Ask Amber

Letter #1, 5/2/2026

Dear Amber...

I am planning a family road trip from California to North Carolina's outer banks this summer. I'd really like to stop in Asheville, NC. How long should I stay there? Where should I stay? What should I do while I'm there?

-Road Warrior

Dear Road Warrior...

I love Asheville—one of my favorite cities in the world—and I’m lucky enough to live just a two-hour drive away.

I’d recommend spending at least two days in Asheville, but as you'll see below, you could easily stay a full week and still not do it all.

Since Asheville is on your route, and you're traveling with family, you may want to keep Dollywood in mind on the way in. It’s a cute stop in Pigeon Forge with fun rides for the kids—and for the adults too—and it adds a little fun adventure to the drive before you reach the mountains. It’s not quite a Disneyland-level splurge, but it’s still worth knowing it’s only a little cheaper, not dramatically cheaper.

Once you arrive, I’d treat the Biltmore as optional. It’s a full-day experience, once the home of the Vanderbilts, and it’s terrific for adults who enjoy history, architecture, wine, gardens, and a sense of grand old Southern elegance, but it may not be the most exciting stop for kids. If you skip it, you won’t feel like you missed Asheville—you’ll just have a different kind of trip.

What you would miss by skipping the Biltmore is some of Asheville’s old-world polish, which is exactly why the Grove Park Inn deserves a stop. It has that grand, historic, mountain-lodge feeling: stone fireplaces, sweeping views, and an atmosphere that makes even a drink in the lobby feel like an event. It’s one of those places that reminds you Asheville can be both lively and elegant at the same time.

For hotels, I’d start in the Brevard Road area, if you want the cheapest options, I recommend: hotel 1 and hotel 2. For mid-tier, look in the Biltmore Area or West Asheville at hotel 3, hotel 4, and hotel 5, which includes a free downtown shuttle (useful for enjoying the breweries downtown safely). If you value convenience over price, consider hotel 6, hotel 7, and hotel 8. For the splurge crowd, there’s also hotel 9 and hotel 10.

As for what else to do, I’d make as much time as you can for: Biltmore Village, Asheville Tanger Outlets, the River Arts District (including its glass-blowing demos), the Asheville Pinball Museum (fun for kids and grown ups), the Asheville Art Museum, the Woolworth building downtown for a milkshake and art browsing, French Broad for chocolate (if available, try their drinking chocolate), a foraging tour, and a scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

And please do not skip the food and drink. For lunches/dinners, your list includes Piezaa, Gan Shan, Plant, Haywood Common, Chai Pani, and The Smokin’ Onion. For breakfast, I enjoy the breakfast tacos at Taco Temple, and Taco Billy. If you got a sweet tooth, try these: Crust Never Sleeps and Old Europe Pastries. For breweries, I’d point you toward Burial, DSSOLVR, New Belgium, Wicked Weed, and The Whale—the last of which curates beers from around the world, so it deserves a mention even though it isn’t technically a brewery. It's also next door to Haywood Common.

I hope you enjoy Asheville—and don’t forget to pause for the unexpected, like an impromptu percussion performance in the middle of downtown. That’s one of my favorite Asheville memories. I hope you make some good ones, too.

-Amber