You know how I promised to have this post up “first thing this morning?” I shouldn’t make such promises with a three month old baby. Here it is noon and I am just sitting down to recap our overnight getaway to Asheville.
Asheville is such an easy trip from Charlotte, just a little over two hours. I used to visit frequently but it’s been years since my last trip. This overnight was a reminder of how much I love the Western North Carolina mountains and that I need to make it a priority to get back to hiking and wandering around the charming towns. The mountains are so good for the soul!
Here’s a photo-heavy recap of our trip which included a visit to the Biltmore Estate and lots of really good eats…which is par for the course in Asheville!
LUNCH AT WELL BRED CAFE
We arrived in Biltmore Village just a little after 11 a.m. Sunday and decided to grab lunch before heading into the Biltmore Estate. We stopped into Well Bred Bakery + Cafe where I had a slice of bacon cheddar quiche with kale salad and my mom had a chicken salad croissant sandwich.
We sat on the patio and I fed Finn while we waited for our food. I feel like Asheville is abut as baby-friendly and breastfeeding-friendly as they come. 🙂
My mom and I split an oatmeal raisin cookie in the car on our way into Biltmore.
BILTMORE ESTATE WITH A BABY
I purchased our Biltmore Estate tickets online the night before our visit to streamline our arrival. I wasn’t sure how busy it would be on a summer Sunday. Note: if you purchase your tickets more than 7 days in advance, you receive $10 off the ticket price. Tickets are $75 for adults so that discount surely helps.
I was unsure of whether to bring Finn’s stroller (I had the BOB with me on this trip) so I wanted to weigh in on that for anyone who might be looking to visit Biltmore with a baby.
It was hot the day we visited (80+ degrees) and I knew that Finn and I would both be miserable if I tried to babywear him for the entire duration of our Biltmore experience. I decided to take a gamble and bring the stroller but I also brought the Ergo in the stroller basket.
After talking with some very helpful ladies at guest services, I decided to wear Finn while we were in the house. There is no official stroller check but there was an area where everyone left strollers when you walk into the house immediately to your left. It’s not secure but they said there is usually no issue with leaving them and that people do it all the time so I went for it.
I’m so glad that I did because it would have been very hard to navigate the stroller through the house. First, because of the crowds. Second, because of all the stairs. There is an elevator from the first to second floor but we would have missed out on the third floor and the basement unless I would have collapsed the stroller and carried it up and down the stairs. This would be doable with an umbrella stroller but not so fun with a bigger stroller.
It had been over 10 years since my last Biltmore visit and it was my mom’s first visit! The Biltmore Estate was built by George Washington Vanderbilt and completed in 1895. Coming in at 178,926 square feet and featuring over 225 rooms, it’s the largest privately owned house in the US. It’s actually still owned by the family and is TRULY a sight to see.
For example, check out this indoor pool in the basement.
And I’m always in awe that all the cooking happened in this fairly simple kitchen. If you saw the size of the dining/banquet room, you wouldn’t believe it either!
After taking in the house, we headed outside to the gardens. Our visit happened to coincide with a special exhibit, Chihuly at Biltmore. It was amazing to see his gorgeous glasswork throughout the estate.
The installations were located on the main lawn, in the house, in the garden and at the winery.
The gardens also have tons of stairs so we left the stroller off to the side of a path and I held Finn while we wandered through the gardens. It was too hot to put him in the Ergo.
We ended our visit by driving over to the area where the winery and farmyard are located. It’s five miles from the house to this area…the grounds are insane! I really want to run the Asheville Biltmore Half Marathon next year. It’s run entirely on the grounds of the Biltmore and sounds amazing!
We skipped the winery (your ticket does include a free tasting and Biltmore has some nice wines) but we did take in the farmyard. They have goats, chickens, sheep, pigs, donkeys, etc. It’s super kid-friendly and there are a lot of animals that you can touch.
There were two six-week old piglets whose mom had rejected them. They were going crazy with their handler begging for milk (they feed them goat’s milk twice a day). Finn was totally mesmerized by the piglets. It was super cute.
We wrapped up at the Biltmore and drove a few miles to check into our Airbnb. It was nothing fancy but got the job done.
DINNER AT BOUCHON IN ASHEVILLE
After relaxing and showering, we headed to downtown Asheville for dinner. It was lively and festive, even on a Sunday night!
My mom picked Bouchon for dinner. They serve “French comfort food.” I’d never dined there before so I was happy to check it out. I love all things French-inspired so it sounded great to me.
Finn got a seat at the table…haha.
I ordered moule frite.
The fries were to die for and dipping fries in mayo is best ever.
This was my first time taking Finn out to dinner. I wish I could say that it was a relaxing experience…but it was not. In all fairness, he had been an absolute champ all day so a little dinner fussiness was totally manageable.
We wrapped up our evening by grabbing desserts to go at French Broad Chocolate Lounge. This was my first time visiting since they moved to their new location.
Their carrot cake used to be my favorite carrot cake ever but it has now been replaced by the Laurel Market carrot cake here in Charlotte. It was good, but not as good as I remembered.
BRUNCH AT SUNNY POINT CAFE
Sunny Point Cafe is one of my favorite spots in Asheville. It’s located in West Asheville, which has undergone such a transformation since my last visit. It’s become such a trendy and hopping neighborhood.
I had a breakfast plate with scrambled eggs, veggie sausage, chipotle cheddar grits and a biscuit.
And my mom and I split the organic carrot hotcake with cardamom cream cheese. It tasted like carrot cake and dare I say it was even better than the carrot cake I ate the night before? I now need to cook carrot cake pancakes ASAP.
