Make Asheville your digital detox destination
It’s no secret that Asheville, North Carolina has been on people’s radar since the late 1800s, when the fresh mountain air drew one of the nation's wealthiest men—George Washington Vanderbilt II—here to build Biltmore. Sneaking off to this sprawling estate was a way for the Vanderbilts to "unplug" during the Gilded Age. The region's appeal remains the same in the digital age, where the expanse of natural beauty makes it easy to escape everyday life and just be present in the moment.
A trip to this western North Carolina gem is a chance to return to the time of analog travel, back when paper maps, physical compasses and regular cameras (with film!) were all the rage. You’ll literally be surrounded by the ancient Blue Ridge Mountains, which date back more than one billion years, so the setting is as pre-digital as they come. As one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, they’re not showy or dramatic mountain peaks, but rather lower, softer, rounder and have a famous bluish haze. The city itself has a bohemian vibe and is bursting with creativity everywhere you look—and you will stop and look a lot.
Read our guide on how best to savor your time in this mountain paradise.
Ditch your phone
As you drive closer to the city, it’ll feel like the trip’s already begun as the trees envelop the road like a warm welcome. Head to the Asheville Visitor Center (open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and pick up a free destination guide, paper map and attraction brochures, just like everyone did before smartphones. You can also get some good old-fashioned advice or tips from the staff.
Wander downtown and let eclectic shops, working artist studios and live music spilling onto the sidewalk lead the way. Follow your ear to the sound of buskers performing a medley of instruments across the downtown, especially near the Flat Iron statue on Battery Park or the busy sidewalks on Haywood Street. If you’re in town on a Friday evening, you’ll hear the weekly drum circle in Pritchard Park from 6 p.m.–9:45 p.m.; everyone is welcome to sit and watch or dance or drum along.
A great way to get your bearings is by picking up the Asheville Urban Trail, a 1.7-mile self-guided walking loop downtown with 30 stations. Each stop tells the story of the city's history through plaques or sculptures such as the bronzed shoes of author Thomas Wolfe (#19), a boy on stilts (#16) or the aforementioned Flat Iron (#8). While on the trail, you’ll pass by the Basilica of St. Lawrence, a Spanish Renaissance-style structure built in 1905; it’s on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the largest freestanding elliptical domes in North America.
After exploring the downtown, find a spot in one of more than 40 breweries that dot the area, where you can sample some of the 100+ local beers, chat with residents or just sit and people-watch for a while.
Asheville’s spas and retreats are another way to keep your phone at bay. Shoji Spa & Retreat offers traditional Japanese bathing and soaking in private outdoor salt tubs overlooking the Pisgah National Forest. The Omni Grove Park Inn holds a 43,000-square-foot subterranean spa featuring cavernous rock walls and arches, plus treatments like eucalyptus-infused steam rooms and a mineral-based relaxation pool.
Hit the road
You might find yourself going way below the speed limit when it comes to the scenic drives around Asheville; every road seems to have a view worth pulling over for, particularly in the fall. Check out the Asheville area fall color map and sign up for weekly fall color reports so you can get your fill of fall foliage.
Since the 1950s, the Blue Ridge Parkway has been dubbed “America’s Favorite Drive,” largely due to the number of visitors. The accolade is easily earned, however, when you get a taste of the views while cruising along the ridge tops of the Southern Appalachians. The high elevations and drops into the valleys means that you can see the leaves change here from late September through early November.
That’s not all Asheville has for its visitors. Wind through the Elk Mountain Scenic Highway Loop for high-peak views and plenty of pull-offs to spend some time admiring nature’s spectacle. Drive to the French Broad River Overlook and see one of the oldest rivers in the world (it’s about 250 million years old and one of the few to flow north). Head to roadside waterfalls like 60-foot-high Looking Glass Falls or 100-foot-tall Catawba Falls. Taste your way through the region on the Western North Carolina Cheese Trail, which highlights artisan cheesemakers in the rural mountains.
Sleep off the beaten path
Forget about brand-name loyalty points; go for the one-of-a-kind experience you can have here in Asheville. Plus, it’s something else you can note on your postcard back home. (Oh yes, postcards are a must for analog travel.)
Vacation rentals here can be found in the heart of downtown, along the French Broad River and high up in the mountains. Picture penthouses with trendy furnishings, or cottages with heated tile floors and a private hot tub. Stay in a house with floor-to-ceiling windows and wraparound decks to soak in the lush scenery surrounding you. Pick a vintage camper and lounge creekside. Tap into your inner hobbit and choose a Tolkien-esque hideaway with handcrafted wooden round doors that open to gorgeous mountain views and expansive skies.
The Vanderbilts may have established the Biltmore for themselves, but visitors can experience the grand lifestyle too with a stay at one of the three properties here. The Village Hotel is a short stroll to Antler Hill Village’s shops, restaurants and winery. About a quarter mile away, The Inn has been recognized for the past 25 consecutive years with a Forbes Four-Star rating. As the only overnight accommodation that dates back to the Vanderbilt era, the Cottages are truly a way to connect to the pre-digital age—even if you are tempted to use the modern amenities.