Asheville: Arts, Air and Awe

	Asheville's distinctive Art Deco skyline1

ORIENTATION

Asheville is located along the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers in the mountains of North Carolina, between the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge ranges in the west of the state. The city is closer to Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee, than any city in North Carolina. Adjacent to Pisgah National Forest, Asheville is only 40 mi (64 km) from the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Maggie Valley.

HISTORY

The history of Asheville rolls along gently, much like the mountains and landscapes of North Carolina.

Starting as the small, mountain settlement of Morristown in 1794, Asheville was incorporated as a town in 1797. It wasn't until 1882 that Asheville became a city, expanding with the prosperity brought by being attached to the rest of the world by the railway. Asheville became a mountain retreat for the wealthy, escaping to the supposedly therapeutic mountain air. Most notably of these elite was millionaire George Washington Vanderbilt who decided to set roots in Asheville, constructing the Biltmore Estate.

	Layered peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains2

The city's center expanded in the 1920s when a number of Art Deco buildings were constructed. Residential subdivisions also marked the city's growth. However, this prosperity did not last long. In the 1930s, the Great Depression came and, like most cities, Asheville defaulted on its loans. However, unlike most defaulting cities, Asheville repaid every loan. By 1977, after decades of tight spending and concentrated effort, Asheville cleared its depression debts. On the brighter side, because the city was forced to be frugal during America's reconstruction years of the 1950s and 1960s, little money was aimed at urban development, leaving Asheville with one of the largest collections of original Art Deco buildings in the southwest United States, second only to Miami, Florida.

Today, Asheville relishes its past by preserving and presenting its historic places. As well, a free spirit embraces the city as artisans, crafts people, entertainers and performers express the culture of mountain living in North Carolina.

CLIMATE

Due to Asheville's altitude (at approximately 2000 feet) and valley location between two mountain ridges, daily temperatures can vary considerably through each season. However, the climate is generally temperate.

TRANSPORTATION

Visitors can head to Asheville by car from Virginia, winding along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. Or, drive via Interstate Highway 40 from Hickory and the Triangle Cities of Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point, Interstate highways 26 and 85 and U.S. Highway 74 from Charlotte, or Interstate Highway 40 from Knoxville, Tennessee. Also crossing through Asheville are Interstate highways 26 and 181, and U.S. highways 64, 25 and 70. Rent a car for a self-drive trip to Asheville, or to tour the city and its surroundings. Car rental agencies are available throughout the country, generally with locations at international and regional airports. Asheville Regional Airport has regular daily flights to Charlotte and the twin cities of Raleigh and Durham.

Asheville can also be reached by the national bus service of Greyhound Lines.

While in Asheville, travel to the local sights and attractions on the city's public transit system, or try a more scenic tour provided by a rental scooter or a narrated tour on Asheville Historic Trolley Tours.

FEATURED ATTRACTIONS

Biltmore Estate
Even those visitors to Asheville who are not history buffs must visit the Biltmore Estate, America's largest home. Modeled after three, 16th-century, French Renaissance chateaux, Biltmore Estate is an incredible journey in to the wealth and excess of George Washington Vanderbilt. Construction of the estate began in 1889, with most of it completed for Christmas of 1895. Originally centered on 100,000 acres of forest, gardens and farmland, the estate is now the jewel of 8,000 acres and employs more than 1,000 people. Of the 250 rooms within the estate, there are 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and three kitchens. The rooms are decorated with fine art and furnishings from around the world.

Today, the estate is still a self-sufficient, private enterprise that does not receive government funding due to the success of the estate as a tourist attraction and its recent forays into industries such as winemaking at the Biltmore Estate Winery and hospitality at the 213-room Inn on Biltmore Estate.

Throughout the year, visitors may tour the house and gardens of the estate. As well, special events return each year to the estate, from the Festival of Flowers in the spring to Christmas at Biltmore Estate.

	Thomas Wolfe's boyhood home and memorial—"Old Kentucky Home"3

Thomas Wolfe Memorial
While George Washington Vanderbilt was one of Asheville's most prominent citizens, Thomas Wolfe is the town's most famous. Born in Asheville, Wolfe grew up in his mother's boarding house before leaving for college. He is recognized as one of America's major novelists, whose works include Of Time and the River and You Can't Go Home Again. However, it was his first novel, Look Homeward, Angel, that brought him into the heart of Asheville's citizenry. Of course, initial reaction to his book was not whole-hearted (the book was banned by the Asheville library for seven years) since it was a telling portrait of life in small town North Carolina. Today, the recognition of Wolfe and his ties to Asheville are noted at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, his mother's former boarding house and a North Carolina historic site.

Arts and Crafts
Whether the collection at historic Grove Park Inn & Spa, the dozens of studios and galleries within the city or the surrounding area, or attractions such as the Asheville Art Museum and the Folk Art Center, visitors can see that the arts are a large part of life in Asheville. Ceramics, glass, paintings, folk art and hand-made furniture are a brief and very general list of the type of artwork and galleries scattered throughout the city and area.

A number of tour companies and self-guided tours are available to lead visitors on treks to the workshops and galleries of local artisans and craftspeople.

Montford
The neighborhood of Montford has been designated both a National Register of Historic Places Historic District and a local historic district. Originally an incorporated town, Montford was annexed by Asheville in 1905. This region was home to some of the elite and prominent members of Asheville society. Reflecting the styles of the early-20th century, these homes are worth a look. A number of the homes in Montford have become bed and breakfasts, allowing visitors to live, at least for a little while, like guests of Asheville's high-society.

Hikers at Craggy Gardens along the Blue Ridge Parkway4

Art Deco Architecture
Asheville experienced a building boom in the early 1900s. An opera house, convention facilities, the First Baptist Church, City Hall, the S & W Building, and the Jackson Building—all reflect the city's prosperity and growth. Today, the city is committed to preserving these and other historic buildings.

Blue Ridge Parkway
Linking Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway started as a make-work project during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Parkway runs for approximately 470 mi (756 km), with its headquarters in Asheville. A meandering road that encourages visitors to take in the scenery instead of making good time, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a unique way to take in North Carolina's mountains by car, by bicycle or by foot. Activities within the park include hiking, climbing, hang gliding, camping and fishing.

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