Last weekend my cousin got married in Brevard, North Carolina. Translation: weekend road trip!
Okay, so it wasn’t on the scale of our road trip to Texas for my cousin’s wedding two years ago (different cousin, btw – I’ve got lots of ’em) but it was still a good time. Brevard is in southwestern NC somewhere between Asheville and the South Carolina border (so close actually, the rehearsal dinner was in SC). It’s about a seven hour drive from Richmond, though we broke up our ride with a stop in Charlotte to see our pals Matt and Kristin. The wedding was obviously the highlight of the trip (you can see some pics over on Young House Life), but Brevard did offer some other fun “adventures” too.
The Antique Mall downtown was one of the coolest (and cleanest!) antique stores we’ve been to in a long time. It also had a really great architectural salvage place next door. So of course we had to share some of the fun stuff we spotted, like this awesome collection of wooden printing press letters. At two bucks each, I can’t believe we didn’t come home with a full alphabet – but somehow we managed to appreciate them without buying any (check out the ones we already have here).
Similarly tempting was this rack of old skeleton keys for $3 each. Again, it’s a shock we didn’t buy anything. Sherry did mention something about buying a ton of them and making an amazing chandelier- like a giant one for over the dining room. How fun would that be? Maybe next time.
Actually, the thing we contemplated purchasing most were some charming paintings by local artists – like this quaint little covered bridge. It was an original watercolor, but the $49 price tag was a bit more than we planned on spending that day (Why are we so cheap? Now we look back and wish we grabbed it).
And definitely out of our vacation budget ($200+) was this weirdly cool painting of a ram-type creature. Sherry was into it, but for some reason I was even more head over heels in love. Or should I say head over hooves. Miss you, man ram.
Raise your hand if these guys remind you of Jonathan Adler pottery (picture me and the wife raising ours).
Like always, there was plenty of stuff that erred on the side of quirky. Who wouldn’t pay $40 for an inexplicably naked KISS action figure? Or $45 for a light-up stained glass chicken Beyoncé?
I’ve got a soft spot for the look and texture of potato sacks, but I just wasn’t quite sure if this one was for potatoes. If only it had been labelled better… (please tell me the sarcasm isn’t lost). Sherry thought it could make a fun pillow or ottoman (heck people even cover chairs with potato sack fabric these days).
Across the street from the Antique Mall was a thrift store run by the local Humane Society (Brevard is in Transylvania County, no joke). I didn’t get to see much of this store because Clara was obsessed with looking at the kittens so Sherry poked around the back while Clara and I hung out with her new furry friends. Everyone in the store probably got sick of hearing “Hi kittycat. Hi kittycatkittycatkittycat! Buh-bye kittycat! Hi kittycat!”
But Sherry was able to locate a few entertaining items, coincidentally both chihuahua themed. Too bad Burger wasn’t with us to enjoy them (he was back at the pet-friendly rental cottage that we stayed in for the weekend with the rest of our family).
Of all the shops we strolled through, the only place that we bought anything was the local Habitat For Humanity ReStore. This isn’t the store, obviously, it’s just their delivery truck.
Though Sherry thought it would’ve looked better like this (she wants me to note that Edward is on the other side). Women and their vampires… this husband will never understand.
Anyways, back to our purchase. For $5 we picked up the frame on the right, with an intricate paper cut design inside. We didn’t know quite where we’d hang it but figured we’d find a place. Once we got back home we found the perfect spot for it – in a frame in our hallway gallery in lieu of a generic picture of apples (which used to live in our first kitchen).
We had to trim the paper cutting a bit to fit top-to-bottom, but it looks great. We love that it livened up that corner of the wall with some stronger color and an interesting pattern. Plus we got an extra frame out of the deal, which I’m sure will get painted and hung somewhere else.
We feel mildly accomplished for not coming home totally empty handed (you know we love snagging stuff for our house when we’re on the road to keep the memory of our trip alive). But since we barely got a taste of Brevard while there (and even less of a taste of Asheville – we just drove through on the highway) we’re hoping we can make it back there for a longer visit sometime. Maybe when another cousin gets married…
Has anyone else hit the road for a trip lately? Or gone to any beautiful fall weddings? Oh, and if anyone has any Asheville area suggestions for us (or anyone else) we’d love to hear them since it looked like such a cool place.
Psst- Check out some of the cute and creative touches from the wedding (along with some family pics) here on Young House Life.
I love that you guys visit thrift stores when you travel!
