Category Archives: Things to Do
Oh My CSA! Win a Stay at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast!
June 16, 2013
Summer is here and with it lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. One way to take advantage of all that is out there and try some new foods is to purchase a CSA share. (CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. … Continue reading
Shakespeare in the Park is alive and well in Asheville!
June 3, 2013
Outside my window rain is pouring down and the thunder rumbling through the mountains brings to mind the tale of Rip Van Winkle and the giants bowling in the hills. It may be raining today but we are glad of … Continue reading
Guest Blog, Food, and Our Asheville Bed and Breakfast
May 1, 2013
“What kind of a crazy title is that?”, I can hear you ask. And you are right, it is kind of a mash-up of topics but I have a reason: I want you to tell you about my interesting evening … Continue reading
The Carolina Bed & Breakfast goes Mushroom Hunting!
April 8, 2013
What do violets, chickweed, dandelions, onion grass and May apples all have in common? They are all edible plants. And that fact is just the barest scratching on the surface of the things we learned when we went mushroom hunting … Continue reading
Carolina Bed & Breakfast Meets the Chefs!
April 5, 2013
At our last Chef’s Challenge Dinner, Chestnut owner and executive chef, Joe Scully, took us downstairs to see the kitchen where the dinners were prepped. Of course, by that point the prep work had been finished and the kitchen was … Continue reading
The North Carolina Arboretum
February 19, 2013
The creative team at Sparking Design are providing this week’s blog again. Since Susan and James , our wonderful Asheville Bed and Breakfast innkeepers, are off on a hiking adventure of a lifetime in Patagonia, we thought we’d tell you about … Continue reading
Lunch and drinks in downtown Asheville
February 13, 2013
Guest writing this week is the team of Chris Sparks and Jamie King of Sparking Design, a local design firm that developed our website and also rebranded the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association. Chris is an Asheville native and Jamie … Continue reading
Winter Markets in Asheville, North Carolina
January 17, 2013
Some of my favorite places to visit in Asheville in the summer are the Tailgate Markets. Small farmers and purveyors from Western North Carolina pack their goods into trucks and gather together in parking lots on assigned days to sell … Continue reading
October in Asheville: A Grab Bag of Activities
October 22, 2012
October is high season here at our bed and breakfast in Asheville, so James and I have to grab free time when we get it. Long hikes and days off are out of the question but we did manage to … Continue reading
Test Kitchen at our Asheville Bed and Breakfast
August 29, 2012
While the season in Asheville NC runs pretty much straight through from March until just after the New Year’s Holiday, there is usually a brief lull at the end of August and the beginning of September. It gives us a … Continue reading
Dupont Forest and the Waterfalls Near Asheville, North Carolina
August 7, 2012
Here’s the thing about waterfalls: people love them. So if a waterfall is at all worth seeing there will probably be a parking lot close-by and a great many people enjoying the view. And if you can actually swim at … Continue reading
What to do with a Two-Day Pass to the Biltmore
July 22, 2012
When you travel to Western North Carolina you like many, if not most, of the guests who stay at our Bed and Breakfast in Asheville will probably spend at least one day at the Biltmore Estate viewing the majestic house … Continue reading
Tubing on the Davidson River in the Pisgah National Forest
July 16, 2012
It’s hard to believe that just a week ago we were all sweltering in 90 degree heat. It barely made it to 70 degrees here at our Asheville Bed and Breakfast yesterday and the rain made it feel like fall. … Continue reading
Summertime in Asheville, North Carolina
June 24, 2012
It’s summer here in Asheville. The sun rises at five and the birds start our day early. The cool of the morning soon gives way to noonday heat and through the open window I can hear the hum of a … Continue reading
Wine tasting in "Beer City"!
April 5, 2012
Pretty much everyone who comes to Asheville hears that Asheville has won the title of “Beer City USA” three times in a row. But what many people don’t realize is that Asheville has a thriving wine culture as well. We … Continue reading
Climbing Greybeard Mountain–Not for the Faint of Heart!
