Climbing up and down chimneys across the world is no easy task. That's why Santa Claus has to start training well ahead of time (cue Eye of the Tiger). This Saturday, December 3 (and also on December 10) starting at 11AM, you can see this extreme training in action as Santa will climb the enormous rock face that makes up Chimney Rock State Park.
USA Today calls this event one of the "10 Great Places to Catch Up With Santa," and there are lots of family activities planned to get your children in the holiday spirit. Not only can you meet Mr. & Mrs. Claus, but there is also live holiday music, guided family hikes and hot cocoa with cookies.
Enter now to win a sweet hotel and concert prize pack for the upcoming Steep Canyon Rangers show. The band is playing at The Orange Peel, one of Asheville's hottest music venues, on January 13, 2012. The grand prize includes two tickets for the concert and accommodations for one night at the Doubletree by Hilton Biltmore Hotel.
Steep Canyon Rangers are an American Bluegrass Band based out of Brevard, NC. The group has received a lot of notoriety, due in part to their musical partnership with Steve Martin. Together they won Entertainer of the Year at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards.
It took Phileas Fogg 80 Days to go around the world, but you can take a whirlwind tour across the globe with a trip to this year's Christmas at Biltmore celebration. Holiday displays throughout Biltmore House, the gardens and grounds will center on the many countries George and Edith Vanderbilt visited at the turn of the century.
The couple enjoyed taking journeys together to learn, explore and collect art, furniture and other items for their home. Rooms in Biltmore House will feature the traditions and folklore of France, Germany, India, Egypt and Italy with elements of the Vanderbilt family’s own Christmas traditions mixed in.
The history behind Christmas at Biltmore dates all the way back to 1895, when on Christmas Eve, the Vanderbilts opened their magnificent winter chateau to friends and family for the first time. Now, every year, the tradition continues with an amazing display of holiday décor.
Throughout the historic home you’ll discover 57 trees decorated for the holiday, including a 34-foot Fraser Fir that dominates the impressive Banquet Hall. You’ll also find 1,000 red and white poinsettias in the Winter Garden and other areas.
Perhaps the most unique way to take in the holiday at Biltmore is with their always-popular candlelight tour. Every evening through January 1 you can marvel at the multitude of lights and listen to the sounds of small musical ensembles stationed around the house.
Today the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa will be serving up a huge Thanksgiving feast. How huge? Check out these stats on the food they are preparing just for today alone.
They will prepare and serve:
325 Turkeys
1,350 Pounds of Beef
900 Pounds of Ham
850 Pounds of Flour
450 Pounds of Sugar
250 Pies
1,725 Pounds of Stuffing
2,150 Pounds of Fruit
575 Pounds of Butter
7,100 Pounds of Fish and Seafood
1,000 Gingerbread Cookies
550 Pounds of Cheese
1,900 Pounds of Mashed Potatoes
125 Gallons of Ice Cream
200 Gallons of Iced Tea
330 Gallons of Coffee
Wow! Their staff has spent countless hours preparing for this Grand Buffet and I'm sure the people lucky enough to secure a reservation for this sold out event will need to take an incredibly long nap when the event comes to a close.
From all of us here at Explore Asheville we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.
A new interactive app has hit the iTunes store and it's designed to give traveler's a unique experience when touring Asheville. It's called AVL ART ADV, which stands for Asheville Art Adventure. This app guides you along Asheville's Urban Trail, offering unique insight into the area's history, architecture and art.
The app also featured an adventure passport program in which you earn points and badges. These translate into special deals at area merchants offering a second level of benefits to the user. Better yet, the app is currently available at no cost. You can find it here.
Looking to download more apps for an enhanced Asheville experience? Check these out.
Looking to dine out in Asheville on Thanksgiving? Here are some places to check out. A special thank you to The Carolina Epicurean for compiling this list. Be sure to check out their blog. It's chocked full of great foodie news for Western North Carolina.
Biltmore Estate
1 Lodge Street
Asheville, NC 28803
(828) 225-1333
Restaurants
• Deerpark - SOLD OUT 11AM-5PM
Special Thanksgiving buffet $39.95
reservations required. Phone: 828-225-6260.
• Bistro (at Winery) 11AM-8PM
Special Thanksgiving prix fixe menu $50
plus limited a la carte. Phone: 828-225-6230
• Stable Café (by House) 11AM-3PM
A la carte menu with blend of most popular
lunch menu items, plus a number of holiday offerings.
• Cedric’s Tavern (Antler Village) 11AM-11PM
Regular lunch and dinner menus. Phone: 828-225-1320
Dinner Pre-fixe 12-8pm
3 Course $25.95-$29.95 Menu
Grove Park Inn
290 Macon Ave.
Asheville, NC 28804
(800) 438-5800
Restaurants
• Blue Ridge Dining Room: ALMOST SOLD OUTBreakfast 6:30-10:30AM a la carte menu
7:00-10:30AM breakfast buffet.