If I had been there, I would’ve snatched up some skeleton keys (they’re so cool looking) and maybe that Beyonce inspired lamp (I like hens). Love the print you got. It looks great on the wall!
That KISS doll has to be the best thing I’ve seen in a while…
sounds like a fun trip! I grew up in Charlotte btw :) we visit often, since my parents are still there. They live like 15 min. from IKEA. ;-)
You guys manage to find the most awesome thrift stores! I need to start keeping a better eye out for that stuff!
I love hitting up antique shops on road trips! You can find out so much about an area just by what they’re selling in their antique shops (Brevard apparently loves Chihuahuas)!
Haha, true!
xo,
s
Ya’ll find some of the best stuff in your shopping adventures! Any advice for traveling FAR with a little kiddo. My little guy and I are driving 6 hours for a reunion in a few weeks and I am very nervous.
I just pile a lot of books and small toys into the front with us and whenever Clara gets bored/fussy I hand her something and that keeps her busy for about 20 minutes. Then she get fussy/bored again and I hand her something else. Haha. It’s sort of a cycle. And we’re sure to have her favorite music read on the ipod (she has two kid CDs and we made her a mix of her favorite pop songs like Katie Perry and Britney – no joke she loves them and sings along). Clara was AWESOME in the car this trip- such a little trooper! I think my other tip would just be to take long trips as often as possible so your little guy will get used to them. We’d be so sad if Clara wasn’t a road tripping baby, but she has grown so comfortable with it- so thankful!
xo,
s
Whenever I hear “Cheers” by Rhianna, I think of Clara!!! :o)
Haha- that’s a favorite around here.
xo,
s
See Greenville on that map? It would only have been a… four hour? detour to come visit. I’ll be expecting you next time. ;)
My husband and I are collecting ornaments from all of our travels. No Hallmark for us! Just locally made, original ones for our tree so that we can tell stories to our girls every year while we decorate.
Haha- next time for sure!
xo,
s
I’m in Greenville too–only about an hour and a half from Asheville. We’re going to Biltmore tomorrow for my birthday…I need to take some notes on all their kitchens :)
If you end up in Asheville again, I recommend going to French Broad Chocolate Lounge (http://frenchbroadchocolates.com/). They have delicious handmade truffles (strawberry balsamic, what what!) and my favorite: macaroons.
I love macaroons! You guys are making me hungry.
xo,
s
Oh, my goodness. The best weekend we ever spent was a fall wedding in Brevard about six years ago. It was so beautiful and fantastic. My mother in law just bought a second home in Asheville. We really need to avail ourselves of that one of these weekends.
I’m actually from Hendersonville, NC which is close to both Brevard and Asheville. If you ever get a chance to come back to Asheville you should go to the Tobacco Barn. It is a really cool antique/salvage store that is in a huge warehouse. They always have great finds and fun and quirky things!
Wow, that sounds like so much fun!
xo,
s
I found the Tobacco barn recently and loved it. I bought an old window for $6 that I will turn into a picture frame soon.
We recently went to Asheville and loved it. The houses are so cute up there. We could have rode around all day just looking at the houses! I loved the Goodwill! They had tons of house stuff! And really good prices. I got a huge clock for $5 and a whole 3 piece outfit for my baby for $3! At home, it would have been double at my Goodwill.
Asheville has a really nice Habitat retail store in the Biltmore area–a must visit every time I go to AVL. Grove Park Inn off Charlotte St. is a ver-r-r-y nice place. It’s said that during the Gilded Age they washed the money overnight so the guests received clean bills in the morning (I wonder if that’s just folklore…) Nearby is the Grovewood Gallery for neat artsy stuff. Not inexpensive, but interesting. Also, in Biltmore area, check out New Morning Gallery. On the Parkway, the Folk Art Center. Downtown shops, galleries, and restaurants will keep you busy all day. Check out the Grove Arcade in downtown.
Asheville is awesome! We went there on our honeymoon – we stayed in a cabin at Spring House Farm. So secluded!
For fun we visited the Biltmore Estate, trolled the antique shops in the tres artsy downtown area, and visited Chimney Rock park, which is so pretty!
Also, the huge lake in the area, Lake Lure, is where Dirty Dancing was filmed so you can recreate the water lift ;) I know you ladies know what I’m talking about.
OMG i never knew that about the lake (if i would have only known). I had the great fortune that my grandparents lived there for about 10 years. GOt to go to the Bilmore Estate several times. Also in the winter (thanksgiving on) the Grove Park Inn has it’s yearly Gingerbread Display (it’s pretty cool :D ) Clara would love it!
