Giant Bike Takes a Spin in Asheville, NC

Enjoy this little slice of life from our mountain town. Where else could you find this quirky commuter except in Asheville, NC?

Let the Good Times Roll with Mardi Gras in Asheville

Looking for some Mardi Gras fun today? We have the scoop on what’s hot in Asheville for Fat Tuesday.

• Eleven on Grove hosts a Fat Tuesday swing and tango dance feat. Bring your dancing shoes and enjoy live music by Swing.


• Jack of the Wood starts the party with live Dixieland Jazz from the Firecracker Jazz Band.


• Mo-Daddy’s Bar & Grill brings a taste of New Orleans to the mountains with Mardi Gras Moulin Cabaret Feat: Laissez Bon Temps Roulez. The night will include a burlesque show, music and belly dancing.


• Tressa’s hosts a night of jazz with special guest Chuck Lichtenberger.


• Grey Eagle Music Hall celebrates Asheville-style with American and folk music from the Ryan Montbleau Band with Caleb Hawley.

Chill Out with Spring and Summer Travel Deals

Someone recently told me to “chill out.” A familiar phrase in the American vernacular, yes…but this time it resonated as a fitting, and possibly useful, mantra. Times are tough and bad news is in no short supply. More than ever, we owe ourselves time to decompress and bask in life’s simple pleasures.

Asheville just happens to be in the R&R business, full of ways to relax and reinvigorate your spirit. It’s not summer yet, but when those dog days get you all hot and bothered, remember that you can literally chill out in the cool green mountains. That being said, the chill pill is certainly easier to swallow if it’s affordable or, better yet, free. A little good news…

To help you keep your spring and summer getaway in the budget, we’ve launched CoolAshevilleSavings.com with deals, insider savings secrets, freebies and travel packages to help maximize the value of your vacation. We’re adding new spring and summer travel deals every day.

Asheville’s Top 10 Free Things to Do
1) Explore a National Park – This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited park in the national park system. The Smokies are a nearby natural wonder and always free to explore.
2) Have a Play Date – Take in Asheville’s best outdoor theatre with the Montford Park Players. Each summer, North Carolina's longest-running outdoor theatre troupe puts on amazing performances of Shakespearean plays for free on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
3) Watch Working Artists – Looking is free. Explore the River Arts District, an old industrial district transformed by a community of working artists into an enclave for creativity.
4) Grab a Bike -- Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville has all the elements that make for great cycling – a mild climate, a wide range of terrain and many scenic roads. Bring your own bike or stop by one of Asheville’s many bike shops to rent some wheels.
5) Dance, Dance, Dance – Asheville has long been known for its independent eateries and pubs that transition to live music venues at night. The rhythmically inclined will want to head to downtown’s Pritchard Park for the Asheville Drum Circle on spring and summer’s cool Friday evenings.
6) Revel in Mountain Views – Soak in the famous and free vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Take a drive up Town Mountain near the historic Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa or cruise America’s favorite scenic highway, the Blue Ridge Parkway.
7) Cool Off at a Waterfall -- The hundreds of waterfalls in the mountains surrounding Asheville are part of what make the region one of the most beautiful in the world.
8) Tempt Taste Buds at the Tailgate – Stop by one of Asheville’s many tailgate and farmers’ markets, known for free samples of local flavors and farm-fresh treats.
9) Do the Time Warp -- Embark on a self-guided tour of the Asheville Urban Trail. City streets serve as an art and history museum without walls, where pieces of art tell the story.
10) Get Festive – Spring and summer in Asheville are synonymous with free festivals, ranging from music to arts to mountain sports.

Pisgah Beer Tasting

These days we're all looking for ways to save, so I've been purchasing larger quantities of necessary items to get better value. Good news for beer-lovers: Pisgah Brewing Co. just released three new 22-ounce bottles. Last night Bruisin' Ales hosted the release party with a proper beer tasting, complete with nuts and grapes for each round. We worked our way from pale to stout in the following manner:

• Pisgah Pale Ale—"Our pale ale is a perfect blend of rich organic malts with whole leaf Chinook and Mount Hood hops. A crisp, clean profile makes this beer distinct. 31.8 IBU"


• Pisgah Brown Ale—"This beer is an excellent session ale for those who like their beer a little on the malty side. A lighter body and balanced sweetness make this brown ale one to remember. Nothing fancy here. Just a rock solid brew."