Lunch 11:00AM-3:00pm
Dinner Thanksgiving Grand Buffet 5:00-9:30PM $53.47 (includes tax, tip & bev)
• Sunset Terrace: ALMOST SOLD OUT
Lunch 11:00AM-4:00PM
a la carte menu and Thanksgiving entrée special
(herb roasted turkey breast, corn pudding
wild mushroom stuffing, green bean casserole & dessert)
Dinner 5:00-9:30PM
a la carte menu and Thanksgiving entrée
special (herb roasted turkey breast, corn pudding,
wild mushroom stuffing, green bean casserole & dessert)
• Horizons: ALMOST SOLD OUT
Dinner 5:00-9:30PM a la carte menu and Thanksgiving entrée special (apple cider brined
North Carolina breast of turkey, pulled turkey leg stuffing, French green beans & herbed turkey jus)
Olive or Twist
81 Broadway St.
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 254-0555
Traditional Thanksgiving Buffet 11:30am-11pm
Adults $29
Ages 4 & Under FREE Menu
Pack's Tavern
20 S Spruce St
Asheville, NC 28801
828-225-6944
Traditional Thanksgiving Buffet 11-8pm
Adults $19.99
Ages 8 & Under $8.99 Menu
Here's some big foodie news for one of our favorite Asheville restaurants. The Corner Kitchen, located in historic Biltmore Village, was named one of the top 50 (out of the top 100) American restaurants in 2011 by OpenTable.com!
You may recall that Corner Kitchen was a top pick by the Obama's when they visited Asheville for a vacation in 2010. The Presidential meal included the always popular Corn & Crab Chowder, Mahi Mahi, Baby Arugula Salad, Fried Oyster appetizer Lobster Taco appetizer, Pork Chops and Souffle among other things.
From the news release...
Just in time for Thanksgiving , a favorite national holiday of America's foodies, OpenTable, Inc., a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants, is pleased to announce the Diners' Choice Awards for the top 100 restaurants in the United States that specialize in American food. The list of winners is derived from more than 10 million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
We received another fun weather factoid from the AB-Tech Institute for Climate Education today. You can see some of their other interesting stories we've covered here and here.
Doing the Wave: Pamela McCown
You may have noticed a significant change in our skies yesterday afternoon as fair skies turned cloudy. These clouds moved in from the west late in the day ahead of the system that brought showers overnight and more significant rain into the region this afternoon.
I noticed an interesting feature to the clouds... waves. The waves are caused by the interaction of the air with the complex terrain in the mountains and they occur fairly regularly, especially in the fall, winter and early spring as storm systems approach from the west. The clouds in the picture are called Altostratus Undulates.
Meteorologists classify clouds using three main criteria:
-Height of the cloud base
-Shape
-Whether or not the cloud is producing precipitation
In this case, the clouds were at mid-level (6,500 – 20,000 ft.).So, they are given the name Alto – meaning mid. Their shape is like that of a sheet or blanket. So, they are called Stratus – meaning layer. And, you can recognize the word undulate, meaning wavy. (Scientists love to use Latin to classify things – even clouds!)
Interested in learning more – check out the classes that the Institute is offering this winter, here. You’ll learn how to read the sky and become aware of changes to the weather!
Remember, the Institute is holding a free public seminar on Tuesday, December 6th at 6:00 p.m. when Meteorologist Tom Ross will present The Long Range Winter Forecast for Western North Carolina.
Grand Prize Winner - Ashley Howard
Winter Springs, Florida
Results are in for the National Gingerbread House Competition held annually at the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. Hundreds of entries from over 20 states were scrutinized by a panel of 11 elite judges, with winners from four categories selected.
All of the entries from this year's confectionery creations are currently on display throughout the historic inn for everyone to see. The display runs through January 1 and all non-resort guests are welcome to view them from Sunday to Thursday each week.
See below for more photos. Click them to see each image in a larger format.
Winners in the 2011 National Gingerbread House Competition are:
Grand Prize Winner: Ashley Howard – Winter Springs, Florida;
Adult (18 years and older):
Second Place: Heather Lewis – Austell, Georgia;
Third Place: Barbara Evans & Mary Jo Dowling – Edlestein, Illinois.
Teen (13-17 years old):
First Place: Carly Owens – Swannanoa, North Carolina;
Second Place: Julia Navin – Franklin, Tennessee;
Third Place: Laura Malanowski – Newton, North Carolina.
Youth (9-12 years old):
First Place: Lydia Gentry – Hendersonville, North Carolina;
Second Place: Carley Cantrell – Cookeville, Tennessee;
Third Place: Gabriella Arthur – Easley, South Carolina.
Child (5-8 years old):
First Place: Abby Adkins – Kodak, Tennessee;
Second Place: Kristen Dodd – Arden, North Carolina;
Third Place: Lydia Koenig – Mathews, North Carolina.
Farthest geographical distance traveled:
The Connerley Family (Jennifer, Kelsey, Mackenzie & Kaitlyn) – Naples, FL
Musician and artist, Brian Eno, has an incredible exhibit currently on display at the YMI Cultural Center in downtown Asheville. 77 Million Paintings is a multi-media experience that combines 296 original art works that overlay upon each other. Each one is randomly generated and set to music providing endless combinations of audio and visual imagery (hence the name). No two shows are ever the same (pretty cool stuff huh?)