I would love to just get up and take a road trip. I need to do some antiquing.
In Asheville you must visit the Biltmore! The gardens and the architectural details of the exterior of the mansion alone are worth the trip. The Inn at the Biltmore is spendy but an experience, even if you only drop by for cocktails in the library or maybe breakfast. Beautiful countryside, exquisite in fall.
Oh! Asheville is about 70-ish minutes from us (we’re just east of Knoxville)! We love it there!! We visit all the time. The downtown (re: “urban”) area is so much fun to just walk around in and if you stop in, you MUST go eat at Doc Chey’s. Asheville has an unbelievable amount of amazing restaurants, but that one is one of our favorites for sure!!
-K
Thanks for all the Asheville (and beyond!) suggestions guys! Love it.
xo,
s
Doc Chey’s is closed
I love that a watercolor of a covered bridge caught your eye. I’m way up here in New Hampshire and the region of the state that I live in boasts 7 covered bridges! Yup, 7. I actually pass through two of them every morning and night as I head to & home from work. Nothing says New England like an old fashioned covered bridge. (And you should see them this time of year with the fall foliage as their backdrop!)
Such self control not buying any of those gorgeous keys or printing blocks. I have a “thing” for anything to do with printing. As part of a job eons ago I occasionally ran a small offset printing press, I have been yearning for one of my own ever since…I have space in my basement…
Oh my gosh that would be awesome!
xo,
s
Yep it would be fun…but I would never get any work done! A girl can dream though.
I was in that area last weekend as well! I was enjoying/shivering the cool weather atop of Mt. Mitchell.
There is also a Bat Cave, NC. They have some interesting names there. Brevard is beautiful, and Asheville is a really fun city. Loads of hand crafted goods in both areas.
Asheville is an awesome place to visit! I’ve only spent a few days there here and there. If you visit during the fall, you definitely need to take a drive along the scenic Blueridge Parkway. There are places to stop and take pics or go for a short hike on Mt Mitchell for a great view. The town has an artsy vibe for sure so I am sure there are a lot of great shops to visit. You could also visit the Biltmore Estate for inspiration.
Asheville has great shopping! A bit spendy though (at least that’s what I found). We did buy our little one a white ceramic giraffe for his room & definitely thought of Clara!
So cute!
xo,
s
My boyfriend and I took a trip to Asheville this summer for a mini-vacation. The highlight of our trip was definitely the food—Tupelo Honey (www.tupelohoneycafe.com/), Early Girl Eatery (earlygirleatery.com/) were both amazing. And then we stopped through Black Mountain on our way back home to Charlottesville and ate at Veranda Cafe, which was super adorable. You definitely should go sometime—it’s a great little getaway.
tupelo honey is my all time fave asheville restaurant!
early girl is awesome as well. and you ALWAYS have to go to Mast General Store for the candy in the big barrels!
i need to plan a road trip. Stat.
i hugely agree with both of those restaurant recommendations! also, the laughing seed (vegetarian, but soooo good). i love asheville in general. it’s such a cute town to walk around in and explore, with beautiful mountains all around. i don’t have much in the way of specific shopping recommendations b/c it’s been a few years since i’ve been and can’t remember many store names. only ones i remember are malaprops (bookstore) and the woolworth art walk (lots of different artist stalls). oh, now i want to go back to visit!
Thanks for the tips everyone! So awesome to have a big to-do list of fun when we get back there!
xo,
s
While I admit some bias, Boone is far superior to Asheville. It’s a smaller town but easier to navigate and there are lots of fun things to do nearby (Blowing Rock has great restaurants, West Jefferson has a cheese factory, Linville Falls is beautiful….) and King Street has a ton of thrift & antique stores :)
Loving all the suggestions guys! Thanks so much!
xo,
s
My family went to Boone this summer and had an amazing time! Grandfather Mountain (which actually has a neat zoo near the top) and Tweetsie Railroad (a train-themed amusement park nestled in the mountains of Blowing Rock) are attractions that are not-to-be-missed. All ages LOVED Boone! I highly recommend it for a fun getaway!
I grew up going to Boone, as my mom graduated from App State. And, my husband and I just spent our first anniversary weekend in Boone/Blowing Rock! Definitely checked out Grandfather Mountain, and we went horseback riding… my first time doing that, and it had been on my To Do list for quite some time. So much fun!
