Visiting for the First Time

Are you just visiting Asheville, North Carolina for the first time? Well, if it is there are many sights that are a must see. And, depending on how long you plan to stay you need a way to see them all and you need to learn about the sights to see that aren’t in any of the tourist booklets. The best way to do that is to hang out with the people of the city or another really good way to learn the tucked away sweet spots is to take a ride on the local trolley.

The best to begin your sightseeing tour of the area is to take a ride down the Blue Ridge parkway. If you have come during the winter, your out of luck concerning this attraction because almost the whole winter long the parkway is closed due to ice and snow, however all the other seasons the parkway is open and looking beautiful. Probably, the most popular time of the year to go for a sightseeing cruise is the fall. The fall is also known as the changing of the leaves. The colors are rich with earthen tones, the reds, yellows and oranges are breath taking as ones drives down the curvy mountain ridge road.

Next, before making your way downtown, there are other wonderful places to check out that are just on the outskirts of the downtown area. Another sight that is well worth checking out is the Biltmore village and the Biltmore Estate. The Village is a collection of shops and restaurants that are housed in the original building. That is, the buildings are the same ones that were built during the same time the estate was being built. The houses were built for guests and people who worked at the Biltmore. The Biltmore Estate is basically a castle nestled in mountains. All year long the Biltmore is a sight to see.

After checking out the parkway and Biltmore then I’d suggest to go down to Asheville’s Art’s River district. If you don’t know the area all that well this would be a go time to catch the local trolley. The Asheville area does have a local bus system but it is not the best thing to use if you are trying to catch the sights. The city bus line goes from point A to point B and back again, no razzle dazzle. So, after you have jumped on the trolley head down to the river district and see all the wonderful art studios and galleries. Then while en route to downtown, the trolley driver provides a historical tour of the area, which is always educational.

Another good place to go check out for the first time visitor of Asheville is Pack Place. Located in the heart of downtown, Pack Place is the areas arts and science museum. There are several other wonderful things going on with pack place so it always has something new to see.

While on the city trolley tour the sightseer will get to visit the birth place of the famous local author Thomas Wolfe. As the trolley pulls into the Renaissance Hotel the old house can be seen. A few years back the historic home was burnt down. Thankfully there was enough of it left that restorators were able to completely restore the house to what appears to be its original glory.

For the first time visitor going to these places would give anyone a good feel for the natural wonder and beauty of the area. And a trip on the local trolley tour can really help the sightseer to take in Asheville at a whole other level.

Gray Line Asheville's Historic Trolley Tour: A Review

Have you ever wanted to learn about historic Asheville, NC in a relaxed enjoyable setting? I did, and Gray Line Asheville helped me to make it happen. The group of people I went with was picked up at UNCA in a bus made to look like an old trolley. The historic tour began as we turned on to Lexington Avenue and headed toward Pack Place downtown. En route to our destination, our tour guide pointed out some of Asheville’s famous art-deco architecture, as several buildings still stand from that era. As we drove past the Vance Monument, I could see the reflections of what were once the tallest buildings in the area on the windows of a modern office building. The city of Asheville has a beautiful mix of buildings from different times, nestled in the mountains.

The pace of the evening trolley tour helped me to relax and enjoy a bit of sightseeing as we motored down the road. The River Arts District of Asheville is alive and well, as you can tell by looking around the city. Throughout our tour of Asheville bronze sculptures spotted the streets. The buildings where painted attractive colors, as if to be saying, “come visit,” and their front windows were decorated with creative displays. It is easy to see that Asheville is rich with art, craft and culture by all the examples of sculpture on the streets, the architecture and the overall sense of life and festiveness.

As we continued on with our western North Carolina historic trolley tour we learned about the Vanderbilts, and Biltmore Estate along with Biltmore Village and how much of an integral part the construction of the estate had on the area as a whole. It is interesting to learn that Biltmore Village was built for the workers and now it is a luxury shopping center. Pulling into the Renaissance Hotel’s parking lot we walked a short distance over to The Thomas Wolf Estate. The house of his birth had been restored to its original splendor. As we stood before the historic monument, we were told of Thomas Wolfe’s contributions to literature and to Asheville. When our education about Thomas Wolfe and other past citizens of Asheville was over, we all loaded back onto the trolley and headed back to where we started.

For those who wish to just enjoy the ground transportation around asheville without taking the full tour, you can take good advantage of the hop-on, hop-off privileges that Gray Line Asheville offers. Get off the trolley and spend sometime exploring in detail one of Asheville’s many lovely neighborhoods, art districts or boutique-lined streets and avenues. Then get back on the next trolley that comes by and ride to the next destination to spend a little time.

I had a wonderful time with Gray Line Asheville Historic Trolley Tours. Everyone on the trip had a good time and we all learned about many of the great places in the area to stay such as Grove Park Inn, Haywood Park Hotel, and the Renaissance Hotel Asheville. We also got to experience a taste of Asheville River Arts District and learn about the figures that helped to shape the area’s history. All this, along with sightseeing, made my time with Gray Line Asheville time well spent.

