Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is located in western North Carolina, approximately 129 miles (208 kilometers) northwest of Charlotte, and 116 miles (187 kilometers) southeast of Knoxville, Tennessee. It's set in the spectacular scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Nantahala National Forest, and Cherokee National Forest are nearby. Imagine what all this great outdoors can offer you besides just a view – although one great way to enjoy the view is to take a little family drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Location, as they say, is everything, and Asheville has location! It's a great home base for exploring the area, and for mountain biking, whitewater rafting, camping, hiking, fishing, and skiing.

Enjoy golf? Come golf in the mountains! Asheville and area provide both public and private courses for you to enjoy.

Even if you want to stay closer to home, you won't be bored. Asheville has an expanding greenway system, for both conservation and recreation. There are also more than 35 parks in the Asheville parks and recreation system. If this isn't enough green for you, you can head out to the Asheville Botanical Gardens, which houses plants native to the southern Appalachians, or the North Carolina Arboretum, a 426-acre (172-hectare) site which includes (my favorite!) a bonsai garden.

If you like the arts, don't worry: Asheville has them. To name a few, there's the Asheville Symphony, the Asheville Art Museum, the Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre, and numerous theater organizations and art galleries! And you can combine exercise, art, and history by walking the Asheville Urban Trail, which is described as an art museum without walls. The trail is 1.7 miles long (2.7 kilometers), and its 30 sculptures depict the history of downtown Asheville. (And while you're walking the trail, don't forget to stop for coffee, a bite to eat, a bit of shopping …)

Are festivals your thing? Here are just a few: During summer months, head out on Saturday nights to the Shindig on the Green. In August, take the family to enjoy the Goombay! Festival, a celebration of African-Caribbean sights and sounds. Or there's the Bele Chere Festival, the Southeast's biggest free street festival.

You'll love Asheville! What are you waiting for?

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