That area has lots of little towns with neat hole in the wall shops and such (Cashiers,Rosman, Hendersonville)… and of course nature itself in that area is gorgeous… if you go back to Brevard you should definitely go into the Pisgah National Forest area and see Looking Glass Falls (Right by the road), Sliding Rock (natural water slide thats open for use in the summer FYI), and Moore Cove Falls.
Ashville is one of my favorite places in the world! Love visiting Biltmore House but that may need to wait till Clara is a little older. Plus there are a lot of neat places to look for art in the area too. One year we stayed nearby at Lake Lure at a resort where they filmed part of “Dirty Dancing”. It was a lot of fun!
Thanks for the tips!
xo,
s
Asheville suggestions: For dinner you must visit Tupelo Honey. They have this nut-crusted chicken that (while sounding funny..haha nut-crusted) is delicious. Also for brunch try the Early Girl Cafe…great food at both places. I was there for work so food was really the only highlight. I didn’t get to the Biltmore which I’ve heard is amazing!
Thanks!
xo,
s
I love the horseshoe art! Is that new? Happy Friday!
That has actually been up there the whole time! Back when we made the frame wall I flipped a canvas over and hung it with a nail right through the canvas part (so the frame in the back faced out). It made a nice little ledge so I put my horseshoe in there (facing up for good luck of course!).
xo,
s
My cousin is getting married in Brevard at the end of this month. Now I know some cool places to stop during downtime. What a funny coincidence. :)
I too love it that ya’ll stop and shop! I’m so trying to convince the hubs to do this; makes for a more enjoyable trip I say!
Do ya’ll google/research ahead of time to see what is in the area and map it out, or just wing it while you’re there?? Wondering how I can start fitting some of this thrift shopping into our family vacas.
We completely winged it. Sometimes we’ll do a search on the map part of my iPhone for “thrift” or something, but we happened to drive by all these places so we just went back the next morning to check things out!
xo,
s
My sister went to Brevard College. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. I can’t believe you didn’t pick up a statue of one of Brevard’s famous white squirrels. Surely there was a ceramic white squirrel. :)
Oh my gosh I wish!! There were so many places called “The White Squirrel” but not one ceramic animal to be seen! Haha.
xo,
s
Have you guys written about that horseshoe before (the one below your new paper art)? Is it a canvas turned around? I’m just sitting here trying to figure it out.
Yup, just hung it up backwards so the wood frame created a little horseshoe ledge!
xo,
s
You guys would LOVE the Tobacco Barn and The Screen Door in Asheville. Both have inexpensive treasures and, because they are flea markets, things change all the time. There are great restaurants in Asheville, too. I highly recommend a visit- for a long weekend, I’d focus on downtown and West Asheville. It’s our favorite southeastern city and luckily my parents live there so we get to go whenever we can swing it from already-grey-and-wintry Seattle.
Sounds like fun!
xo,
s
We have a thrift store owned by the humane society in our town too. When I take my boyfriend there he acts a lot like your toddler and just sits and talks to the kitties while I shop. ;)
Love the ‘key chandelier’ idea!
Last fall, during peak leaf season, I went rock climbing at Looking Glass Rock in Brevard. It was the most amazing experience. Such an incredible place. Next time I go, I want to visit Pretty Place Chapel.
http://www.campgreenville.org/chapel.php
You should have stopped by Greensboro to visit me! Asheville is a nice place. I’m going in a few weeks for a weekend trip. I suggest the French Broad chocolate shop and there is a craft market near there where you can by things made by local artists. Here’s my write-up of my last trip to Asheville. http://makingstuffisfun.blogspot.com/2010/09/stuff-that-other-people-madetruffels.html
How do I live that close to Brevard and not know about this antique mall??!?! I’m definitely thinking I need to make a day trip there this weekend! P.S. Sherry, I was getting worried that your love for Ed had dwindled, glad I read carefully!
Whenever I hear of you all coming to NC it thrills my little heart! I see someone else already mentioned this but I’ll have to echo the idea of coming to Boone, NC! My husband and I live in Boone and it is similar to Asheville with the thrift stores, antique malls (KING ST is the best!) and attractions. Very quaint little town, please go on a book tour or something because if you come here I HAVE to snag a pic with you!
if you go back to Ashville you should check out a chocolate shop called French Broad Chocolates. My cousin and his wife own the shop and the chocolates are out of this world!
Mmmmm.
xo,
s
I was going to suggest that too! So yummy and a really cute little place. We love going up there during the fall to drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway with all of the pretty leaves. It is a great place for hiking too. Also, not too far away is Highlands, NC a cute little mountain town with lots of fun shops and it is beautiful. You all should take a trip back to the area, definitely a favorite of ours!