March 31, 2012
Our daughter Emily was in town this week and so of course we wanted to show off the beautiful mountains here in Western North Carolina and since the weather has been so beautiful, we thought it would be a good … Continue reading
Scrounger’s Paradise in Asheville, NC
March 18, 2012
Serendipity is one of my favorite words. It means a “happy accident” and encapsulates the random discovery of something useful or good when not really looking for it. Last week, James and I went shopping for a mirror … Continue reading
Beer City, USA: Asheville Brews Cruise!
March 3, 2012
Recently our 22 year old daughter, Abby, brought her boyfriend to Asheville for a visit. While she wanted us to spend some time together at our Asheville bed and breakfast, she also sincerely wanted Joe to see what a great … Continue reading
Brown Mountain: Ghost Towns and Unexplained Lights!
February 27, 2012
Yesterday James and drove out to Brown Mountain, having read about the area in Carolyn Sakowski’s book, Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads . This book was suggested to us by some guests two years ago. It was originally written … Continue reading
Visiting Blowing Rock, NC
February 20, 2012
One day last week, winter came to Western North Carolina. It snowed during the night and the next day icy winds kept the temperatures in the 20s. The sunlight and bright blue skies called for us to come out but … Continue reading
Carl Sandurg’s Home near Asheville, North Carolina
January 28, 2012
Not more than 20 miles or so outside of Asheville and a half-hour drive from our Western North Carolina bed and breakfast is the small town of Flat Rock. The town is best known for the Flat Rock Playhouse which … Continue reading
Antique Cars in Asheville, NC
December 10, 2011
Just adjacent to the Grove Park Inn is the Grovewood Gallery, home of the Homespun Shops of Biltmore Industry This collection of shops and galleries was built by George Vanderbuilt and his wife, Edith, in order to provide the youth … Continue reading
The 19th Annual Gingerbread Competition in Asheville, NC
December 9, 2011
This year, once again the Grove Park Inn hosted the 19th Annual Gingerbread Competition. The temptation is to call it a “gingerbread house” competition but this would be misleading. While many of the entries do consist of houses, an equal … Continue reading
Comedy in Asheville, NC
December 2, 2011
This past Thanksgiving James and I were lucky enough to have our family with us here and we took advantage of their presence to try some of the more unique attractions in our town. One of these was the La … Continue reading
One Great Holiday Parade in Asheville, NC!
November 20, 2011
Best Costume ever! As you know, James and I lived in Europe and Asia for 27 years before returning to buy the Carolina, our Bed and Breakfast inn in Asheville, North Carolina. While we lived overseas a great many things … Continue reading
Looking Glass Rock: A Pluton Monolith
November 11, 2011
The interesting thing about writing this blog is that it make things so interesting! By that I mean it isn’t enough to just throw some pictures up and say, “This is what we did, isn’t it pretty?” I feel like … Continue reading
Anthony Bourdain in Asheville (and some other stuff)!
November 6, 2011
>One of the things I love about Asheville is that things are so accessible. It seems like we have the best of all worlds: our city is big enough to attract top acts and personalities while it is small enough … Continue reading
Friday Night in Asheville, North Carolina
October 17, 2011
> The Adabelles This past weekend we had a group of special ladies join us for Thursday through Sunday. The “Adabelles” were all in the High School Class of 1964 in Ada, Oklahoma and every two years they have a … Continue reading
Fall Foliage in the Blue Ridge Mountains: Mt. Mitchell
October 7, 2011
> About a month ago I became a leaf spotter for the Fall Foliage Network. ( I have to be honest and tell you that it was because they would list the Carolina Bed & Breakfast on their site for … Continue reading
A September Grab-Bag from our Asheville, NC Bed and Breakfast
September 25, 2011
> Emily Krainik, Manager of the Champagne Bar Sometimes James and I do things here at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast in Asheville which we really enjoy and would like to share with you but are not meaty enough for … Continue reading
Graveyard Fields: One of the Best Hikes off the Blue Ridge Parkway
September 17, 2011
> The last hike James and I went on, to John Rock, was rated “more difficult” on our website of hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains. And while it was a wonderful hike with many changes in topography and altitude, … Continue reading
Theater in Asheville, NC: Something for Everyone
September 11, 2011
> It was 1977 when James and I graduated from college and our class was sandwiched between two changing worlds. Those who graduated four year before us were very much a part of the 60′s and 70′s, while those who … Continue reading
LAAFF: Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival in Asheville, NC
September 7, 2011
> In case you haven’t figured it out by now, Asheville loves festivals: not a weekend goes by in the summer without a festival happening somewhere in town. They vary from large (Bele Chere) to small (Downtown After 5) and cover … Continue reading
Climbing John Rock in Pisgah National Forest: Success at Last!
