March 15, 2022
We spent 4 nights + 5 days in Asheville, NC. It was our first official “family vacation” since having kids.
I scoured the internet and asked friends (and strangers) for recommendations before heading there.
So here’s what worked for us on our Asheville with kids trip!
We had a great experience at all of these places – but I’m ranking them order of “most fun” to just “normal fun.”
We stayed in Swannanoa, NC. It’s about a 15 minute drive to the heart of Asheville, which didn’t feel like too long of a drive at all. Our cabin provided lots of entertainment by way of exploring outdoors, fire pit, hot tub, ping pong, and more, that we didn’t feel like we had to go into Asheville every time we wanted to do something fun.
Biscuit Head ($) – the (hands down) best meal we had during our trip
Hole Doughnuts ($$) – if this was considered an actual meal, this would be tied for the best meal we had! Just make sure to order ahead of time.
White Duck Tacos ($$) – classic + unique tacos. Our family of 4 ordered 6 different tacos and shared them all with a side of chips and queso (and their lime coconut margarita for me).
Buxton Hall Barbeque ($$) – we had higher hopes for this restaurant, but it was still really good! The Cheerwine Bourbon slushies is what drew us (me) in.
S+W Cafeteria ($$) – a boujee food court with options from ice cream to tacos, to beer to hot dogs. A great option for a group of people that can’t decide where to eat.
Crabtree Falls Hike ($0) – easy + short hike that leads to a very large waterfall
Max Patch Hike ($0) – easy + short hike that leads to an above-the-clouds view of the mountains
Explored local parks ($0) – we just googled “parks near us” and stopped at a new-to-us park anytime we found we have some extra free time
Western North Carolina Nature Center ($$) – think “zoo,” but without sad/trapped animals behind bars, these animals were all rescued and will either stay or be rehabilitated. This is great for all ages and they even have a (free) age-appropriate scavenger hunt for kids to do to help guide your experience while you’re there.
Asheville’s Best Gem Mining ($) – Our daughter (3.5 years old) is very into rocks right now so this was our “we don’t normally do this kind of thing” event. It ended up being a lot of fun and we all got really into it! Our family sifted through one $25 bucket and left will a quart-sized bag FILLED with beautiful stones.
Asheville Museum of Science ($$) – This would have been better if our kids were a little older. They still had fun but I don’t think they learned anything, which is obviously the intention behind a science museum. (It’s recommended for kids ages 3-12.)
Malaprop’s Bookstore – cute, local bookshop – we each picked out one book for a “souvenir” from our trip
Rocket Fizz Candy Shop – speciality candy and soda shop, every candy you’ve ever heard of and every candy you’ve never heard of! We made a 4-pack of soda and took home different kinds of specialty root beers to taste-test.
Tobacco Barn Antiques – you definitely need to know what you’re looking for if you’re going here. But even if you don’t have anything in mind, it’s still something to see. We left empty handed (barely) but we all (kids included) had a great time looking at all the treasures.
East Fork Pottery – a beautiful local pottery shop that I’d had my eye on ever since I knew we were coming to Asheville. If you’re a pottery fanatic like me, this place is a must-see.
Curio (toy store) – an unplanned pop-in where the kids left empty-handed but I secretly stocked up on some Easter basket trinkets.
Have you been to Asheville? What are some of your must-sees and must-dos?
Thanks for being here,
Regan
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