OMG, I most favorite shop in all of Asheville. Their liquid truffles are to die for. Best chocolate I’ve ever had :-)
100% truth, I am in Asheville right now (just for the weekend) and we just got back from that chocolate shop. I had the Jitterbug and I am STILL thinking about how delicious it is!!!
I grew up in Asheville – and later lived in Hendersonville, not far from Brevard – and it’s beautiful. Best part: Semi-secret awesome shopping spots.
Dillard’s Southeastern Clearance Center, Biltmore Square Mall – tons of clothes, but a good home department as well.
J.Crew Clearance Store, with monthly warehouse sales – down the road from the Biltmore Square Mall at One Clifford Way in Arden
Downtown Asheville and Hendersonville also have great antique shops – a couple of the best include Needful Things Antiques (http://needfulthingsantiquemall.com/) and the Antique Tobacco Barn (http://www.atbarn.com/).
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!
xo,
s
Had to comment again about the J. Crew Clearance Store – it is pretty awesome. I’ve been there when they have had all of their bridesmaid dresses out for $25 and they also have Crew Cuts for really cheap! A few times a year they have the warehouse sales where you can get even better deals. Someone told me they got their wedding dress there for $50! Go late in the day for those though, or else you will be waiting in line for hours.
Wow- that’s awesome!
xo,
s
There are two J Crew Clearance stores in Lynchburg, VA, a short two hour drive from Richmond. There are two amazing, cheap antique stores on 29 on the way there and many stops for apples and cider.
Thanks Mel!
xo,
s
I got my wedding dress in Lburg’s JCrew outlet for $25. Best deal and best dress ever!
oh, so sad you weren’t able to stop by and enjoy our awesome town of asheville. i could try listing all the fun things to do and see, but it would be impossible and i should technically be working :) but you should know that asheville is considered a destination spot for antique stores and good food. so, if you are able to make it down this way again, bring your appetite and extra cargo room. and i just have to say that our habitat restore is the best around. and just because i feel the need for full disclosure, my husband does receive a paycheck from asheville area habitat :) so thank you for all of the positive advertisement you provide for habitat!
now, i think i’ll be talking my husband into driving to brevard to pick up some skeleton keys :)
Haha- I’d love to stop in at the ReStore when we’re there for sure!
xo,
s
Ooooh, I love the hands! I knit, and I have two similar ones for showing off mittens/wristwarmers/gloves and the like. I’ve named mine Millicent and Percival (http://www.violentlydomestic.com/2011/05/07/new-friend/). They’re cute as decoration even when not being put to work as hand models!
Haha- I love it!
xo,
s
Was the paper cutting signed? I can’t tell what is in the bottom right corner in black ink.
Yup, by someone named Adele in 2004.
xo,
s
And you cut up that person’s artwork? I’m just going to bite my tongue.
Yup – it was $5 at the ReStore including the frame, so we figured a secondhand thrift store find was fair game. I love that it meets your high “art” standards though. Sweet!
xo,
s
I didn’t say it was good art. But if it is signed and presented as if the artist’s intent was to create art, I will give it the benefit of the doubt. I just can’t believe someone with an art background would destroy someone else’s art. I would be so incredibly pissed off if it was my work.
You’d probably be pissed off to see it in a ReStore right (aka: someone didn’t want it and gave it away for free)? But I scooped that baby up and hung it proudly on the wall! I rescued her. Sure I had to trim her a bit, but I often adapt things to fit in my space! It’s just how I roll Bob. Come on, you know me by now, right?!
xo,
s
+1 Sherry. BTW I am in Hendersonville too and cannot believe I didn’t see you drive by!!! And I just went to a funeral in Brevard last week and didn’t see you!!!
No way- I’m sad we didn’t bump into each other!
xo,
s
I think it’s sad that the piece was in ReStore, and I think it’s great you saved it. But I don’t know why it had to be trimmed. Just to fit a frame you already had? As a self-proclaimed artist, you should know better. Respect the art. Period. Couldn’t you just paint the old frame white?
You’re right. If I didn’t know you before, I certainly do now.
The original frame size didn’t fit into my wall o’ frames (needed something smaller). We definitely know that not everyone would make the same decisions that we make in our home (it seems like you’d do a lot of things differently, haha) but we hope you understand that it’s our house – so we just do what works for us. Hope you do whatever works for you in your house too!
xo,
s
Cool. Let’s just agree that the only thing you guys do is “decoration” and leave the art to those best equipped to deal with it.