September 1, 2011
Monument at Trail Base Those of you who have been following our adventures in Asheville and Western North Carolina will know that James and I enjoy hiking but have had limited success so far in finding a really great … Continue reading
Shakespeare in the Park in Asheville, NC
August 1, 2011
> Tod”s Tasties An Elaborate Picnic One of the things that drew James and me to Asheville originally was the strong arts, theater and music culture of the town. And now that we have shepherded the Carolina Bed & Breakfast … Continue reading
Escape to Black Mountain!
July 31, 2011
>Sorry about the title–I couldn’t resist it. Doesn’t it make you think of a Disney film? Anyway, it was Memorial Day and James and I had one of those weird windows of time that seem to come out of nowhere … Continue reading
Hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains–A Cautionary Tale
June 30, 2011
> James and I often have guests at the Carolina who ask about hikes in the mountains near our Asheville, NC Bed and Breakfast, and we will sometimes send them to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Craggy Gardens. It’s a pleasant … Continue reading
WNC Chef Challenge Semi-Final in Asheville, North Carolina
June 11, 2011
> Well folks, we’ve made it about as far as we can go this year with this one. I’ve been to first round challenges, quarterfinal challenges and finally to the semi-finals. I’ve eaten good food, bad food and in-between food, … Continue reading
Chef Challenge Quarter-Finals
May 29, 2011
> At last, a meal worthy of something called a “Chef’s Challenge”! Maybe it was because this was the quarter-final round of the Western North Carolina Chef’s Challenge or maybe it was just because these two chefs are extremely talented … Continue reading
Naturewalks in Western North Carolina
May 5, 2011
>Sometimes when the weather is especially nice here at the Carolina, James and I play hookey. Like Tom Sawyer we leave the paint brush in the paint can next to the metaphorical picket fence of housework at our Asheville North … Continue reading
Western North Carolina’s Chef’s Challenge Round 2
April 9, 2011
>A few weeks ago, James, Emily and I went to the first match-up of this year’s WNC Chef’s Challenge in Asheville, North Carolina. While it was an interesting evening, the food seriously let us down and we were left wondering … Continue reading
Iron Chef Asheville Style!
March 24, 2011
One of the wonderful things about Asheville, North Carolina is the exciting restaurant scene. Couple that with a sense of fun and community and you have the makings of a great evening…almost! This past Monday James and I, and our … Continue reading
Spring Cleaning!
March 11, 2011
>No, I am not talking about spring cleaning at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, I am talking aboutspring cleaning for my blog; or at least for my file of back stories. What follows is a compilation of things which I … Continue reading
Foodies Love Asheville, North Carolina!
February 1, 2011
Here at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast we spend a lot of time thinking about food, reading about food, talking about food and eating food! In past postings I have shared some recipes with you and made some restaurant reviews. … Continue reading
Winter Activities in Asheville, NC and My Cookbook!
