3-DAYS IN ASHEVILLE, NC

THREE DAYS IN ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

BY ETHAN GELBER

Eclecticism. That's the energy Asheville exudes. And attracts. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Asheville is a heterogeneous and inclusive nexus of nature, music, art, food, commerce and much more.

Small despite its reputation, Asheville delivers outsized and genuine enjoyment on streets and nature trails as busy with plaid-wearing hipster families as denimclad clans freshly returned from Dollywood. And all whether or not you're visiting for the annual festivals celebrating arts, crafts, mountain music and dance, West African and Caribbean heritage, yoga, hemp, herbs, juggling, food trucks or craft beer.

Just west of downtown, family-friendly Crowne Plaza is adjacent to the Adventure Center, while Holiday Inn Asheville East is more suburban.

FIRST DAY: ALL-DAY BILTMORE

SECOND DAY: HIT THE CITY

Plan for a full day at the Biltmore Estate, just south of town. Once home to (and still owned by) the billionaire Vanderbilt family, its 250-room castle-like main residence is the largest private home in America.

The real family draw, though, is the surrounding 8,000 acres of gardens and grounds, complete with selfguided and organized outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, horseback riding, fishing and more. Make arrangements at the Outdoor Adventure Center in shop-filled Antler Hill Village, also home to the Pisgah Playground.

For families wishing to marvel at the mansion, a 40-minute audio guide narrated by Cedric, the Vanderbilts’ Saint Bernard, brings the house to life in a unique way.

All activities require a daytime ticket or an overnight in an estate hotel, like the family-ready Village Hotel. Make plans and purchases well in advance. which teaches about the animals and plants of the region, or the North Carolina Arboretum, a 434-acre public garden crisscrossed by trails.

Families ready for a deeper forest dive can hike the Bearwallow Mountain Trail, Graveyard Fields Loop Trail or Laurel River Trail, or head into Dupont State Forest (its Triple Falls made a star turn in the first Hunger Games movie). Pack swim suits!

Back in Asheville, shop for gifts and souvenirs – like the sweetest of Bee City USA at the Asheville Bee Charmer –during a downtown stroll. And then settle in to a final dinner at a farm-totable restaurant like The Market Place, notable for foods featuring ingredients foraged from the very forests you frolicked in.

Head along the French Broad River to the River Arts District and explore the studios, galleries, shops and abundant street art in the repurposed industrial zone along Lyman Street. Boarders can hit the ramps and rails of the indoor RAD Skatepark and adjacent outdoor space. Line up early for barbecue lunch at 12 Bones Smokehouse and then purchase Farmers Market ingredients for tomorrow's picnic.

Continue to downtown Asheville and select from several kid-ready distractions, such as the Pinball Museum, with 75 all-you-can-play pinball and classic video games; the Asheville Mystery Museum, with displays about paranormal phenomena (only open after Haunted Asheville ghost tours); and the YMI Cultural Center, one of the nation's oldest African American institutions, with exhibits about African American history in western North Carolina.

Music lovers should listen for the talented street buskers and the Friday evening Drum Circle in Pritchard Park.

For dinner, indulge in gigantic slices at PIE. ZAA Pizza, followed by oversized ice cream sandwiches at Sunshine

Sammies.

THIRD DAY: GO COUNTRY

Prepare a picnic using yesterday's local produce or consult the

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture

Project for other farmer's or tailgate markets. Then head into the surrounding nature.

For safe adventure, kids love the

Western North Carolina Nature

Center,