Asheville is the exhibit's first east coast appearance following only two prior showings in America and a stint across Europe. The show is running from now through November 30 and tickets are $10. However, you can win two free tickets right now!
How to win:
1. Answer the following question in the comments below. 2. Leave a form of contact with your answer. (Email, phone, snail mail) 3. Do not skip #2 or you will not win. We have to be able to reach you. 4. We'll announce the winner in the comments field today (11/18/11) at 4:00PM.
Here's the challenge:
Name an artist that performed at both Moogfest 2010 and Moogfest 2011. (Hint: there's more than one correct answer)
Find your funk in downtown Asheville every Wednesday night during the month of November with The Fritz. MoDaddy's, a local bar and grill, has been a premiere place for live music with their Wednesday night residencies. Here's info about the band...
Infectious grooves, intoxicating guitar lines and a relentless drive of soul and passion describes one of the Southeast’s newest sensations, The Fritz.
On Wednesdays in November, you can be a part of the party as The Fritz come to MoDaddy's for their November residency.
The Fritz is a five piece band that combines elements of Funk, Rock, Reggae, Electronic, and Soul with strong vocals, creative songwriting, and virtuosic musicianship to create a constantly evolving sound all their own. The band has appeared at the 2010 Bear Creek Music Festival, Big and Hearty Music Festival, and venues all around the Southeast. They have recently been featured in Relix Magazine's Up and Coming section and on the magazines CD compilation. With arrangement driven dance jams and soulful vocals, The Fritz takes audiences on a musical journey that is full of surprises and sure to keep the dance party going all night.
The Asheville Regional Airport and Allegiant Air are celebrating the inaugural direct flight from Asheville to Orlando by giving away a free vacation! The rules are simple - Show up at the airport (AVL) with your bags packed this Friday, November 18 before 3PM to register. If you win the grand prize, you and up to three other friends or family members will be whisked away to Florida on board the 6:45 PM flight. The three-day vacation prize pack also includes hotel accommodations and attraction passes.
If you arrive wearing your best tacky tourist attire you will double your chances of winning.
The official theatrical trailer debuted today for The Hunger Games, a movie filmed in and around the Asheville area. Watch the video below and you can see some of the Blue Ridge Mountains featured in the background. This movie promises to be a smash hit so we're really proud to be featured. Stay tuned for more updates!
Here's another round up of fall photos taken around the Asheville area. Check out this first photo taken by Victoria. She spotted that bear while outside of her car. She was actually closer to the bear than the car. Yikes! (Read these survival tips to be more bear aware) Thanks to everyone who sent in your pics.
Photo by Victoria Gailey
Photo by Del Holston
Photo by Del Holston
Photo by @efwombat
Photo by @efwombat
Photo by Helen Moss Davis
Photo by Rhonda Nicholas
Photo by Rhonda Nicholas
Photo by Victoria Gailey
Want to submit your photos for the photo of the day? Email them to dholston@exploreasheville.com and if we can use them, we will! See other photos here!
Asheville is home to Moogfest, the nation's number one electronic music festival. This past Halloween the festival celebrated its second year in the mountains. If you didn't get a chance to go, or if you just want to relive the magic, check out these links.
This time of year is best for stargazing. Not only can you get a clearer picture of the constellations, but you can get a solid view of multiple planets. You may have already noticed the bright glowing orbs on the horizon at dusk. The AB Tech Institute for Climate Education tells us how to identify these planets hovering over the Asheville mountains. From the institute:
It’s easy to forget that we live on a rock that is hurling through space in an orbit around our star – but occasionally, we can see reminders of that fact when our fellow planets are beautifully displayed in the sky over our mountains.
This is a great month for sky watchers. The planets are putting on a show in our evening skies and our atmosphere is typically clearer than it is during the summer months thanks to frequent frontal passages that help bring in cleaner and drier air.
The image above was taken last night as Venus and Mercury (along with a few cirrus clouds) were visible to the southwest after sunset. Clouds have increased today (Wed) ahead of an approaching cold front that will hamper viewing tonight, but clearer skies are expected later in the week, and it will be easy to spot Venus as the bright “star” on the southwest horizon after sunset. Mercury is there too, to the lower left of Venus, but you may need to look through binoculars to really see it well.
Have you been wondering what that brilliant evening star in the East is? It’s not a star at all, it’s Jupiter!
Looking to the East just after this past Tuesday night’s sunset, Jupiter was a bright beacon just below the moon. The planet is easy to spot because it is so bright and it remains visible all night as it climbs high in our sky and eventually sets in the west in the early morning hours. Jupiter will be easy to see all month. So, pull out your binoculars or telescope and you’ll even be able to see some of Jupiter’s moons - well worth the effort!
Plan to join us for the Institute for Climate Education’s next free seminar is on Tuesday, December 6th at 6:00 p.m. for a look at The Long Range Winter Forecast for Western North Carolina, presented by Tom Ross, retired NCDC Meteorologist.
