My boyfriend and I are planning a long weekend trip to North Carolina and want to stay in the mountains somewhere. So far, Asheville seems most appealing because of location and all the things to do but we're really up for anything because neither of us have been. The trip will be either the last two weekends of October or the first weekend of November.

It's kind of a relaxing, romantic getaway so preferably we'd really like to do a cabin vacation rental or something along those lines. I'm really looking for something that has less than a 3 night minimum. We have the option to bring the puppy so anything pet friendly would be great.

I was wondering if anybody has any recommendations of where to stay and what to do. Anything is appreciated seeing as nothing is set in stone. Especially if you have a place you have stayed before and just loved or places we just shouldn't miss.

If we do stay in the Asheville area I was wondering about the Biltmore Estate. If time is kind of limited and Saturday is our only "touristy" day, is it worth taking a look at? Should we go into the town and poke around?

Thanks so much and sorry it's so long!

Check out vrbo.com for pet friendly rentals. Other than LaQuintas and Motel 6s, it's going to be hard to find pet friendly hotels in NC.

The last two weeks of Oct are high season.

Several years ago we stayed at one of the Willow Winds cabins in Asheville and thought it was really nice. It's in Asheville (not up in the mountains) but is convenient to the Biltmore estate, restaurants, and shops.

http://www.willowwinds.com/

I use vrbo.com almost exclusively in the NC Mts. There are plenty of cabins available but Asheville is a prime location as it puts you in close proximity to Chimney Rock, Black Mt. & the Blue Ridge Parkway. I am not a huge Biltmore fan but many are, I tend to spend more of my time hiking & relaxing & avoiding the tourist hordes. The later you can go, the better chance you will have to find the type of place that you want. As mentioned prior, the 'leaf-peepers' will be out in full force in Oct., which is a great time to avoid the entire area. These may help as well - http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/, www.nps.gov/blri, http://www.townofblackmountain.org/, www.chimneyrockpark.com If you do plan to go to Chimney Rock watch the "Last of the Mohicans" particularly the last 1/2 hour. If will give you a pretty good appreciation of the park, & what the actors did in the movie. Down the street from there in Lake Lure is where "Dirty Dancing" was filmed. www.townoflakelure.com

I agree with the above that late Oct will be the busiest time due to leaf season (especially the 3rd weekend). You'll likely find more available and fewer crowds first week in Nov.

As much as I like the Asheville area (though I'm also not a much of a Biltmore fan as others), to me, the High Country (Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk) feels more like the mountains. I agree with VRBO.com, or we've also used www.rentourcabins.com for pet friendly rentals.

To be totally away from everything, surrounded only by the natural beauty of the mountains and overlooking a lake we enjoyed the Peaks of Otter Lodge. Their rates are very reasonable.

The nicest place we have stayed is the Swag Bed & Breakfast in Waynesville. It is west of Asheville and has its own trails into the Great Smokey Mountains Park. It is pricey but meals are included and they frequently have cool nature/cultural programs. You can stay in the main house or in one of several delightful cabins. Deener Matthews, the innkeeper, is a really neat lady and the food at the Swag is exquisite (my husband is a food snob ).
http://www.theswag.com
If you prefer to stay in Asheville, the Grove Park Inn is lovely, though large, & has a fabulous spa & nice golf course.
If you like historic homes, the Biltmore is interesting to visit but Asheville is a cool little town in which to wander around and the Biltmore can take several hours- guess you could decide based on weather!
Have a blast.

Not to discount The Swag or Grove Park, as they are beautiful properties, however, you can likely rent a 3 bdrm cabin for a week, for what 2 nights at either of those places will cost.

you are right SAnParis2!

We stayed at a beautiful place in Black Mountain called The Arbor House Inn www.arborhousenc.com - really charming little place on a small lake. Black Mountain is a great little town with restaurants and art galleries. The B&B owners are wonderful - really good breakfast too.