Let us help you plan your perfect western North Carolina mountain vacation! Our 500+ page Asheville travel guide is your one stop for planning a trip with lifetime memories... whether it's a romantic getaway or an escape with friends or a solo retreat. Find time and money saving tips and the most up-to-date official information on the Blue Ridge Mountains, Biltmore, Blue Ridge Parkway, lodging, packages, restaurants, art, events and more. We cover most of western North Carolina, with the best things to do within a 85-mile radius of Asheville.

Vacation Travel Guide Updates
• Hunger Games Film Locations
• Biltmore Summer Concerts
• Friday Night Drum Circle
• Beech Mountain Hike & Bike
• Top 2012 Art Festivals and Tours
• DuPont State Forest: Hunger Games
• Best Asheville Art Galleries
• Craggy Gardens & Rhododendron
• Sliding Rock

Best Summer Events
Top 50 Summer Events & Festivals
May 10-26: Complete Works of William Shakespeare
May 19: Montford Arts and Music Festival
May 19-20: Rose Show at NC Arboretum
May 24-June 3: Asheville Beer Week
May 25-27: Mountain Sports Festival
May 26: Master Gardener Plant Clinics at Farmer's Market
May 26-27: White Squirrel Festival, Brevard
May 26-27: Kenilworth Art Studio Tour
May 26-27: Garden Jubilee Festival, Hendersonville
May 28: Carl Sandburg Folk Music Festival
June 9: Appalachian Lifestyle Celebration, Waynesville
June 9-10: INN Asheville Tour of B&Bs
June 8-10: Toe River Studio Tour
June 9-10: River District Artists Studio Stroll
June 15-17: Rhododendron Festival
June 16, 23 & 30: Asheville Art in the Park
June 22-August 5: Brevard Music Center Festival
June 29-30: Pow wow at Cherokee
July 4: 4th of July Parades, Festivals and Fireworks

Things to do? A few vacation ideas...
• Claim the famous Biltmore Estate as your grand retreat for a day.
• Drive along ridgetops of the western North Carolina mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most scenic drives in America.
• Explore the vibrant, inviting downtown Asheville with hundreds of local shops, local food, street performers and many festivals.
• Enjoy romantic accommodations, including elegant bed and breakfast inns, luxury hotels, vacation rentals and secluded log cabins.
• Shop for fine arts and crafts in 100+ galleries and visit a cornucopia of artist studios.
• Hike to discover serenity on a mountaintop or by a waterfall.
• Explore neighboring towns of Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, Cashiers, Hendersonville, Brevard, Waynesville, Hot Springs, Highlands, Cherokee, Franklin, Old Fort, Sylva and Black Mountain.

Vacation Tips: Blue Ridge Parkway
Exploring all the stops along the Parkway could take weeks. Here are our “Top 10 Things to Do” in the Asheville area, beginning north and traveling south. See more in Blue Ridge Parkway Vacation Guide.
1. Grandfather Mountain: Swinging bridge, hiking trails, bears
2. Linn Cove Viaduct: Snaking bridge at Grandfather
3. Linville Falls: Most photographed waterfall in North Carolina
4. Mt. Mitchell: Drive to the summit observation tower
5. Craggy Gardens: Hike, picnic and summer rhododendron
6. Folk Art Center: Local art and craft with a shop and galleries
7. Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center: Things to do and see
8. North Carolina Arboretum: Gardens and hiking trails
9. Pisgah Inn: Hike up Pisgah Mountain. Restaurant with a view
10. Graveyard Fields: Hiking, waterfalls