The girls and I drove to Asheville, NC for a 5 day getaway (2 of those days were spent driving to and from). Day 1 we took the trolley into Asheville and spent the day shopping. For lunch, we had an incredible Vidalia Onion Bisque at Isa's Bistro. Asheville has a Bohemian feel to it - both the shops and people. There were also a lot of crafty stores and merchandise. I really enjoyed browsing through the many shops in Asheville. For dinner, we went to Sunny Point Cafe. This was by far my favorite restaurant of the trip. A field to table restaurant, the Sunny Point Garden is adjacent to the restaurant and fresh ingredients are harvested from this garden for their specials. I had the Pecan & Rice Flour Crusted Sunburst Trout with grit cakes, blackened tomatoes and fresh citrus kale salad which was absolutely scrumptious! We ended the day with a card game back at our hotel - The Grove Park Inn.
On Day 2, we toured the Biltmore Mansion and Gardens. It is impossible to describe the beauty of the gardens and the mansion. All I can say is, "you have to see it." The history of the estate is incredibly interesting. We definitely got our exercise in walking through the rose and flower gardens, conservatory and azalea garden. We had lunch at the Stable Cafe' where horse stalls were converted into cozy booths. Another field to table restaurant, the food was fresh and delectable! I had the asparagus and spinach soup and garden salad. So fresh!! After lunch, we drove to the Biltmore winery and picked up some wine made from their vineyards. Dinner was at the Chestnut, a refurbished restaurant which reflects the era (1924) in which it was built. We decided to share small plates - seasonal salad, lobster bisque, fried pickled green tomatoes, and grilled filet. This was definitely a wise choice. Another great meal! We came back and rocked in the rocking chairs on the porch of the Grove Park Inn which overlooks the Great Smoky Mountains.
Day 3 was the Spa Day! The Grove Park Inn has a beautiful spa. If you book a treatment, you get to use the spa all day. So of course, we all booked treatments! Some of my favorite amenities we enjoyed (besides our treatments) included the Eucalyptus Inhalation Room followed by the eucalyptus-infused dry sauna and steam room. I also liked the contrast pools, therapeutic waterfall pools, and mineral pools. We had lunch poolside with a beautiful view of the Great Smoky Mountains. Dinner was at Limones in downtown Asheville. The lobster nachos were very tasty!
This is definitely a vacation I would repeat!
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