I was born in Asheville, North Carolina in 1994. My family and I moved to Alabama in 1999. Since, we have visited my hometown three times: 2005, 2006, and last week. The city has changed quite a bit since the 1990s, and even since our last visit nine years ago. We had less than a week to fit in as much of the city and surrounding areas as we could.
Vortex Doughnuts
We began our first full day in the city with a trip to Vortex Doughnuts. The doughnuts are made from scratch each morning with wholesome, local ingredients.
Grove Arcade
Next, we visited the the Grove Arcade, a historic and stunning building in downtown Asheville. The building is home to several local shops and restaurants.
Basilica of Saint Lawrence
We continued our day with a tour of the Basilica of Saint Lawrence. Completed in 1905, the interior is filled with breathtaking architecture, statues of saints, and stunning stain glassed windows.
Next, we grabbed lunch at the White Duck Taco Shop, followed by a tour of downtown.
Blue Ridge Parkway
The next morning, we woke up before dawn and entered the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped along all the scenic overlooks until we reached the summit of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River.
In addition to the locations pictured above and below, we visited several other landmarks, restaurants, and shops, as well as our former houses and places we spent time at as kids before we moved.
Asheville truly is my favorite city I've ever been to. It's a fast growing city with seemingly endless amounts of architecture, art, culture, food, landmarks, natural scenery, shops, and things to do. Asheville has the energy of a big city without the structure of one. There is no way a tourist can do all there is to do and see all there is to see in less than a week.
I long to move back to Asheville one day. I am so proud to call this spectacular city my hometown.