• Pisgah Solstice—"Pisgah’s year round Belgian. A Tripel ale, this beer contains moderately fruity esters with an alcoholic complexity supported by a soft malt character. This beer is pale gold in color and 9.5% ABV. It recently placed first out of 13 samples from North America and Europe in a blind tasting by Ales Street News!"


• Pisgah Valdez —"This mouth watering stout is brewed with organic, fair-trade coffee beans from Dynamite Coffee Roasters and weighs in at a respectable 6.8%. The aroma of fresh coffee leaps from the glass and finishes slightly dry. Treat yourself to the finest coffee stout this season."


• Pisgah Vortex II—"Treat yourself to the first of the Vortex series to be offered in a bottle. The strongest Pisgah beer bottled to date, this Russian Imperial Stout would make any 18th century Czar proud."

Last night was a variance from the norm, because it was a Tuesday and Bruisin' Ales normally does tastings on Thursdays. Tomorrow they'll be sampling new brews from Asheville Brewing Co.

Asheville is the Microbrew Capital

Did you know? Asheville, NC, has more microbreweries per capita than any other US city. It's true! Whether you prefer a pale ale, a rich porter or a full stout, chances are that we brew it right here. And depending on when you visit, you can sample brews specially crafted to reflect the flavors of the season. For example, Highland Brewing Company creates Cold Mountain Winter Pale Ale that features different spices each year.

And not to boast, but we also have some of the best locations to sample our fine suds. So pull up a bar stool, take your taste buds on a journey, and raise a toast to the microbrew brew capital.

Asheville Named Top 10 Value City for Romance

In need of a little Love Potion #9…from the bargain rack? Asheville was just named among the top 10 romantic U.S. destinations for the best value-for-the-money, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Asheville came in third place as a budget-friendly romantic getaway for couples, beating out Nashville, San Diego, San Francisco, Myrtle Beach and Las Vegas, according to leading U.S. travel research firm D.K. Shifflet & Associates. And if that isn’t enough to get you packing your bags, the calendar is also working in your favor this year.

Only a few days away, Valentine’s Day 2009 falls on the same three-day weekend as President’s Day. By choosing a nearby destination, you can plan a long-weekend escape without using additional vacation days. Low gas prices and travel bargains sweeten the deal to help you stretch those vacation dollars and keep romance in the budget.

Take a hot chocolate tasting tour, hit the slopes with your snow bunny and enjoy other spark-igniting adventures. It’s not too late to take advantage of sweetheart travel deals and packages from classic to culinary to spa indulgence.

I Love Snowboarding

Everyone has a passion. Whether it's fly fishing or mountain biking, we've all got something that we love to do because it makes us feel alive. My passion is snowboarding. I grew up in New England and moved to Colorado in search of fresh powder. Then one day, life threw a beautiful Ashevillian girl into the mix. I had to make a choice: to be alone with my snowboard, or to leave those snowy peaks behind in pursuit of an even greater passion. Like many of the romantic hearts who populate this city, I moved to Asheville to be with my love.

Fortunately, Asheville's got some snowy slopes of its own. Last Saturday we went to Cataloochee and I got my first taste of Southern snowboarding. My east-coast roots kicked in and I had myself an excellent time! The warm sun and blue skies made for soft snow and a beautiful day. Riding fast, popping off bumps and rollers, throwing down a quick 3 here and there, hittin the jib park, weaving and carving down the mountain, all in all it was a super fun day. Only four days left until we ride again… on Valentine’s Day!

Perfect Ski Conditions Courtesy of Mother Nature

Today, Asheville and the surrounding communities woke up to snow and chilly temperatures. Downtown received a light blanket of snow, but the mountain ski slopes received up to eight inches and are still enjoying snow flurries! The temperature may be too chilly to entertain skiing today, but the weekend is shaping up to be the perfect time to hit the slopes. Forecasters are predicting temperatures in the high 50s and low 60s for Saturday and Sunday with plenty of clear skies. Skiers will have the best of both worlds, spring-like temperatures and a nice based of natural and man-made snow.

Keep an eye on the current ski conditions with Cataloochee Ski Area's snow cam.

Snow Day

Can you see it in the picture? It's snowing in Asheville today! The fat fluffy flakes are falling steadily outside our office windows. It's a beautiful sight to behold as we sit inside plugging away at Monday's workload. Best of all, it's not sticking to the roads, which means we enjoy all of the benefits and none of the hardships of a winter wonderland.

We're not kidding when we say Asheville is a great place to visit, and an even better place to live.