Welcoming Spring in Asheville, North Carolina

Spring comes early in Asheville, sometimes as early as mid-March. By April, the daffodils are blooming, the redbud and dogwood trees are in bloom, and azalea bushes are decorating the landscape. In short, Asheville is a great place to welcome spring. In addition to spring color, the city offers antique stores and art galleries, miles of biking and hiking trails and the spectacular Biltmore Estate.

Where to View Spring Colors in Asheville
It's difficult to miss the spring color in and around Asheville; it's seemingly everywhere. Some of the best scenic spots include the lookouts on Town and Elk Mountains, about six miles from downtown; Chimney Rock State Park, 25 miles southeast of Asheville; and at the Biltmore Estate, which welcomes the season with the annual Festival of Flowers from early April to mid-May.

Where to Stay in Asheville
Accommodations in Asheville range from large resorts to convenient, commercial hotels to cozy bed and breakfast inns. Among these are the AAA four-diamond, 1913-circa, 512-room Grove Park Inn, with its 18-hole golf course and sweeping views of the Asheville skyline and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Favorites among the dozens of bed and breakfast inns in the area include the luxury, ten-unit Biltmore Village Inn, located directly on the Biltmore property; the historic, Victorian, 10-unit Black Walnut Bed and Breakfast inn; and the Lion and the Rose Bed and Breakfast Inn, a six-unit, early 20th-century Victorian inn located just outside of downtown.

Asheville Restaurants
Asheville's many restaurants serve everything from ethnic cuisines to vegetarian fare. Some of the best eateries are the growing number of farm-to-table restaurants. Among these are Bistro 1896, located on Pack Square in downtown; the vegetarian Laughing Seed Cafe; and Luella's Barbecue, the place in Asheville for southern comfort food.

Popular Asheville Attractions
Of course, the most popular attraction in Asheville is the Biltmore Estate. In addition to the striking spring colors, the largest private mansion in the United States has 8000-acres of grounds and gardens, a winery, and a working farm. Other Asheville attractions include the numerous art galleries around downtown; the Folk Art Center, which includes the first craft shop in the United States; and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, the boyhood home of the best-selling author.

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Sources:
Biltmore Estate
Explore Asheville: Spring Bloom Schedule