Three weekends ago, me and two of my girlfriends from college, road-tripped from Maryland to Asheville NC. It was quite an adventure, and it rained the majority of the time, but we had a blast and I want to share my favorite parts and must see places.
The Road Trip Down
On the way down we left Maryland at 5:30AM and arrived in Asheville around 9PM. I know that’s a long time, but we made several awesome stops along the way!
First, here is the route we planned for the trip down. Unfortunately, because of the rain we didn’t get to drive along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park or along Blue Ridge Parkway. We attempted, but it was seriously like driving in a cloud so we had to turn around and got on 81 South. Safety first!
The first stop we made was at Natural Bridge State Park. The Natural Bridge is a 215ft naturally occurring gorge carved by a creek! It was $8/person to get in and about a quarter mile walk to the site. It was so beautiful with all the spring wildflowers popping up!
The next stop we made was to hike. Being from Maryland, I grew up hearing about and seeing the wild ponies on Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. Once I heard that there was a herd of wild miniature (YES, MINIATURE!) ponies, It was instantly on my bucket list! The ponies can be found at Grayson Highland State Park along the Massie Gap and Wilburn Ridge Loop trail.
We easily found the ponies within half a mile of starting our hike. They were so cute!
It was $7 for the car to get into the park (it’s $10 during peak season). The views at this park were also stunning! If you keep hiking, there is a connection trail that will take you to Mount Rogers which is the highest point in the commonwealth of Virginia.
Other Must Do Stops Along This Route!
Other stops you could do along this driving route and in better weather:
>Craggy Pinnicle Hike in Blue Ridge Parkway- This trail is rates #5 best hike on the parkway!
>Luray Caverns- a 4 million year old cavern! It’s so beautiful!
>You will also drive pretty close to Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Lexington, and Charlottesville (Hello, wineries!!).
Must do in Asheville
We did ALOT while we were in Asheville, so these are my favorites!
>Biltmore Estate– Is a 6,000 acre estate with a 250+ room historic mansion owned by the Vanderbilt family. The gardens at the estate were beautiful and the house was amazingly maintained.
Pro tip: If you select print at home tickets, print them at home! They will not scan tickets on your phone.
>Dinner at Curate– One of the top places to eat in Asheville. It did not disappoint. We ordered basically the whole menu. My favorites were the Patates Bravas and Bocata de Calamares.
>Double D’s Coffee and Dessert– You can drink coffee in a double decker bus! I got the blackberry lavender latte. Soooo good!
Rooftop bar- Capella on 9 at AC Hotel by Marriott Asheville Downtown. This is a hidden spot at the top of the Marriott. It has beautiful 360 degree views of the city and the mountains. The drinks were delicious!
Wicked Weed Brewery– There are so many breweries popping up in Asheville. I really like this one because of its outdoor seating area. The food was pretty good too!
Favorite bars- Thirsty Monk Pub, Top of the Monk, and Battery Park Book Exchange. The Thirsty Monk has two floors and I loved chilling there. There is also a rooftop to the Thirsty Monk called Top of the Monk. Top of the Monk is members only but its only $1 to become a lifetime member and you can bring up to four guests. This bar is very exclusive, they only let 35 people in at a time. The drinks were tasty and you got a free snack with every drink. The Book Exchange is exactly what it sounds like, a book store, BUT it has a wine, champagne, and beer bar with light snacks. They also have outdoor seating and there was live music!
>Brunch at Chestnut- This was our last stop before we left Asheville. I ordered the lobster bisque and bacon and brie omelet. Yum!
Where to stay in Asheville
We stayed in the cutest Airbnb while visiting. It was the perfect location, right in between Downtown and Biltmore (about 15 minutes in each direction).
Our Trip Home
Unfortunately it started raining immediately at the start of our drive home. We had a few stops planned but we skipped them due to the weather. I definitely hope to check them out in the future.
>Grandfather Mountain– A mile high bridge with amazing views of the mountains.
>All the waterfalls- There are soo many waterfalls within an hour or two of Asheville. Try to hit a few while you are in the area!
>Chimney Rock State Park- a 315 ft rock overlook. There is also hiking for all skill levels.
I loved my trip with the girls so much and I can’t wait for our next one. I hope this guide helps you enjoy Asheville as much as we did!
xoxo, Kaitlyn
