New Year's Eve in Asheville

Still no plans for New Year's Eve? There are a lot of fun things you can do in Asheville to welcome 2008. You can enjoy a family-friendly New Year's Eve celebration, or an intimate luxury package for couples.

• New Year's Eve at the Health Adventure - Get your New Year's Eve off to a fun start at The Health Adventure. Taking a cue from the decade The Health Adventure was born, the party will include retro inspired activities from the Sixties. Guests are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite rock star or band from the Age of Aquarius, and prize packages will be awarded for the best costumes.
• Last Minute New Year's Eve Packages - There's still time to plan a fun New Year's Eve getaway to Asheville. Enjoy a luxury or gala New Year's Eve package at local accommodations like The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa and the Inn at Biltmore Estate.
  
• Last Chance for Holiday Events - You can still enjoy a last blast of the holidays, such as Christmas at Biltmore Estate and the National Gingerbread House Display.
• New Year's Eve Nightlife - Hit the town and do some fun bar-hopping with the vibrant Asheville nightlife!
  
• Dine Out for New Year's Eve - Asheville is filled with wonderful restaurants, including dozens of independent restaurants in the downtown area.
  

Western North Carolina Ski and Snow Report - December 27

It may be early in the winter sports season, but there are already lots of opportunities to ski, snowboard and snow tube. We also just got a little wintery weather, particularly in higher elevations, that will help with the snow conditions at Western North Carolina ski resorts.

Snow and Ski Report from Cataloochee Ski Area

Cataloochee is skiing on seven slopes with 3 aerial lifts and 2 surface lift operating on a base of 24-48 inches and a machine worked surface. They are offering three day skiing sessions, twilight skiing and night skiing. The ski area's Tube World is also open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Current Conditions for the Cataloochee Ski Area:

• Depth of Base - 24"-48"


• Surface - Machine Worked


• Trails/Lifts Operating - 7/5


• Night Skiing - Yes

Find out more: Cataloochee Ski Area

Snow and Ski Report from Wolf Laurel Ski Resort

Wolf Laurel Ski Resort is getting into the swing of winter, with five slops and three lifts open. The resort's snow tubing is also open.


Snow Conditions at Wolf Laurel:

• Base Depth (Min-Max) - 12-28 inches
• Surface Conditions - Machine Groomed
• Slopes Open - 5
• Lifts Open - 3
• Snowmaking - YES (as temperature and conditions permit)
• Natural Snow in the Last 24hrs - .5
• Night Skiing - YES
• Terrain Park - CLOSED
• Tubing - OPEN
• 2007 - 2008 Snow - 2.0"

Plan a winter sports vacation: Winter Sports in Western North Carolina

Get Your Winter Warm-Up in Asheville Badge

Show off your love for winter in Asheville with this fun Asheville Winter Warm-Up badge.

To place this badge on your web site or blog, just copy and paste this:

<a href="http://blog.exploreasheville.com/"><img alt="fall color hunter badge" hspace="4" src="http://bctda.org/ashevillecvb/images//get-happy-holidays.png" align="left" /></a><br />

If you already have an Asheville badge from winter or fall, you don't need to do anything. Your badge should automatically switch to the new one.

Give the Gift of Travel

You only have a handful of holiday shopping days left, but there is one gift you can get without even leaving your computer: a vacation package to Asheville. You can just tuck the confirmation of your reservation into a card, and maybe throw in a few bucks for a shopping spree during the visit. It's easy to find getaway packages suited to almost any taste, including Romance Packages, Biltmore Packages, Outdoors Packages or even a last-minute New Year's Eve Package.

Stay posted on the latest deals and packages: Subscribe to the Asheville Traveler Newsletter or subscribe to the Asheville Blog feed by email or news reader.

Restaurants Open Christmas Day

Asheville makes a wonderful Christmas destination, and there are restaurants ranging from the casual to the upscale open for a delicious Christmas dinner feast. While it's nice to avoid the work of cooking Christmas meals, it isn't too fun to spend the evening wandering around in search of a restaurant that is open on this holiday.

To save Asheville's Christmas visitors the trouble of hunting for a restaurant open on Christmas, here is a list of local restaurants open for business Christmas Day.

Holiday Vacation Packages

Asheville is a perfect relaxing destination for a holiday retreat. When you book one of our partner’s special Holiday Packages, you’ll be inspired by the extraordinary charm of the rugged and romantic Appalachian Mountains. Make sure to take advantage of the many effortlessly chic shops and boutiques where you’ll be guaranteed to find unique holiday gift ideas.

Book yours now: Holiday Vacation Packages