In town, a more modest dwelling holds another gem of Asheville's heritage. The Old Kentucky Home at 52 N. Market St., once a boarding house run by Thomas Wolfe's mother, stands today as a memorial to the author. Ashevillians were quick (though not necessarily flattered) to find themselves in his acclaimed works "Look Homeward, Angel" and "You Can't Go Home Again."
F. Scott Fitzgerald made a dubious impression as well. While his wife Zelda received treatment in a local psychiatric hospital, the author of "The Great Gatsby" stayed in room 441 of the Grove Park Inn and wrote -- he also drank heavily and pursued women. The Inn still stands, one of the South's oldest and most famous grand resorts.
The granite grandeur of Grove Park and the even more elaborate facade of Biltmore, impressive as they are, hardly measure up to the natural wonders that surround Asheville. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway winds through the forests and the mountains just outside of town, a prime spot for fall color drives. And for a few weeks beginning in mid-September, a flurry of black and gold sweeps the landscape, as Monarch butterflies pass through on their migration to Mexico.
Autumn in Asheville
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About 25 miles southeast of Asheville, the towering Chimney Rock provides a 75-mile panorama of the Blue Ridge. The naturally formed granite monolith is the focal point of a park that bears its name. It's a happy marriage between nature and tourism -- with a 26-story elevator through the mountainside to a gift shop perched beside Chimney Rock, extensive, plank-board walking trails along the cliffs, and the park's proud reminiscence of its scenic role in the movie "Last of the Mohicans" with Daniel Day-Lewis. The trails are well-established, but still a workout. For a thrill, take Needle's Eye at the end of the hike -- the steep wooden stairs descend through a narrow passageway between two massive boulders.
As the weather cools and the leaves change, Asheville's local color comes on strong -- from brilliant foliage in the Blue Ridge Mountains to a series of festivals and fairs that keep the town vibrant well into early winter. Less than 500 miles from Washington, D.C.; Jacksonville, Florida; Memphis, Tennessee and Cincinnati, Asheville is an easy flight for a long weekend (Delta, USAir and American Eagle are among the carriers serving Asheville Regional Airport) -- and a manageable drive from most of Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Whether you prefer the allure of art galleries or the challenge of mountain trails, pack a bag and some walking shoes and unwind with the wonder of it all.
The Arts | Events
Related sites and stories
Related stories:
- I-40 reopens over Tennessee-North Carolina mountains - September 15, 1997
- Road closed, but detours don't have to be drab - August 25, 1997
- Destinations: Highlands, North Carolina - April 23, 1997
- Destinations: Athens, Georgia - February 26, 1997
- Destinations: Fall colors - October 25, 1996
Note: Related sites will open in a new browser window.Related sites:
- Asheville Chamber of Commerce: Visitors Information
- Biltmore Estate
- Chimney Rock Park
- NC Natural: Blue Ridge Parkway Guide
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