The Experience
Asheville & Southern Appalachia
Consider the great places to explore on foot. The Swiss Alps. The streets of Venice. But would you include the rhododendron-shaded trails of Southern Appalachia? Maybe not – at least not yet. Not until you’ve seen the mist settling below the peaks of the Black Mountains. Not until you’ve experienced the otherworldly calm of the Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge on a quiet morning. Not until you’ve ventured amid the rolling hills, rocky crags, and eclectic towns overflowing with Southern charm. No, few besides the locals have heard of Bartram, Panthertown or Whiterock, and few “outsiders” will have considered them among the great hikes. We won’t tell if you won’t. Explore the grounds of opulent Biltmore Estate and luxuriate at the estate’s elegant inn The breathtakingly beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the country’s most beloved byways From Art Deco to abstract expressionism, creativity thrives in eclectic Asheville Stroll the pedestrian-friendly downtown of charming Highlands, filled with galleries, antiques shops and cafés Lose yourself in the pristine beauty of deep gorges, granitic rock domes, peaceful woodland and idyllic waterfalls
The Route
