Take a Late Summer Family Getaway to Asheville, North Carolina

As a child, summer felt like the longest time of my life. Days stretched on and on, and it felt like the sun was never going to go down, in the best way. We’d get out of school at the end of May and head back to school mid-August. For almost three whole months, I’d spend my mornings reading on the front porch until my neighborhood friends would swing by for a visit, or we’d head to the surrounding woods to work on our fort or play an epic game of hide and seek. On rainy days, we’d play hours of board games or Atari.

In the evenings, around dusk, we’d run around, capturing lightning bugs (or fireflies, depending on where you grew up) in jars, letting them go after a bit. As children, we didn’t understand we were threatening these delicate insects, so I certainly wouldn’t suggest that now, but it’s a core memory all the same—a cap to our long, summer days.

I now homeschool my son and try to give him the same amount of time off, with the freedom to explore new things he wants to learn. I find him working on guitar and making beats for hours at a time or packing a day bag to head to the creek with his friends. He even spends his mornings, as I did as a child, reading. I hope that his days feel as long as mine did in the summer months.

My husband is in a band, and I travel for work all the time, so when we planned a late summer vacation, we wanted a trip where we could stay in one place the whole time, rather than packing up and moving around every few days, as we are so accustomed to doing; A trip where we could hike and be outside, eat great food, and get a mix of city and small towns. We found the perfect spot, and it was exactly what we needed.

For those of you living in a place with a few weeks of summer left before school starts again, and are looking for an end-of-summer trip, head to the mountains of Western North Carolina and plan for a week of adventure.

There’s much to do in the area around Asheville; listing everything would give you weeks of activities to enjoy. From hiking, to zipline, to tubing and rafting, to eating, shopping, to beautiful drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway, to all the small towns to explore, there’s just so much to see and do. I’ve planned a long weekend for you, mirroring our recent trip and highlighting the best parts.

Something to keep in mind when planning your visit: Asheville is situated in the greater Appalachian temperate rainforest, which translates to a high daily rainfall. These microstorms don’t last long, but it does mean you should plan accordingly. We did all our hikes, adventures, and exploring in the morning, leaving the rainy afternoons for getting cleaned up and resting before heading to dinner each evening. We stayed in an Airbnb for the convenience of washing clothes and having a full kitchen. I appreciated the opportunity to pack a picnic for all our hikes.

Day One:

Head to Dupont State Recreational Forest for a hike to Triple Falls and High Falls. The paths are well-marked and easy to navigate, although steep. We packed a lunch and found a nice rock to eat before swimming under the waterfall. The water is crisp and cold, but refreshingly cool on the hot days. We also hiked to Hooker Falls, which is flatter and better suited for families with smaller children.

You’d be remiss to skip visiting Botiwalla by Chai Pani in West Asheville. Dinner is fast casual, local, and full of so much flavor. I’ve craved their okra fries at least once a week since we returned home. Head down the street to The Hop for an after-dinner ice cream cone. They are a local institution, open since 1978. Both dairy and vegan ice cream is available.

If you aren’t beat from all the hiking and swimming and want to do a little more exploring, head to Wedge Brewery to have a local beer. If the record store next door, Records in the Rad, is open, stop in for sure. It’s well curated, and we found a stack of outstanding records to add to our collection.

Day Two:

We started our morning with donuts at Hole Doughnuts. Each donut is made to order and light and fluffy inside, while remaining crispy on the outside. There was this throwback feel to waiting for our order. No one felt impatient or glued to their phones. Not to get too heady, but it evoked a sense of nostalgia I don’t find too often. Just watching the simple art of frying donuts was enough for the collective patrons. Pro tip: If you are in a hurry, you can order ahead online, and it will be ready when you arrive.

Time to explore downtown Asheville. It was a lot bigger than I remembered from my time as a summer camp counselor, when we spent our day off in the city. A few places I would not miss: East Fork Pottery’s flagship store. It’s beautiful, and all their stunning pottery is made in town. The Moogseum is a look at the life of Bob Moog, the “Godfather of Synth Music” and a pioneer of synthesizers. It’s interactive and fun for all ages. Pop into the Rowan Coffee downtown location, located next door to the museum, for an afternoon tea or coffee. The Asheville Pinball Museum offers an all-you-can-play flat rate. Rated one of the best arcades in the country, it’s easy to understand why. Stop by Malaprop’s Bookstore, as it’s one of the best independent bookstores I’ve encountered.

