Aarp’s guide to asheville, north carolina

FUN THINGS TO DO Nature lovers see Asheville as an outdoor playground, and there’s plenty to do in your hiking boots or from the saddle of your mountain bike. But there’s more: a huge

collection of art deco architecture (one of the largest in the Southeast); loads of live music; galleries and studios; history to discover; and a beer scene that rivals those in cities twice

this size. The River Arts District captures the city’s creativity. Alamy See Asheville from an e-bike with a guided tour from The Flying Bike. These pedal-assist bikes pack a

battery-powered punch to help you up Asheville’s hills as you explore downtown (with or without a food tour option); West Asheville; the River Arts District; architecture from art deco

masterpieces to the Grove Park Inn; and more. There are seasonal tours — focused on cocoa and sweets during the holidays — and plenty of family-friendly options. Within a short drive of

downtown Asheville, more than two dozen breweries keep the suds flowing. Asheville Brewery Tours offers downtown walking options as well as mobile trips (they do all the driving) that’ll

have you exploring beyond downtown — or you can put together your own beer tasting tour. Must-visit locations include Highland Brewing (Asheville’s original craft brewery), Sierra Nevada and

New Belgium; and smaller operations such as DSSOLVR, Burial Beer, Hi-Wire Brewing (head to Foothills Meats food truck for an amazing burger on site) and Archetype Brewing. Take a deeper

look at Asheville with Hood Huggers International. DeWayne Barton leads walking tours through The Block, the once-thriving heart of Black Asheville; Burton Street, one of the city’s oldest

Black neighborhoods; and driving tours to significant locations around Asheville, telling the unvarnished — and at times harsh — history. From the Young Men’s Institute (a sort of YMCA for

the early Black community) to Green Book sites (welcoming spaces for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era) to what remains of Stephens-Lee High School (the gymnasium is now a recreation

center), one of the top schools in North Carolina despite segregation, Barton offers valuable insight on the history of the community. High Falls is one of three falls at DuPont State

Recreational Forest. Alamy Asheville makes a great base camp for outdoor adventure. You can keep the adventure on the mild side and head out to chase waterfalls, catching some frame-worthy

photos along the way. Follow the Blue Ridge Parkway south to Milepost 412 where you’ll follow U.S. Route 276 south to Brevard. Along the way, you’ll pass Looking Glass Falls (a 60-foot fall

right by the road), Sliding Rock (Mother Nature’s original waterslide) and a short (sometimes muddy) hike to Moore Cove Falls. Keep heading south to DuPont State Recreational Forest where

a trio of falls — Hooker, Triple and High Falls — wait alongside easy hiking trails. WHERE TO EAT Pack your stretchy pants because Asheville sits at the top of the list of great Southern

food cities for a reason. A pair of James Beard Award-winners, leading several Beard semifinalists and nominees, call the city home and offer cuisine from Southern to Indian to Spanish to

classic greasy spoon goodness. You’ll find more great restaurants to choose from than you could dine at in a week, which makes for difficult — but delicious — decisions. North Carolina is

synonymous with barbecue, and you’ll find one of the best in town at Buxton Hall Barbecue. This is whole hog ’cue at its finest: cooked low and slow over wood coals, pulled apart and dashed

with sauce. The barbecue focuses on East Carolina — sandwiches and plates and hash — but stretches to include sausages and the ubiquitous smoked and sauce-slathered chicken

quarters. Sides, sauces, desserts (oh, that banana pudding pie) and even drinks keep it traditional but playful (Bourbon & Cheerwine Slushie, anyone?). Downtown, steps away from

galleries, bookstores, oddities shops and the general weirdness of Asheville, Isa’s French Bistro’s patio offers excellent people-watching with a side of great food. Breakfast, lunch, dinner

and brunch never fail to please whether you’re after an entrée-size salad, steak frites, the vegetarian-friendly jackfruit cassoulet or something that brings French and Southern cuisine

together such as duck perloo. From a storybook cottage in Grovewood Village, eldr serves a smash burger that shows why this restaurant is dedicated to open-fire cooking. But this new

American restaurant is more than a burger joint, it’s a celebration of the seasonal flavors and ingredients of southern Appalachia with an international flair. Eldr — Old Norse for “fire” —

puts a fine touch on every dish, from the fried chicken sandwich and beet smørrebrød at lunch to dinner’s house-made pasta, fire-roasted duck and exceptional seafood dishes to seasonal

dishes such as the pawpaw-bread French toast, duck hash and pork schnitzel at brunch. You’ll put Cucina 24 on your “every time I’m in Asheville” list before you finish your appetizer. Why?

Because Chef Brian Canipelli has found a beautiful way to marry the traditions of Italian cookery with ingredients from the Appalachians in a cozy and romantic setting. The wood-fired oven

churns out perfectly crisp sides and to-die-for take-out pizzas, but the stars of the culinary show are the entrées, including fresh pasta, smoked lamb, roast duck and a proper branzino. If

you want someone to take the decisions out of your hands, have dinner for the table — a feast and showcase of the best the menu has to offer. French Broad Chocolate Lounge is in the heart

of downtown Asheville. Alamy Many visitors view the French Broad Chocolate Lounge as a post-dessert dessert, lining up well after dark for the bars, bonbons, cookies and brownies. But you

can have your sweet treat any time of day. The Chocolate Lounge and sister store, the Chocolate Boutique (coffee, ice cream, chocolate, shorter lines), sit on Pack Square in the heart of

downtown, but you can tour the factory if you want an up-close look (and taste) of how the bars and bonbons are made, including the roasting of cacao beans. AARP TOP PICKS GATEWAY TO

NATIONAL PARKS From Asheville, it’s easy to visit a pair of spectacular national parks: Great Smoky Mountains National Park is 90 minutes west, and the Blue Ridge Parkway about 15 minutes

from downtown. The best part? You can take the Blue Ridge Parkway to Great Smoky Mountains, and it’s worth all 89 miles of the drive for the views alone. Follow the parkway north and you’ll

reach Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Rockies (with a steep but accessible path to the summit); head south and you’ll find waterfall hikes and jaw-dropping vistas. When you

reach Cherokee and the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, head west on Newfound Gap and Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the park, before heading back to Asheville.  WAYS TO

SAVE: Admission to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free, but parking tags are required at Great Smoky Mountains ($5 for a daily tag).