January 23, 2011
> One of the many nice things about Asheville in the winter is the accessibility of many of the sites and activities. Pretty much everything is open but the crowds aren’t there, giving one a unique opportunity to really enjoy … Continue reading
Christmas Shopping in Asheville, NC
December 8, 2010
>One of my favorite things about Asheville is its diversity, and nowhere is this diversity more apparent than in the shops and restaurants of the town. In the late 1980′ and early ’90s the town center was almost empty as … Continue reading
Gingerbread Houses at the Grove Park Inn
November 28, 2010
>Unquestionably the worst day to go to view the winners of the National Gingerbread House Competition at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC is the Saturday after Thanksgiving but with the whole family visiting us at the Carolina Bed … Continue reading
After October in Asheville North Carolina
November 6, 2010
>Halloween has come and gone and October is just a warm memory. We had a great holiday. Asheville is made for Halloween and Cumberland Avenue was filled with children and their parents. I don’t know who had more fun: James, … Continue reading
Happy Halloween in Asheville, North Carolina
October 31, 2010
>Asheville, like every other town, city and village in the United States, is dressed up and ready to go for Halloween. So I thought I would share these images with you of the houses around us. In day and night! … Continue reading
A Day Off: Touring Western North Carolina
October 24, 2010
>Recently, one of our guests at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast told us about a great book called Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads, that contains a number of less traveled routes which one can take to explore the countryside … Continue reading
Zip-lining Adventure in the Blue Ridge Mountains
September 25, 2010
>Drum roll please…this week Susan is actually letting me (James) write the blog for the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. My humble submission is in some ways related to last week’s adventure and hike through the Blue Ridge Mountains, only from … Continue reading
Recipe for a Perfect Day: Hiking off the Blue Ridge Parkway
September 18, 2010
>Take one perfect September day in Asheville, NC. Finish up your work early and drive over to Greenlife Grocery Store and buy the most awesome sandwich ever. Drive up Town Mountain Road past all those houses perched on the mountainside … Continue reading
The Gardens at the Biltmore Estate
September 13, 2010
>It was such a beautiful day yesterday that I decided to play hooky from the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, and drove over to the Biltmore Estate to see the gardens. While I have seen the house many times, I have … Continue reading
Antiques and Furniture in Asheville, NC
September 8, 2010
>Yesterday James and I decided to spend the afternoon looking for some wicker furniture for our back porch and a new daybed for the cottage. Thinking logically, we chose to drive an hour east to the town of Hickory, NC. … Continue reading
Bele Chere in Asheville, NC
July 27, 2010
>This past weekend saw the 31st Bele Chere Festival in Asheville. More importantly it was the first Bele Chere for James and me at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. Bele Chere was envisioned as a means to bring people and … Continue reading
Southern Highland Craft Guild: Meet the People
July 19, 2010
>This weekend the Southern Highland Craft Guild held its annual crafts fair in Asheville, NC. Even though it was a busy weekend at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast, James and I made an extra effort to get there so we … Continue reading
>Staying Cool in Asheville,North Carolina
July 8, 2010
>I’m not going to lie to you, it’s hot here in Asheville. Of course because we are in the mountains it’s probably not as hot here as it is where you are, but it is hot. The compensation is that … Continue reading
>Here comes the Glorious 4th!
June 27, 2010
> (Guests enjoying an al fresco breakfast on a sunny summer morningunder the grape arbor on the back porch of the Carolina Bed & Breakfast) When I was a child (yes, that long ago) we started school in September and … Continue reading
>The Amazing Race Asheville!
