Asheville!!! This city is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and is known for its artsy seen. We spent a few days in Asheville as we made our way from WA to NC during our cross country roadtrip. We brought our dog, Ginger and the town is super dog friendly.

Downtown

Head to Lexington Avenue and shop the unique and vibrant shops to find excellent gifts. Make your way to Haywood Street to continue shopping. We found that downtown Asheville is huge and spent several hours shopping around. We ate at Bold Rock since they had patio seating for our dog. The food was delicious and had good portions. We were so stuffed.

Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar

This is a book shop with a bar and lounge seats throughout the shop. You can drink, lounge and read here. Such a cool experience. Grab a drink at the bar with names like The Secret Garden, Age of Innocence, and Death in the Afternoon. Take your drink as you sip and browse the book shop. There are several book room areas with lounge seats to relax.

Grove Park Historic District

After eating, we headed to a beautiful historic neighborhood to enjoy an evening walk. This community was first developed in 1908 and has architectural styles that include Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and Bungalow. The historic district encompasses 290 buildings.

Biltmore Village

The following day we visited this charming village which sits under the Biltmore Estate. I fell in love with the old English style architecture. It was like stepping into Europe. In 1988, George Vanderbilt purchased the town Best and built his own village which he renamed Biltmore Village. The town was modeled to resemble a small English village. The architecture here is what drew me in.

When visiting this beautiful historic town, definitely stop in Olde World Christmas Shoppe. Be sure to walk the streets on and near All Souls Crescent. The town is a must visit if heading up to Biltmore Estate.

North Carolina Arboretum

Our last stop was the Arboretum and they are dog friendly gardens/trails. Only service animals are permitted inside buildings and Bonsai Exhibition. Free entry but the parking fee is $20. Enjoy a nice stroll at the gardens and shaded trails. The arboretum has a gift shop.