Don't let the name fool you. It's not really a swinging bridge - but it does creak. And those…read moresounds are a bit alarming as you're hiking up Grandfather Mountain. Admission to the mountain is $25/person. And it's highly recommended you pre-pay online, especially during tourist season when spots fill up. To get to Mile High Swinging Bridge, you pay the admission and can park in the various areas. The top of the mountain does have a parking lot, a gift shop, and restrooms; but the top parking lot fills up. So we parked farther down and did the 20-30 minute hike up. Take a lot of pics during your nervous walk across the bridge. Great views as you're 5,280 feet above sea level. Also, do not wear flip flops! I see a lot of people, even little kids, running around the top of the mountain with flip flops. What in the world?!

So totally worth it. The town is wonderful. We enjoyed just the approach to the mountain…read more Grandfather Mountain is very cool with a legendary history. The swinging bridge was just another jewel in their crown of glory. I totally recommend it for young and Old the Vista points are stupendous. And there's a really wonderful video to watch and a nature center, and even some animals to catch up with.

Beautiful falls. Trail was good shape for healthy senior walking. Strenuous but not exhausting or…read moreunbearable. Everyone on trail & parking lot were polite & helpful

We enjoyed our hike - from car, to falls and back was a little over 3 miles. It is a great hike but…read morebring a walking stick to help navigate some of the rocky areas- you do cross a creek but the rocks were easy to cross without getting wet and were not slippery. On the way down you really tend to enjoy the views - because you aren't focused on getting to the end ;) my husband and I - are out of shape lol but it was not that bad of a hike - our daughter , who is an athlete had no issues - but there is a good 30 ye diff between us ha! I highly recommend spending a few hours enjoying nature ;)

This is a brand new sculpture in downtown Asheville that is now dubbed 'The Buskers Corner'…read more As the plaque says this sculpture was inspired by Asheville's vibrant street musicians and lively drum circles. I really like what this sculpture encapsulates. The artists Chukk Bruursema and Ash Knight did a phenomenal job! Love that they incorporated the dog as Asheville is a dog town!! Stop by and check it out!

So they give tours about every hour or so. I think it was about 45 minutes. They had 2 tour guides…read morewhile we were there . But our tour guide complained alot about his life. We did joke around about some things, but at least pretend you enjoy your job. They had a couple cute doggos that greet you while you are there. They also have a little store with a lot of different kinds of rocks if that is your thing.

Had great time at this cavern. We were greeted warmly by the staff.. walk inside building and…read moredecent sized gift shop with lots of gemstones and different things to see. We were only ones there at time and we had great conversations with staff before we started our journey into cave. I think we paid 13-15 a person fairly cheap for cave. So our guide took us thru a door down a ramp and into the start of cave tour. Even saw a salamander under some of rocks at start of cave. Lots of walkways and formations to see.. lot of history too. On way back our guide have us each a flashlight and let us see cave our way with lights off. It was so cool! There is different types of tours where you can crawl thru holes in caves and thru water but I just wanted easy walking tour lol.. definitely a must see.. glad we came!

This had been on my bucket list a long time and while everyone has a different opinion of the tour,…read moreI LOVED every minute I was in there. Being a history and architectural enthusiast, along with being obsessed with this time period, it was amazing to walk through every room and envision what it was like during the time they lived there and marvel at the construction and invention. I highly suggest touring it if you haven't. NOTE: I hear Christmas is spectacular there!

If you visit Asheville you'll no doubt hear about the Biltmore Estate, America's Largest Home®,…read morebuilt by George Vanderbilt. It's a 8,000-acre estate with a winery and shopping village and more. Everything in the house preserved from the early 1900s. Here are some quick tips if your visiting: - Tickets are more expensive on weekends so try to visit on a weekday if possible. - The early the better for scheduling your tour so you are in and out quicker. - Park in lot A if possible (easiest walk to house) - If you are going in the summer it is very hot inside the house. Not sure if there is air conditioning bc it didn't feel like it - It takes 2-3 to get through the house tour and another 2 hrs to see the gardens so plan accordingly.