The Twin Rivers Media Festival

The Twin Rivers Media Festival is the first weekend in May every year in Asheville, NC. All proceeds from the festival, after promotional and other expenses, go back to the film makers and media artists. Next year is Twin Rivers Media Festival's 15th season. If you love independent film-mark your calendar now!

The festivals judges begin selecting films in March and April and continue right through the festival's official dates, during the first weekend in May, where the finalists are screened in two hour intervals throughout the weekend. The independent media festival typically draws around 150 viewers at each screening or so, for a total of over a thousand or so visitors overall. “The Twin Rivers audience really appreciates the media arts, and this festival gives them a chance to see stuff that might not otherwise be available. We get entries from all across Europe and Asia, as well as all over the Americas, and it’s some of the best in the world,” says Carlos Steward, the festivals founder and driving force.

With 400-500 entries coming in from some of the best independent media artists working all over the world, Twin Rivers focuses on substance instead of glitz, and strives to be more eclectic than the typical film festival. In addition to featuring some of the best independent documentaries, short drama and feature films being made anywhere in the world today, The Twin Rivers Media Festival also offers categories for artists working in CD multimedia, audio media, commercials, internet media and websites. There are even special categories such as “Made on a Mac,” or for projects that deal with outdoor, conservation or environmental themes.

Over the years, Twin Rivers and its predecessors have become extremely popular with independent artists on the West Coast and in film schools. A majority of the US entries come from California, followed by film schools such as NYU and Florida State, then the Southwest. Accomplished professional artists will often be invited to talk about their work and teach workshops. Among students and local budding artists, education is a major draw to the festival. Film makers and other media artist can network, talk about projects and exchange ideas in a supportive setting.

Stewards love of the media arts goes far beyond just film, and he wanted to make his festival more inclusive and open to any media arts. “These art forms are so similar and inter-related,” observes Steward, “ I wanted to do more for independent artists creating amazing work in media besides film.” In the early 80’s, Stewards vision was realized, and a media festival in upstate New York was born. Since then, he has been involved in festivals in states across the country, and most recently has settled in Asheville, North Carolina, where the Twin Rivers Media Arts Festival continues to grow and expand. “Asheville has an amazing community who are very supportive of independent media,” says Steward, “It allows great exposure for artists from the U.S. and other parts of the world.”

As a film student at Florida State University and a documentary film maker in Mexico and Central and South America, Steward learned first hand how difficult it is to get independent film to audiences. “Underground media festivals are a great way to get things shown that normally would not be seen by a very wide audience. That’s where the idea for creating my own film festival began, and this current incarnation here in Asheville is the best so far. ”

Asheville offers other advantages, in that although the festival celebrates art from all around the globe, the entire event is organized and produced with local talent. Film judges belong to and are credentialed by MAP (the Media Arts Project) of Western North Carolina. Judges for audio and screenwriting come from various professional studios in and around Asheville. Steward believes Asheville to be the perfect community to produce a grassroots media arts festival. “I have been all over the world, and Asheville has one of the most amazing pools of local talent I have ever seen,” notes Steward. He tries to involve as many local artists as possible to ensure that the festival has a true community feel and has many art forms represented.

With 102 World Premiers and 8 North American premiers, the Twin Rivers Media Festival provides some of the best independent screenings to be found anywhere. Jamie Hester, a fan of the festival and regular at The Courtyard Gallery’s Friday night “World Cinema” series commented on some of his favorite entries from last year: “I really enjoyed ‘Fix’ by Tao Ruspoli, and ‘Karearea’ by Sandy Crichton was amazing.” Jarrett Leone, a Twin Rivers volunteer noted, “I liked ‘Camp Woz,’ by Jarrad Kritzstein, and not just because of the name. I also really loved ‘Ancestor Eyes’ by Kalani Queypo, the Native American film maker from California.”

The Twin Rivers Media Festival is not your typical film festival. This amazing showcase of some of the brightest international media artists manages to deliver world class talent without being the least bit pretentious. No Hollywood starlets walking down red carpets into fancy screening venues here. At The Courtyard Gallery, home of The Twin Rivers Media Festival, you are more likely to find yourself in a cozy chair or couch surrounded by one of the most diverse collections of work by local and international visual artists, or sit out in the courtyard itself and enjoy the secluded outdoor screening area.

There are a multitude of reasons artists choose to enter Twin Rivers. Many are interested in the highly popular film categories such as feature film, documentary or short drama. This gives competitive film makers a chance to see how their project stacks up against 100-200 entries from some of the worlds best. Other categories are less competitive than other festivals, and draws entrants who may feel they have a better chance to garner rewards for their work. The top placing winners receive a unique hand-made trophy or plaque made by Mexican artist Cynlos.

Although Twin Rivers is a Labor of Love, and consumes most of Steward’s time from March to early May, he believes it's well worth it. "Getting a really outstanding entry from an unknown film maker just blows everyone away. This year, one of these was ‘Rabia’ a student film by Muhammad Ali Hasan, about a young Islamic women that straps explosives around her waist and then shows her previous life in flashbacks. It is an amazing little film. Film makers and media artists need audiences to appreciate the enormous work that goes into their projects. Some of these projects are labors of love that can take a decade to make. Being able to bring these products to an appreciative audience is really a wonderful thing to see.”