We (me, my husband and my 2 yr old) spent a week in Asheville the second week in October.

We stayed at the Princess Anne Hotel which I didn't see reviewed on this board. We were thrilled with the accommodations. We had a large suite (I've had smaller apartments) with a kitchenette. The suite had 3 rooms: kitchen dining (where we put the pack and play for our toddler), living room, and bedroom. The hotel was upscale and included breakfast (fantastic) and a wine and cheese hour in the afternoon. There were several communal gathering areas which was nice.
The hotel was 3/4 of a mile from downtown--but you had to cross major traffic. The hotel itself was in a residential area. I was disappointed at first not to be right downtown, but we actually discovered some cool parks that we wouldn't have otherwise. I think not staying downtown expanded our experience. We did more than just shop/eat in that immediate area.

Overall the hotel had all the things I love about a B&B without the things I don't.

Because we were traveling with our toddler we had to eat at casual restaurants for all meals. In Asheville there were plenty of choices. There was a magazine we picked up that was a special publication with "best of the best" and readers picks. We chose all of our restaurants from that book. The two standouts for us were Salsas and the Laughing Seed. I had a duck burrito at Salsas and I've dreamed about it, it was so good.

Asheville seems to be a very central location for exploring the area. You could day trip to so many places. That alone made it a place I know I will return to.

We took a day trip to Brevard. Brevard was a nothing town (I don't really recommend it) but they did have a fantastic toy store. Southern Living said it was where Santa shops for toys. So that was fun for our specific needs. We also did a short hike and stopped for waterfalls in that area (Pisgah forest). It made for a nice daytrip.

Our other day trip was to drive down to chimney rock--then over to black mountain and then back to asheville. That made for a nice trip as well. We had lunch at Chimney rock, then shopped a bit in Blackmountain.

Another day we went to a corn maze/apple picking/ pumpkin patch....Hickory Nut Gap Farm I think it was called. It was small, but just perfect for us. This was a great stop for my son. It was just a few minute drive to the outskirts of Asheville.

If you have kids make sure to visit Jones Park. It is a fantastic playground for them to blow off some steam.

IMO, Asheville itself has a real natural living/hippy vibe. But, not a grungy college feel. A sophisticated hippy? Very artsy (everyone is a jewelery maker) focus on locally grown foods, and enjoying the outdoors. It was very casual which makes it nice for families. Overall we enjoyed it very much and will certainly return.

Thanks for the report Marci 77. Forgive my ignorance, but are you talking about Asheville NC? If so, did you go to the Biltmore?

Yes, Asheville, NC. Sorry I didn't write that originally.
No, we did not go to the Biltmore. My husband and I would have loved to have gone, but we didn't feel that it was suitable for a toddler.
Several other travelers we chatted with went on and on about how wonderful it was--and assured us it would be ok to take our 2 yr old in a stroller. But, in the end we decided it would not be fun to him and he may disrupt others.
We will just save it for another time.

Marci, I just wanted to say how considerate you and your husband are. Too many parents don't consider the feelings of others when they take their children to places that may be inappropriate for them. Unfortunately, the children aren't the only ones that suffer in these situations.

Lovely trip report about one of my favorite places, Marci. Come back soon!