Asheville, the largest city in western North Carolina, has been dubbed the San Francisco of the mountains for its lively downtown scene, thriving artistic community and scores of talented musicians who reside and perform here. The easy walking downtown area has everything from fine specialty shops of all kinds to quirky tie-tied T-shirt shops. The town also boasts 17 farmer’s markets. A remarkable array of wonderful restaurants and microbreweries are located in the downtown area.
Attractions
Downtown Asheville has a stunning array of buildings in Arts & Crafts and Art Deco style architectures in the downtown area; only Miami boasts more. The Biltmore Estate, created by George Vanderbilt over a century ago is a magnificent 250 room chateau furnished with priceless antiques and furnishings. The historic Grove Park Inn, with its world class spa and gorgeous grounds, overlooks the city and the Blue Ridge mountains. The Thomas Wolfe House & Museum was originally the novelist’s Mother’s boardinghouse and his boyhood home. It is still furnished with the author’s family possessions. The North Carolina Arboretum is comprised of 427 acres of lovely seasonal gardens and state of the art greenhouses. The University of North Carolina at Asheville with a student population of around 3,500 adds to the vibrancy of the city.
Airport
The Asheville Regional Airport is less than 30 miles from Sherwood Forest and has convenient flights to major airports in the eastern United States. Airlines currently offering flights from Asheville include Allegiant, American, Delta, and United to destinations including Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin Tx, Chicago and Denver.