Asheville was great, but it's always different when you vacation somewhere as opposed to live there. The downtown is so small to me given I'm from NY. There are some shops and restaurants, but honestly not sure when We went for my father in law's 75th so rented a really nice house in the woods. I ate amazing, drank a bunch of good coffee, went zip lining with my kid, saw some amazing sights/views (the Omni hotel and Biltmore grounds), and hiked in the woods. Lots of things that are my favorites.
Also I cannot recommend
Huli Sue's BBQ enough. The brisket cooked so tender and the "Huli chicken skewers" were just about the best flavored chicken I've ever had.
Also went to
Liberty House Coffee and Cafe. It's a great breakfast and brunch spot with outdoor seating and had some live music which really set the tone when we were there. They just need a better system for ordering as they have ONE person taking orders and literally writing them down for the chefs so the link can unnecessarily stretch outside and take way longer than needed. That said once you get the food it's so tasty and the atmosphere great that it all seems worth it.,
Then we drove from Ashville to sourthern Atlanta were we went to
Serenbe. I can see this not being for everyone, but if you like what feels like a modern peaceful community of like-minded people who love nature, health, and the arts while living in truly beautiful homes...Then it's really for you. I've travelled a lot and I don't know another place like this in the US. I said hello and/or waved to more strangers in 2 days than I have in the past year. It just has a really great feel and they still have so much more to build. Just got back yesterday and I've had a stronger pull to buy a rental property more than here.