Asheville is SO FUN and has activities for everyone. We could go on for hours about things to do, but will just highlight our favorite restaurants, breweries, bars, hikes, and other fun activities here.

FOOD:

Cheap/casual:

- Baby Bull -- amazing burgers in the River Arts District (owned by fancy steakhouse Bull & Beggar)

- Mamacitas -- good dive-y Mexican downtown

- White Duck Taco -- great "tacos" (but not authentic Mexican), River Arts location has lovely outdoor seating by the river

- PIE.ZAA -- pizza downtown open late, giant slices

- Biscuit Head -- great brunch option, big cathead biscuits

Mid-tier:

- Main St Grill -- Weaverville, great burgers, fish & chips, etc

- Sunny Point Cafe -- a big hit for brunch, nice patio/garden

- Nine Mile -- Jamaican fusion food. West location has the best cooks

- Chai Pani -- Indian street food. Recommend going for lunch; no reservations, hard to get into for dinner

- Itto Ramen & Tapas -- good ramen & Japanese tapas. Downtown & west AVL locations

- Rankin Vault -- slightly dive-y downtown bar that has an amazing burger!

Higher End:

- Curate or Zambra -- both Spanish tapas, both excellent. Need reservations

- La Bodega -- very cute small tapas "pintxos" spot, owned by Curate

- Bull & Beggar -- amazing steaks. Not cheap, very yummy. Need reservation

- Ukiah -- delicious Japanese smokehouse tapas. Need reservation

- Hemingway’s Cuba -- great rooftop, yummy Cuban food & good cocktails. Need reservation

BREWERIES

There are so many and you can't go wrong, but here are some of our faves based on both beer and ambiance:

- Green Man -- south slope, cool building & great beer

- Burial -- great outdoor spot on south slope, our fave beer

- Zillicoah -- great outdoors spot on river

- Highland -- huge, great outdoor area for kids, volleyball

- New Belgium -- big, right on the river, cool tours

- Sierra Nevada -- huge, beautiful, 5 min from airport

- Wedge @ Foundation -- cool arts spot with tons of graffiti, galleries. This is where the Welcome Drinks will be!

BARS

- Ben’s Tune Up -- fun casual bar, specializes in sake

- Jack of the Wood -- pub, live music often — bluegrass thursdays

- Little Jumbo -- cool 20s style cocktail bar

- Antidote by Chemist -- fancy 20s style cocktails downtown with rooftop

- Omni Grove Park Inn sunset terrace -- amazing place to watch a sunset!! (Pay to park & grab a drink at the inside bar, then find a spot to stand on the terrace. No reso needed)

HIKES

Easy:

- Craggy Gardens

- Black Balsam

- Looking Glass Falls (no hiking required)

- Skinny Dip Falls

Medium:

- DuPont Triple Falls

- Graveyard Falls

Hard:

- Catawba Falls -- just reopened & is pretty close to our wedding venue! It is 3.5 mi, relatively easy except for one short but intense section that is equivalent to climbing about 50 flights of stairs in a row. Worth it for the upper falls!

- Looking Glass Rock

- Cat Gap Trail to John Rock Loop -- Our fave! 4ish hrs (5-6 mi) total loop, amazing views at top, also a sneaky waterfall on the way back. We recommend this over Looking Glass Rock. Definitely an endurance hike. Text/email Jules for tips if you go for this one!

ACTIVITIES:

- Massage or salt water floatation (aka sensory deprivation tanks) at Still Point Wellness! We both work here and it is a very beautiful spa. Mention us to the front desk for 10% off services!

- Axeville Throwing Club -- great for parties of 2-4 or more people (Austin works here too!)

- Level 256 -- arcade/bar with all the old school games

- Shop for antiques/art/collectibles at places like the Regeneration Station & the Marquee

- Browse artist galleries all over the Arts District

- Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway -- many hikes & lookouts are along it

- Coffee at Sessions, it’s also a record store and vinyl factory (Citizen Vinyl)

- Walk the 3-ish mile greenway loop that encircles the river in the Arts District (can start/end at the French Broad River Park or at New Belgium)

- Walk around Beaver Lake and/or Bird Sanctuary

- Outdoor concerts at Salvage Station

- Mast General Store (southern staple store -- clothes, knick knacks & old school candy)

- Chinese ceremonial tea or tea flight & yummy Chinese snacks @ High Climate

- Also, sit and have some lovely tea at any of the Dobra locations

- Fun day trip to Chimney Rock. Small valley town with small State park that is cool and can work for wide range of mobility — can hike miles or not at all (there's an elevator to the coolest parts). Chimney Rock Brewing Co is an amazing spot right on river, and hit Burnshirt Vineyards for wine/food. Also check out the flowering bridge!

Explore Asheville is also great guide for visitors!

www.exploreasheville.com

A&J

Austin & Julia's Wedding