Asheville

The campground was well maintained and centrally located. The pool was closed for the season but looked ok. They had an activity director and lots of trails dotted with troll/gnome/fairy houses in the woods on the property. Mark performed here also. The only negative was the rumbling from the I-40 traffic. We can deal with the noise, but our camper actually shook when trucks would pass over the nearby bridge.

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Things to see

Downtown Asheville

Fun place to learn the history of Asheville. There is a city walking tour, museums, and placards. We took the Gray Line Trolley tour when we arrived. It was a great way to determine which areas we wanted to further explore later.

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Blue Ridge Parkway

469 miles of spectacular trail access and spectacular views. We maybe saw only 20 miles of it.

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New Belgium Brewing Company

Great place to have a few beers, people watch, and relax.

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River Arts District

Highly recommend spending a few hours walking around to view all the amazing "legal" graffiti. There are several places to eat and shop also. The photos speak for themselves!

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Hiking

Browning Knob and Waterrock Knob

This trail is along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Nice hike, mostly in the woods with a few decent views. Dogs allowed.

Photos - AllTrails

Buck Spring Trail

This trail is in the Pisgah National Forest. Nice hike that leads to the Pisgah Inn and a great view. Dogs allowed.

Photos - AllTrails

Exclamation Point and Skyline Trail to Hickory Nut Falls

This trail is in the Chimney Rock State Park. Great hike with several waterfalls and lookouts. Highly recommend spending a day here. Dogs allowed.

Photos - AllTrails

Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower

The hike is not that interesting as it is on a gravel road. However, the view from the top of the fire tower is amazing. We found out that Polly is afraid of heights. She would only go up 2 stories and then refused to continue! Dogs allowed.

Photos - AllTrails

Little Pisgah Mountain

The hike is part of the Pisgah National Forest. Nice hike with a good view at the top. Dogs allowed.

Photos - AllTrails

The Pinnacle Trail

Great wooded hike with a good view at the top. Dogs allowed.

Photos - AllTrails

Wildcat Rock Trail

Nice wooded hike. We saw people rock climbing about 1/2 mile into the trail. We had a lot of fun driving along the curvy road to the trailhead. Dogs allowed.

Photos - AllTrails

Biking

Buck Springs Gap Overlook to Stony Fork Park

Okay, so we cheated just a little. We took our bicycles up to Buck Springs Gap Overlook and rode them downhill the whole way. Realistically, no pedaling was involved. It was super fun though! Two tunnels and 151 is very windy!

Motorcycling

Tail of the Dragon

Ride the tail of the dragon...318 curves in 11 miles. A must-do when you are in the area with a motorcycle or sports car! Also stop at Deals Gap General Store and see the "Tree of Shame" which is all the vehicle parts left from crashes.

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Food and Drink

Burning Blush Brewery

We stumbled upon this as we were on our way back from a hike. Good beer and a food truck with German style food. Dogs allowed.

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Fonta Flora Brewery

Another brewery we stumbled upon after a hike. Great beer, good pizza, and a fun outdoor atmosphere. Dogs allowed.

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White Duck Tacos

Excellent street tacos with unique combinations. There are several in the area and they have outdoor seating. Dogs allowed.