June 21, 2010
>This weekend, three intrepid teams came to Asheville, NC to participate in the Amazing Race Asheville, organized by the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. For more pictures, see our facebook page. Shops and businesses throughout Asheville made their facilities available for … Continue reading
>Tailgate Markets in Asheville, NC
June 5, 2010
>One of the many pleasures of living in Asheville is the abundance of fresh, locally grown and produced food. While there is a large, year-round farmers’ wholesale market just outside of town where one can buy produce in quantity, during … Continue reading
>This Past Saturday in Asheville, North Carolina
May 25, 2010
>It is almost Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional beginning of summer and it is clear that Asheville really goes to the streets with a vengeance! This past weekend saw multiple tailgate markets, the opening of “Asheville After Dark” (bands playing … Continue reading
>Climbing Chimney Rock
May 19, 2010
>It was another lovely day Sunday, and two of our daughters were visiting us, so after the guests left and our chores were finished we took off for a hike up to Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock State Park is about … Continue reading
>"Thirsty Thursday" with The Asheville Tourists
May 5, 2010
>It was Thursday in Asheville, the sun was warm and a gentle breeze was blowing. The perfect evening for a baseball game!And it just so happens that Thursdays are a bit of special tradition at McCormack Field, home of the … Continue reading
>Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Asheville NC (Part two)
April 29, 2010
>This is the view from Dumont’s front door looking out over the farm, to the mountains in the distance. The stagecoach would come through the gap in the mountains and down to the inn where guests would spend the night … Continue reading
>Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Asheville NC (Part one)
April 29, 2010
>Recently we were fortunate enough to be invited out to Hickory Nut Gap Farm just outside of Asheville. The farm is a fifth generation farm, owned and operated by the family of our friend Dumont. The original house was built … Continue reading
>Return to Asheville
April 21, 2010
>My daughter, Sarah, first visited Asheville about seven years ago with her boyfriend. They had a marvelous time here and were one of the reasons we came back for another look and settled on this town and the Carolina Bed … Continue reading
>The New Kitchen, At Last!
April 7, 2010
>I kept putting off posting these pictures, waiting for “one more thing” to be finished but then I realized it could be next year sometime before everything was perfect so here it is, The Carolina Bed & Breakfast “Almost Finished”. … Continue reading
>A Wintry Drive Through Pisgah National Forest
March 1, 2010
>James and I thought that we would like to take a drive up into the mountains this weekend to see what this winter’s storms had done. The Blue Ridge Parkway was still closed because of ice and snow on the … Continue reading
>January at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast
January 4, 2010
>It’s January in Asheville and things are slow at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. After the excesses of the past month, people seem to rest at home instead of venturing out to explore new places or revisit old favorites. It’s … Continue reading
>Things to do in Asheville, NC: Innkeeper Jeopardy
December 12, 2009
>When I started at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast in Asheville, North Carolina I thought my biggest challenge was going to be getting up, being dressed and ready and serving breakfast pleasantly to guests at an early hour. (I am … Continue reading
>Foodie Tour of Asheville
December 6, 2009
>James says that I have to stop writing about restaurants but really the food in Asheville is so amazing that it is hard not to write about it. Before I do as was suggested and give you a break from … Continue reading
>A Thanksgiving Story
November 26, 2009
>This is not a story about being thankful (although I have much to be thankful for).In fact, it doesn’t really have much to do with Thanksgiving but I wanted to share a smile and a laugh with you on this … Continue reading
>Asheville Restaurant Reviews: Part 2
November 24, 2009
>My mother-in-law and her daughter recently drove down from Wisconsin to visit us and see the Carolina Bed & Breakfast. It’s a long drive and they were pretty tired when they got here. As we were in the middle of … Continue reading
>Restaurant Reviews–Asheville NC, part I
November 14, 2009
>I may have mentioned this before but we are closed next week so that we can get a new roof put on and move in some of our furniture and artwork from overseas. This means a lot of mess and … Continue reading
>Shopping in Asheville,NC
November 10, 2009
>I am officially in trouble. The autumn rush has slowed down and I found myself with some free time this afternoon. My oldest daughter’s birthday is over Thanksgiving weekend so I thought to myself it would be a good time … Continue reading
>More to do in Asheville, NC
November 6, 2009
>October is over and along with the disappearing leaves, the tourists have fallen off as well. It’s a shame really as winter in Asheville offers quite a bit to do. But I am not complaining as it means that I … Continue reading
>October is for Baseball
October 28, 2009
>I’m not going to lie to you, I am not currently in Asheville. Yes, the leaves are beautiful there just now. The sun shining on the trees makes them glow red and yellow. And yes, the nights are touched with … Continue reading
>Wine Tours at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast
October 21, 2009
>Here at the Carolina Bed & Breakfast we serve Biltmore Wines, made in Asheville. You may not realize it but North Carolina has its own wine country right here in Western North Carolina: the Yadkin Valley. Kimberlee Young of Travels … Continue reading
