Traveling to Asheville, North Carolina 🍁✨

Nestled at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains and home to the famous Biltmore Estate, Asheville remains vibrant even during the off-season. The city glows with sparkling lights at night, and the iconic red bus—Double D’s Coffee & Desserts—is still a must-visit spot. 🚌💫 As a popular tourist destination, parking is plentiful and convenient. Pro tip: indoor parking lots are often cheaper than outdoor ones—just remember to keep your ticket! It has the address printed on it, so you can use GPS to find your way back in case you forget where you parked. 🅿️📍 The bustling Spanish restaurant Cúrate remains as popular as ever—reservations are highly recommended! 🍷 Their sangria, fruity and refreshing, is a crowd favorite. Unless you’re in a group of four or five, maybe skip the full pitcher. 🍅 The tomato soup (sopa de tomate) is rich and flavorful—best enjoyed with extra bread. 🥒 The chilled eggplant dish (escalivada) served with bread is light and perfect as an appetizer. 🐙 The octopus (pulpo a la gallega) is tender and served on a bed of mashed potatoes—delicious but a bit salty, so it pairs well with rice. 🍄 The sherry-marinated mushrooms (setas al jerez) are savory and deeply umami—also on the saltier side. Next time I’m bringing my own rice to mix in… it’d be absolutely perfect with it! 😋 For dessert, don’t miss Sweets and Seats Cafe—their tiramisu and taro milk tea are just the right level of sweetness. The space is spacious and comfortable. 🍫 Another great spot is French Broad Chocolate, offering a variety of chocolates, desserts, and ice cream in a lovely setting. Perfect for relaxing after a meal! At the Biltmore Estate, you’ll find farm animals raised on-site—their produce supplies the estate’s restaurants. 🐄🍇 The estate also grows its own grapes and produces wine sold worldwide—reminds me of the game “Capitalism” (oops, did I just reveal my age? 😅). Friendly staff are always ready to answer questions. There’s also a beautiful ~10-mile round-trip trail from the winery to the main house, offering stunning mountain and water views—a great route for hiking! 🥾🌳 Make sure to use both days if you get a two-day pass—it’s worth it! #Asheville #NatureEscapes #Travel