Asheville NC

River Arts Walk

The River Arts District consists of a vast array of artists and working studios in 22 former industrial and historical buildings spread out along a one mile stretch of the French Broad River. This eclectic area is an exciting exploration of arts, food and exercise. Plan on spending a day or more visiting artists working in their studios, grabbing a bite of local cuisine or a brew and taking time to find art that’s perfect for your world. More than 200 artists work in paint, pencil, pottery, metal, fiber, glass, wax, paper and more. As unique and individual as their art, so too are their schedules. There is a fantastic field dedicated to wild and colorful graffiti painted by a variety of artists (see examples below).

Don’t miss 12 Bones Smokehouse (http://www.12bones.com/menu/), serving President Obama’s favorite ribs (see photo above). This place is very casual, fun, and serves scrumptious food—be sure to take your appetite.

Plump Nude

Three Nudes with Strawberries

Small Cottage with Graffiti

Welcome 2 Hell

Biltmore Estate

The Biltmore Estate is America’s largest home and grand private estate. Nestled in the mountains of beautiful Asheville, North Carolina, the grounds cover 8,000 acres of breathtaking scenery. Located outside of Downtown Asheville, a short drive in a private car or taxi, admission to the various attractions are quite expensive. The mansion may be disappointing to people that have seen Versailles or the châteaux in the Loire Valley in France, Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, or Windsor Castle in England. The gardens are manicured and colorful in season but not exceptionally beautiful or distinguished in their design.

Gardens, Biltmore Estate

Violinist Entertaining Guests

Fabulous Dining

Reservations are imperative, as far in advance as possible ????????????

Our favorite restaurants in this great city for foodies, vegetarians, vegans, rib lovers, and carnivores are:

Table
Cúrate (Spanish tapas, creative cuisine)
Bouchon (wonderful French restaurant, no reservations so get there early)
Rhubarb
12 Bones Smokehouse (River Arts District)
67 Biltmore (great for breakfast or lunch)
Early Girl Eatery (for delicious breakfast or brunch)

67 Biltmore, Great for Breakfast & Lunch

67 Biltmore, View of the Street from Inside

Friends Chatting Over Lunch @ 67 Biltmore (echoes of Cezanne’s “Card Players,” below

Card Players, Paul Cezanne, Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Card Players, Paul Cézanne, Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Posana

Chocolate that Melts in Your Mouth

Chocolate Gems, Downtown Aspen

Andrew and Sue Chisholm, the proprietors, met in France in 1996 while they were both signed on as crew for the delivery of a catamaran from France to Texas. The following year they set sail on their own boat from Waukegan, IL and sailed out of the Great Lakes, down the St Lawrence River and on to England, which is Sue’s home country.Over the next five years they sailed to Spain, Portugal, Canary Islands, Caribbean, back to England via Bermuda. After five years of sailing and a couple of months visiting family, they bought a house in Asheville. Sue started making chocolates at home and decided she wanted to do more. In 2005 they opened the shop in Black Mountain, NC. You will find them both in the shop early in the mornings, making chocolates. After six years in Black Mountain we have moved to downtown Asheville with a bigger beautiful space and even more chocolatey stuff. They supply their chocolates to The Biltmore Estate. E-mail: sue@chocgems.com.