Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Trip Report: 6 great days exploring Asheville Area in December

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Whiteside Mountains
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Basillica
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Triple Falls
In our 4 person family trip to North Carolina, we stayed in an AirB&B in the small town of Brevard. It was a great place because it was less expensive and close to all of the parks and Asheville.

In Brevard, we went to the Black Forest Mountains, a quaint little collection of shops and cafes. The Veranda Cafe was the spot we picked for lunch, and their soups were absolutely perfect on the chilly day. The other shops in the area were very artsy, and catered to tourists. They were great to spend time walking around in.
Chimney Rock is a state park near Brevard, and that is worth the trip. The stairs seem daunting, but the views at the top are quite the reward. There is an elevator for people who can't use the stairs. It has a gift shop for souvenirs.

Our second day, we spent in Pisgah National Forest. The visitors center was closed due to the government shut down, but the park was still open. The trails were not difficult, and the many pulloffs on the roads allowed for picture opportunities. The Wildlife Education Center is an informational center about the local floral and fauna. It is attached to a trout hatchery, and you can feed the trout while learning about them. Trout fishing is legal in the area, with some restrictions. The Looking Glass Falls is easy to miss, as it looks like a roadside pulloff. When the waters are a little calmer, you can walk behind the waterfall itself. The Sliding Rock wasn't usable because so much water was going through it because of the rainstorm they had before we arrived, but it looked like a neat family activity. It was still very impressive and interesting to look at and walk around.

Another day we spent at the DuPont State Park Recreation Area, where we walked the falls loop trail. It was a little longer than expected, but not too long. The covered bridge on this trail was beautiful and fully functional, you could walk on it and look at the falls. High falls and Triple falls were full of water from the recent rains as well. They were very picturesque.

The Sierra Nevada Brewery was another stop on our third day, and was incredible. Make sure to stop by before they stop operations for the day. They offer scheduled tours, and self-guided tours.

The fourth day we spent at the local shops in Brevard along Main Street. O.P.Taylors is a cute, unconventional toy store that has very few electronic toys, and instead sells Legos, board games, and any other game one could imagine. It is bigger on the inside. Rocky's Grill and Soda Shop is a old soda fountain, and is amazingly decorated, has great meals, and a wonderful if slightly expensive gift shop. The Oskar Blues Brewery was very fun, but we did not get to do any of the tours. There were a lot of dogs there, as Brevard is an extremely dog-friendly town. We would have gone in the Military History Museum, but it is closed until the 16th of January.

On our fifth day, we took Highway 68 into Highlands. The Highlands Aerial Park was very fun, and the zipline track was great for my family, the guides were extremely kind and helpful. The Whiteside Mountian National Park was on Highway 68, and has a loop trail up to one of the mountain tops. The views are amazing, and I highly recommend this trail. It cannot be beat, and we took the best photos of our trip there. The trail is not recommended for people who might have difficulty walking or walking up slopes.

Our sixth day, we toured Asheville on the trolley tours. Our tour guide, Walt, was extremely informative and entertaining. We were told about the history behind many of the houses in the historic district, hot spots in the city, and popular tourist sites. It was a hop on/hop off trolley tour, and you should go early to utilize that and make a day out of Asheville. The Basillica is a gorgeous piece of architecture, and I recommend visiting it. Woolworth walk is a huge art expo where each booth displays work form a different local artist. The Grove Arcade has a lot of tiny shops of clothing and jewelry and such. The Chocolate Fetish and the French Broad Chocolate Lounge are two local chocolate shops that have wide selections. The White Duck Taco Shop is a delicious taco place in Asheville, and in the center of all the shops as well. It can get crowded, but the line moves quickly.