforgettable stay was in San Martino di Castrozza, Italy, during a trip last year. It is a charming town with beautiful cobblestone streets, lively evening music, magnificent views of the Dolomites, and the soothing sound of a waterfall near our hotel. The atmosphere was simply magical.
I look forward to sharing my own travel experiences, photographs, and stories from the places I have visited in future blogs. Thank you for sharing your journey and inspiring fellow travelers!
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Thank you! ❤
Your stays in Gruyeres and Castrozza both sound so lovely! Italy and Switzerland are on our Travel Dream List 🙂 Europe has so many beautiful destinations, and such historical riches as well.
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Thank you so much. I feel very lucky to live here in Europe, where we have so many wonderful opportunities to visit beautiful places. I will soon be writing a new blog about my travel journey through Switzerland, Italy, Paris, and many more destinations to come.
I am truly looking forward to reading more of your blogs as well. Thank you for your support and encouragement 😊
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Wonderful ♥️
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