Are you traveling with kids to Asheville NC – then this Family Travel Guide to Asheville North Carolina will help you plan your vacation for things to do in Asheville NC.
Last Tuesday evening we took off on a road trip for a family vacation to the mountains.
What was going to be a work conference for me to Turks and Caicos along with the hubby, by ourselves, ended up taking a different spin when the hurricanes hit the islands in the Caribbean. So many asked me if I was bummed…Yes I was but honestly I was just as thrilled to be taking our little E with us and as a family heading to the mountains in Asheville, NC for some fall family fun.
We were able to stop in Knoxville and meet Bern’s sister along the way. We enjoyed our visit while Elle played on the playground…she brought us cookies and then we hopped over and got dinner together. It was a perfect break in our day and such a treat to see her. 
Family Travel Guide to Asheville North Carolina
It’s so different when you travel in the car all day, have to pack everything for your family, make lists so you don’t forget anything, penny pinch the budget so you can splurge and have fun creating memories along the way. Our stay at Extended Stay America was absolutely perfect for our needs as a family in the mountains. 
In exchange for our honest review they complimented us with our stay in Asheville, NC. They have been doing a $1 Billion investment in renovations across the nation and so I knew we’d have a nice stay…not to mention when traveling with the family we love having a small kitchen (with a full size fridge- yippee!) so we were able to make breakfasts (although they offered a great grab and go breakfast) as well as pack picnic lunches for our day out and about. 
This enabled me to keep things in the fridge and freezer and allowed us to eat out once a day as a treat…for a family that travels this was a HUGE deal for me! We also loved the fact there was a laundry room there on site for us to clean clothes and have everything ready to head home. These are small things that truly add up to HUGE things when you’re traveling with kids.
Our little E’s favorite at the hotel was of course the “huge” bed to herself and pushing the elevator buttons…oh the little things in life and seeing this from the eyes of your very own little one is priceless!
Our days were filled with so much fun in Asheville, NC. It was the perfect spot for October for us to enjoy the fall colors, the cooler weather and the great outdoors!
Thursday, we met our sweet friends at the Apple Orchard close to Hendersonville, NC at Sky Top Orchards where our day was gloriously divine when it came to weather! The girls had a blast exploring the Bamboo Forest (which is where we spent most of our time I think!!), eating a picnic lunch, seeing the animals, walking through the apple trees, running around the play area, riding the tractor ride through the orchard and of course eating fresh and hot apple donuts! I could have eaten my weight in these delicious doughnuts BUT I didn’t…no worries!
It was such a treat to spend the day with friends in North Carolina.
We explored a bit on the Blue Ridge Parkway enjoying the beautiful drive through the mountains, driving through tunnels, walking along the paths, stopping at the look outs and enjoying God’s wondrous creation that thrills my heart every time He gives us the opportunity to enjoy it. He’s so good to us and I’m so thankful for God’s grace.
Our dinner was at Pisgah Inn where we treated ourselves to the best Walnut Trout topped with blueberry butter…finished the night off with a beautiful sunset and homemade blackberry cobbler a la mode! After meals like this we are thankful we walked a lot on this trip!!!!!
Can I just insert right here…our little E did AMAZING with all of the mountain driving and road time…I kind of felt bad some days but we sure did love exploring and she was a trooper!
Friday we took the morning a bit slower…first up was breakfast at Biscuit Head. Several friends had recommended this little place plus I had seen it online…when you drive up and it’s lined up OUT OF THE DOOR at 9am in the morning and it’s cold outside…I have this feeling it’s going to be GOOODDDD!…and that it was. Well rather it was ah-mazing! I got the special gravy – tomato, cheese and bacon…I’m still craving it…this spot did not disappoint!
After breakfast we did a little shopping, nap taking in the hotel and then went exploring the Farmers Market in Asheville which was an awesome market and seeing all of the seasonal fruits and vegetables was so fun.
After we made our Farmers Market purchases we headed to Brevard, NC where we explored our way through the Pisgah National Forest. We had been told about the gorgeous waterfalls and this was on our list of things to do! Again we were always amazed at the beauty the Lord allows us to enjoy. His creation by far exceeds the human imagination. We were able to visit three water falls, two of which we were able to walk right up to and see…the third one found us on quite a hike, which we didn’t expect…but in the end we were so glad we went for it! 
After hiking to those waterfalls we were quite hungry so we ventured in to downtown Brevard, NC and found the best hole in the wall pizza place…it was quite a wait but man was it worth it when the pizza arrived! Big Mike’s Pizzeria…put that one on your list for a great family friendly restaurant when you’re in the area!
When we got back to our suite we literally crashed and all went to bed early!!! We thought vacations were supposed to be relaxing and restful!!! 
Our last day on Saturday was dedicated to exploring the Biltmore! Before we headed to the Biltmore stopped for doughnuts at Vortex Doughnuts…oh me oh my…I’m ready to go back to this place…next time we’ll buy a bakers dozen to take home!!!!!! 
At the Biltmore…I had been several years ago with a friend…my husband, Bern, on the other hand had never been and he has talked about going there ever since we met. As we were driving through the entrance I told him…”today is your day, I’ve got Miss E and you are free to explore, go where you want and do what you want…we’ll tag along”. He had his sketch book for his architecture class and sketched quite a bit…Miss E and I explored a little on our own and she took a nap while he listened to his head set and soaked up in all of the beauty.
It was such a beautiful day outside that we spent most of the day outside in the gardens, by the fish ponds, walking around, as well as at the Barn around Antler Hill Village seeing the animals, playing on the playground and just enjoying being together outside. We really couldn’t have asked for a better day at the Biltmore. If you are planning to visit here are our tips:
- Purchase your tickets in advance for a discount as well as you won’t have to stand in line to snag those.
- If you purchase in advance and your entry time is say for 9:15am you don’t have to enter at that exact time, you can enter after that set time just not before!
- At the entrance of the Biltmore house tour they do check your bags/purses and no food/drinks are allowed but they make exceptions for your kids/babies. Yay!
- Take your time…don’t hurry through and enjoy it.
- Wear walking shoes as you are on your feet most of the day.
- Don’t be afraid to ask a stranger to take your family portrait in front of the Biltmore!
- Bring a stroller so you can push along everyone’s things but the littles will get tired of walking!
- Take time to eat at Antler Hill Village with the kids and let them get their energy out at the playground and petting zoo.
Are you planning a trip to Asheville, NC with your family? Do you know of any great spots we should hit up next time? Please comment below because we’ve already added this amazing city back to our bucket list to visit again!
Hi I’m Erin a Southern mama from South Mississippi, owner and chief editor of Sixth Bloom a blog helping mom-tographers capture their kiddos and life, talking all things home, parenting and how we navigate through life. You will find me living life to the fullest with my mister (aka husband) and our little two year old, Miss E, in our 500+ sq foot cottage as we build our dream house on our two acres! We are blessed beyond measure, love to travel, involved in ministry at our church and in between all of that we run two successful businesses together! Follow me at: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST
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