We didn’t make it to the Asheville Art Museum, Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, or the Asheville Museum of Science, but I’d love to add each to our next visit.

After downtown, head to West Asheville to do a little exploring. Flora is an excellent little shop, along with Harvest Records and Bagatelle Books on the same block. Enjoy Haywood Road, as there are so many shops, cafes, cocktail bars, and restaurants to discover.

When you are ready for dinner, while you are in the neighborhood, try Itto Ramen. If you love ramen, you will love the authentic flavors here.

Day Three:

Grab breakfast and a morning coffee at Rowan Coffee on Haywood Road in West Asheville. Besides being a stunningly designed coffee shop, their menu is delicious. I don’t drink coffee, but I do love a good tea, and Rowan hit the spot.

We are now traveling with a teenager, so we are incorporating more teen-friendly activities into our travels. I’ll be honest, my husband and I loved our tubing adventure down the French Broad, but our son was a bit bored. He’s 13, and it was just too slow for him. I, on the other hand, took an actual nap on the water. It was exactly what I needed, because I was clearly exhausted, as evidenced by the fact that I fell asleep in a moving tube on the water. It was peaceful to say the least.

Next time, we will go white-water rafting down the Nantahala or find a different part of the river to tube down with more current.

After your tubing, get out of town and explore Black Mountain or Brevard. They are in opposite directions out of the city, so you’ll have to decide which you prefer. If you go to Brevard, do not miss the chance to get a pulled pork sandwich at Smoke On BBQ. I’m going out on a limb and say it is the best BBQ I’ve ever tasted. No notes, just fantastic pulled pork. Head to Sliding Rock, a classic, freezing-water natural water slide. It’s a must-do at least once in your life. Brevard is the land of waterfalls, so you can also find some stunning hikes.

If you decide to go toward Black Mountain, stop into BERADU, Black Mountain Cider + Mead, Recess Coffee and Baked Goods, and take a hike at Catawba Falls Trails.

Dinner time! One of the best meals of our trip was dinner at Leo’s House of Thirst in West Asheville. It was so cozy and innovative without being stuffy or pretentious. Each dish is a work of art, and you can see the attention to detail in every selection from the revolving menu.

*Kids are welcome, but look first to make sure your child is adventurous enough before trying it out. The dishes are complex and explore a different side of the palate. My teen loved it, but he seeks out dishes he hasn’t tried. I know that’s not always the case, so I want to give a heads up. If your child does want to try it, you won’t be sorry. It’s incredible.

Day Four:

As I previously mentioned, we are exploring in a different way now, traveling with a teen, so we did a first for all of us and went ziplining. We opted for the mountaintop package, and it was worth the price. As my son said, “It’s a core memory experience,” and I think that’s true. There are several places to zipline, but we went to Navitat. It felt like a bonding experience, soaring above the trees and flying through the mountains. Between the three ziplines we did, we hiked and learned about the local flora.

After your morning zip lining, take a long drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s completely stunning. Plan ahead, though, because parts are still closed due to Hurricane Helene. We stopped and hiked up to Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower, above the clouds, with sweeping views of the rolling, blue mountains. I plan to drive the entire length of the parkway one day. We took our Nocs binoculars and monoculars to use while overlooking the mountains, looking for birds and other animals.

After getting cleaned up, we had dinner at Chai Pani. Hands down, the best butter chicken I’ve had. Aside from the Indian staples, the menu featured shareable-sized, out-of-the-box dishes, such as bhel puri and hara masala prawns. End the evening with gulab jamun and a slice of carrot halwa cake.

Bonus trip:

Add a couple of days to your trip and head to the charming small town of Boone. Catch the last week of Blackberry Jam, with live music, and stop into a local restaurant to grab a dessert or cocktail created around the prized blackberry.

Boone has become known for its thriving agritourism, offering something for everyone. Enjoy one of the many working farms for a tour, U-Pick blackberries, apples, and flowers, take the kids to an alpaca farm, or enjoy one of the booths at the farmers’ market to meet the local growers. If you can’t make it on this trip, Boone offers visitors something to do year-round, so think ahead to fall break and go pumpkin picking, visit a corn maze, and go horseback riding.

On your way to Boone, visit Grandfather Mountain State Park for hiking and the Mile High Swinging Bridge.

Western North Carolina is back after the storm and ready to welcome you to town.