That wraps up our time in Asheville. I’ll be back much sooner than a few years from now. I adore taking classes at Asheville Yoga Center so I need to plan a yoga + eat all the good food escape soon!
Have you ever visited the Biltmore Estate?
What about Asheville? If so, favorite things to do/restaurants?
Frites & mayo speak to me SO MUCH! (Must be all my European blood, haha!) Most people think I am crazy when I ask for mayo with fries 🙂
Looks like a lovely time in Asheville! Glad you and babe and Mom were able to have a fun getaway!
It is the BEST combo! Hands-down one of my favorite indulgences!
I’m heading to Asheville for the first time in a couple weeks and can’t wait! We are interested in having dinner at Bouchon so I’m wondering if you and your mom would recommend as a place to go for a nice, more upscale meal? We are looking to celebrate a milestone birthday there so certainly want it to feel special! Would love your thoughts!
Hi Anne Marie – I wouldn’t recommend Bouchon for an upscale meal, although it is good! It’s more of a casual atmosphere. I would HIGHLY recommend Curate. Also look into Cucina 24 and Rhubarb.
I already commented on your Instagram post, but the Chihuly sculptures look amazing! I wish I lived closer, I love how he chooses different pieces to be displayed so that they will work best with the natural surroundings.
OMG that biscuit looks amaaaazing!
Yes, his work is truly incredible! And so was the biscuit. 😉
12 Bones in Asheville is awesome for ribs! They have unique flavors like Blueberry Chipotle and even Cheerwine! Their sides are amazing as well!
I have heard such great things about 12 Bones!
Looks like a great mini getaway with your mom. The estate looks beautiful, I can’t believe how big it is. I’d love to visit someday.
Yum, those carrot cake pancakes sound amazing. Please create a recipe so I can try =)
I will definitely try to create a recipe! 🙂
I love Asheville! It’s so beautiful. My sister actually lives there and loves it too.
I ran the Biltmore Half and it was great except the last 4 miles. You have to run through a rocky path that hurts your heels and you also loop past the finish line which is one of my least favorite ways to run a race. Beautiful scenery though ?
Good to know about the Biltmore Half! Thank you!
Aren’t mom/daughter trips the best? 🙂 Fries + mayo = also the best. I was in fry/mayo heaven when I went to Brussels a few years back. I’ve never been to Asheville but need to make it happen at some point.
Yes they really are! You should add Asheville to the travel list for sure!
Jenn! Aeroflow is in Asheville. You were just down the street from us. Great choice on Well Bred. In my opinion, they have the absolute best kale salad.
Oh I wish I could have said hi! Yes, that kale salad was great!
I need to know more about the outfit you wore to the Biltmore (especially those jeans) and that oatmeal raisin cookie! I love a good giant oatmeal raisin cookie. My dad used to bring some for us as a treat on his weekends with us and they were always amazing. I think he got his at Great Harvest.
The tank was from target and the jeans were old “jeggings.” I actually threw them away after this trip because they were so worn! I think I over stretched them out wearing them while pregnant! 🙂
That estate is spectacular!! Wow- I wish I lived nearby. And the town looks so cute- what a nice trip with your mom! Way to make it work with Finn 🙂
Thank you! We are just figuring it out as we go!
Have you ever had the carrot cake at Cafe Monte? It’s my favorite, but I’ve never had the one at Laurel Market, so just wondering how they compare!
I have not but I’m happy to taste test it so that I can offer a comparison! 🙂
well that sounds like my kind of research! please report back 🙂
Wow! Someone could hide for along time in 225 rooms! Lol. Imagine cleaning all those rooms, but I bet they are beautiful! That talented guy with his gorgeous glass work, just Wow! I have never seen that big of an oatmeal raisin cookie or any cookie that big! It looks like it’s as big as a pie! Lol. Have a great day!
Haha, I think they had a lot of staff to help with the upkeep!
And yes, the cookie was huge. Definitely one you need to share!
Looks like you had a great time! Just wanted to let you know to check Finn’s car seat straps to make sure they are coming from below his shoulders. You may need to move the headrest down a click to achieve that. It’s hard to tell in the photo. When rear facing straps should always come from below the shoulders, when forward facing they need to be above the shoulders.
Will do! They were unbuckled in this shot but I will check. Thank you so very much!
Hi Jen! You most definitely should run the Asheville half! I ran it last year and already signed up to run it again! It was really challenging with the hills, but the views definitely made up for it! The best part was staying at the Biltmore, because we just woke up and walked to the race. Didn’t have to worry about parking or anything!
Thanks so much for the sharing this! I want to sign up for sure!
I was stationed in NC for years and failed to visit Biltmore, I need to go back and do that soon! Running that half marathon sounds like the perfect run, especially since there seems like there would be so much to look at and make the time go by faster!
You would love it! And yes, I think the race would be super scenic! The grounds are gorgeous.
So we spent three weeks travelling from West to East coast US last year for our honeymoon and we randomly added Asheville to our itinerary. The reasons? Rosetta’s Kitchen vegan restaurant which I had read about on blogs, and the Moog factory (almost opposite Rosetta’s) as my husband is a musician. It was super out of our way. Our hotel wasn’t great but it stands out as amazing. We had 2 nights there (one day really as we had to make a flight) but it is on my list of places to go back to.
On a slight aside, Finn is gorgeous.
What a unique and cool honeymoon! And great to hear that you enjoyed Asheville. It’s a special place.
Asheville is such a super cool town! i LOVED it when i visited. did not do the Biltmore (a little pricey at that time in my life) but ate at Bouchon, too! SO GOOD. sometimes i think i’d love to move there. it’s passing their state boards that keeps me away… haha.
I also think it would be a super nice place to live! So much good food + tons of outdoor activities in the area!