Unique! Many cities have a standing piece of art or icon that easily lets you know where you are in…read morethe country! In New York it's the Charging Bull or the Statue of Liberty, in Chicago it's the giant silver bean or that crazy eyeball in Dallas/Fort Worth. For Asheville it's The Flat Iron, which is a not so obvious reference to the historic Flat Iron Building it stands beside. It also marks the entrance to the shop on Walls street such as Early Girl Eatery and often you will find street artists performing in front of it! On the day we visited we saw one of Asheville's most famous street performers by the name of Abby, the Spoon Lady along with Chris Rodrigues. See her story here: https://www.pbs.org/video/abby-the-spoon-lady-1cxpxe/ The Flat Iron, in my opinion, is special because of its simplicity. It matches the feel of Asheville which seems to have a natural & easy going pure feel to it, but has an iron or two in the fire. OR maybe, just maybe, it could also be for those who come to the city with a few kinks that need to be ironed out. I suspect a lot of people could use a good thorough press to smooth out some rough edges! 2018/82

One day, this sculpture of an iron will make sense to me. Today is not that day. It is a seven foot…read moretall iron, painted black, on the corner of Wall Street and Battery Park Avenue. Yes, it's in front of the Flatiron Building. But that can't possibly be it. Or can it?

This is a cool statue inside a cool park that I visited while we were in Asheville North Carolina…read more Stopped in here with my family for a quick trip they have a nice park here that I will review here shortly but the statue was there and it had a Lotta good representation and a Lotta good memories behind what this park stands for.

This was a Sunday and we didn't check the hours beforehand, but it was not open. It was during the…read moreshutdown, but very disappointed. The OPEN sign was in the door and we walked over and waited to see if staff had just left momentarily. They had not.

This is truly a treasure in downtown Asheville. It's a historical site that encompasses the life of…read moreauthor Thomas Wolfe and his family. The tour operator was extremely knowledgeable and you could tell she has read many of his books. Even if you've never read any of his book or have never heard of him, you must go because you learn so much of how his life was and about that time period. It's an inexpensive way to spend a lovely afternoon. While we were there, the locals were having an outdoor market and that was great! Call to see when they will have that and you'll be able to do two things while you're there! The facility where you purchase the tickets is right next door and it has a free small museum if you don't want to purchase the tickets to tour the home. But, touring the home is well worth it!

We traveled to Blowing Rock, NC to visit friends and to explore the area - what I didn't know is…read morethat our friends live only a few hundred yards from this beautiful marvel in a cliff side home over-looking the beautiful valley below. The Blowing Rock itself is an immense cliff 4,000 feet above sea-level overhanging John's River Gorge 3,000 feet below. I've read the legends of this rock and my friends have told me during the winter storms the snow blows upward from the cliffs and from their back porch the snow rises from the valley and appears to fall upward. The air currents that flow upward prompted scientists to surmise this location is "the only place in the world where snow falls upside down". I climbed up the blowing rock that protrudes over the valley to get the best view possible and felt the breeze rising upward, it was pretty cool while a little unnerving at the same time, I admit it was a crawl to the very edge and not a place I felt comfortable standing it's very steep and treacherous in my opinion. The entire facility is well maintained and the staff here was very friendly and knowledgeable. They have a snack bar with outdoor tables and a nice gift shop. On the day we arrived there were several artists with their canvases painting the blowing rock and backdrop. There's plenty of parking and as beautiful as it is I think allowing less than an hour here is more than enough time to see it all and explore the observation platform and hiking trails...

I went here for the penny, I have to admit but I'm glad that I did. The views are stunning from the…read moreobservation area. It was beyond foggy the day we went, they warned us before we paid but I wanted to press on. The gift shop is nice and has literally something for everyone. The properly has 3 kitties roaming around. The rock itself is sorta a gimmick but the story behind it is full of culture and myth. The property is VERY well maintained and beautiful. There is a small cafe/snack shop halfway to the observation tower. There are some stars but also a ramp. There is a view finder for a few quarters on the deck you can make use of. The paths are short and this place is pretty accessible. I really liked the gem room too it was very interesting, there is also a tiny museum with some history and artifacts. Blowing rock is pet friendly!!