Case closed.
Sure! Case closed. Until the next time you comment about art. Haha. Talk soon!
xo,
s
No more commenting about art. Don’t let that ruin your weekend.
It looks like traditional Polish Wycinanki to me. Wonder if it is, I mean, was?
So interesting! Never heard that term before but I just googled it. Love it! Wonder how it came to be at the ReStore? Either way- so glad we adopted it!
xo,
s
Ooh, I love orange! It’s my favorite color, so of course I love that print.
Why have I never noticed that horse shoe in the backwards canvas? Have you guys talked about that before? What a unique way to frame that!
Aw thanks! We have been meaning to do a post all about all the things in the hallway (it’s hard to notice everything when we just share a bunch of far away shots). Back when we were making the wall I just flipped an old canvas backwards and nailed it into the wall with the frame part facing out. Then I leaned my horseshoe in there (face up for luck)!
xo,
s
Oh man, you guys should definitely take a weekend and visit Asheville! My fiance & I went this past June and had a blast. Downtown Asheville has awesome shops & restaurants & there are so many unique antique shops in the area – definitely check out The Screen Door if you go. Amazing but be prepared to spend hours wondering around in there. Aside from shopping & eating, there are a lot of fun places to hike & we event went ziplining. Another great perk is that we found all of the restaurants, shops, and especially our hotel we stayed in to be extremely pet friendly! :)
I love those old printing press blocks!
I can NOT believe you guys were here! Brevard is home to me, and you hit up all of my regular haunts. I would have been so pleasantly shocked to see you guys out and about here. I’d be happy to pick up that little covered bridge painting for you, if you’d like.
Aw you’re so sweet! We figure if we’re back for Asheville we might go over to Brevard again- and if it’s still there it’s meant to be!
xo,
s
My husband and I took a trip to Brevard last weekend too! We must have just missed you guys at all of the places you went…including Pretty Place! What a beautiful place for a wedding ceremony! Too bad we didn’t run into each other. :)
That’s so funny! So sorry we missed each other.
xo,
s
Next time you go on a road trip, I’m sending you some money to shop for me. lol My son has been wanting a Hogwarts Christmas tree and I’ve looked for keys in way too many antique stores, with no luck.
Oh man, so sorry Shannon! Maybe try a place like ebay for them?
xo,
s
I just saw antique looking skeleton keys at Michael’s craft store for a $1.00 each – if you’re interested, you can’t beat that price.
I did a summer internship one town over from Brevard during grad school. Love the area. Asheville’s super-fun — they have the best chocolate shop downtown (The Chocolate Fetish) and Malaprop’s is a fantastic indie bookstore. It used to be my halfway stop on my way home from university.
Am currently in Asheville and I second the Chocolate Fetish store!! Had the most amazing sea salt dark chocolate.
Everyone needs a neeked KISS doll for $40.00 ~ ha!!
No pics of Clara and the kitties :(
Those are over on Young House Life today (well no kitties, but Clara pics).
xo,
s
Asheville is one of our two favorite day trips and is only an hour and a half over the mountain. It has three very distinct areas. The mall area is kind of commercial, and not too interesting- though I’d love to know if someone knows about something worthwhile on that end of town. Downtown has the historic Grove Park Inn- home to the most amazing gingerbread house display almost all December. It also has lots of quirky artisan shops and some antique stores that are a bit pricey. If you wander around here, be sure to get something at The Chocolate Fetish (world class, I recommend the Velvet Sin truffle) and visit Purl’s Yarn Emporium- I know you don’t knit or crochet, but it’s arranged by color instead of yarn type and is really pretty and inspirational. Then there’s Biltmore- this area has some nice local shops mixed with stuff like Cold Water Creek and Williams Sonoma. The big draw here is the mansion- its open for tours all year and decorated differently for each season.
On the east end of Asheville, try Guild Crafts on Tunnel Road or the Folk Art Center on the Parkway – both are run by the Southern Highlands Craft Guild and showcase crafts of the Southern Appalachians. Not thrift store prices for sure, but a great chance to see beautiful classic and modern interpretations of mountain crafts.
And if arts and crafts are your thing, when in Asheville be sure to include a swing through the River Arts District on the west side of downtown. Local artists, local restaurants (including the famous Twelve Bones barbeque joint) and more local beer than you can shake a stick at.
Thanks again everyone for all the fun suggestions! Can’t wait to go back.
xo,
s