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.

Learning the Hot Spots in Asheville by Trolly

Are you new to the town of Asheville, North Carolina? I was once. And for some time I know nothing about the area I lived in. However, I learned of a great way to learn about downtown and it’s cool places to hang out by taking Asheville North Carolina trolly tours.

I had been in town for a few months and I decided it was about high time I learned about the city I lived in. So, I decided to take a sightseeing tour with the local trolly company.

I went to a centralized downtown location to get on the trolly. It was all ready mostly full of people who were from out of town who seemed to be excited about the North Carolina historic trolley tours and what looked like a few people similar to myself who were trying to learn a bit more about their new environment. Naturally I sat next to a couple of people who appeared o be there for the same reason.

As our tour began, the driver began to point out different sites. Most of which had historic significance. The first of which was the S&W Cafeteria, one the the arenas most sticking pieces of architecture from the Art-Deco era. Come to find out Asheville has one of the largest collections of original art-deco building. Continuing down the road we came to Pack Place and the Vance Monument. As an example of stunning architecture, Pack Place failed me. However, it is surrounded by a few other awesome buildings. Pack Place is a museum with some pretty cool displays. Of course, for me my interests lie in the restaurants that were nearby and and cafes and pubs that were right down the street.

Taking a wide turn around the monument, our trolly tour continues as we pulled into Renaissance hotel of Asheville. Here we all got out for a few moments and walked over to the Thomas Wolfe house. Here was another example of Asheville's rich history but for me I was ready to go. I wanted to see more clubs, pubs, cafes, and places to eat.

After about 5 minutes we loaded back onto the trolly and headed down the road. Moments after being seated we were on Lexington avenue. Here is where I experienced the mother load. There are several clubs, restaurants, and cafes on this street. Bobo’s Gallery, Broadways, Emerald lounge, Mela, Bouchon, and so much more. This looked like it was going to be my new favorite part of town.

As we continued on Lexington we passed the beautiful Haywood Park Hotel. The hotel is at a small epi-center of Asheville. With quaint shoppes in every building this was a vacationers dream come true. I'm sure those who were on the trolly vacation tour were getting their monies worth.

Containing our trolly sightseeing tour we traveled to the River Arts District of Asheville. Here there were several artists studios and galleries almost all of which we were able to walk into and talk with the artisan and view and purchase pieces of art. There was quite a wide range of arts to be seen I must say. There were potters, wood worker, metal smiths and much more. My personal favorite where the 12’ metal sculptures that looked like musical instruments that where meant to be sat in.

Finishing up with our event trolly tour I feel I had gain a good understanding of the arts and history of Asheville but it also served me with a greater purpose. I learned where several good places to eat and hangout were. So, I suggests to anyone new to the are to check out any event trolly charter in Asheville, it will be well worth your time.