Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina, located in the southern part of the United States 35.5951° N, 82.5515° W, is a place of spunky art, local coffee shops, and unbelievably beautiful mountains.
While I live in Georgia, I was in search of a vacation spot that was dog-friendly, so when I went to google and searched for the most dog-friendly places in the United States, Asheville came highly recommended!
It is only 3 hours and 30 minutes from where I live in Georgia, and after doing some research, I settled on my March vacation spot. My housemate, my dog, and I spent a 3 day weekend in Asheville, filled with copious amounts of coffee, delightful hiking, delicious food, and the amazing surrounding views.
We woke up Friday morning and started our adventure to Asheville, specifically our lunch destination: the White Duck Taco Shop. Located on 388 Riverside Drive, Asheville, NC 28801, right next to a flowing river and a graffiti covered overpass, this taco shop was both funky inside and out. I read amazing reviews for this taco shop, so I needed to try it out myself, as an advid taco lover. It was amazing! Usually I’m a fan of chicken and steak tacos, but being a Catholic on a Friday during Lent, my choices were meat free, but still amazing! I ordered the Tuna Tokyo and the Bangkok Shrimp tacos. The Tuna Tokyo was a good, but definitely took second place after I got a taste of the Bangkok Shrimp taco. The sweetness of the fried the shrimp, along with the sauce and the pickles on top, made me order a third round! My housemate tried the steak tacos and then the duck taco, to which she said “it’s like thanksgiving in a taco!” -Sophie, housemate. I had a side order of street corn, which was not amongst the better things I ate there for lunch. It was spicy and served cold, but if that’s your thing, then try it! The White Duck Taco Shop is definitely a must see in Asheville, whatever location you choose. https://whiteducktacoshop.com
We wrapped up our first delicious lunch in Asheville and headed to our dog-friendly AirBnb on Haywood Road, in West Asheville. Our AirBnb was adorable and friendly and super easy to find. It was the perfect size for two friends and my dog, and was located walking distance from plenty of restaurants and coffee shops. We set up the dog cage in the kitchen and headed to Black Mountain, to one of my favorite parts of the trip: Round Mountain Creamery.
Round Mountain Creamery is the location of the cutest little goat creamery and farm, with baby and mama goats all around! We booked this experience through the AirBnb app, at $20 a person, but on their website you can book it for $15 a person. One thing we did not prepare for was the amount of goat poop and mud you will encounter on this tour, so wear shoes that you are okay with getting dirty! After spending some time with the baby goats, we saw where they milk the goats and learned about the process. The last part of the tour was held in the farm shop, where we sat and tasted 9 different types of delicious goat cheeses. We purchased several tubs of goat cheese for our families and ourselves. The “From the Garden” and the “Cran-Nut Zest” were our two top favorites. The whole experience took about an hour and it was so much fun! 10/10 recommend doing this experience in Asheville. https://www.roundmountaincreamery.com/visit-us.html
We found ourselves searching google for a place to eat dinner and we decided to try Storm Rhum Bar, in Downtown Asheville. I ordered the baked vegetable pasta with a almond milk-ricotta cheese and vegan mozzarella. My housemate ordered the Chicken Biscuit sandwich, but the menu is subjected to change. I ordered the Resting Spritz Face #2 drink made with hard apple cider, and Prosecco, and I was not disappointed! We spent the rest of our evening walking around Downtown Asheville and enjoying the high-energy night life that was around us. https://www.stormrhumbar.com
Tip: Be prepared to pay for parking in Downtown Asheville, and there are a ton of parking lots and parking garages available so keep track of which one you park in.
Owl Bakery is where we grabbed breakfast our first full day in Asheville. While the line was long, the pastries were amazing! We ordered a few pastries to share, including the seasonal sweet danish, and a huge ham and cheese croissant. We were there by 9:45am, but they were selling out of pastries and bread options by then, so plan accordingly. They have two locations, West and North Asheville, and there menu also changes so call ahead if you have your heart set on something specific. https://owlbakery.com
Our next adventure that day sent us out to hike to some of Asheville’s famous waterfalls. Asheville has plenty of waterfall hikes to pick from so if you are a fan of chasing waterfalls, Asheville is the place for you. We completed a four mile hike and saw four amazing waterfalls, which included Hooker falls, Triple Falls, and High Falls. There lots of parking lots in DuPont State Forest, so aim for the vistor’s center parking lot. The bathrooms are located here, but bring water and snacks because the visitor’s center does not sell anything. https://www.exploreasheville.com/stories/post/hooker-falls-triple-falls-and-high-falls-hike/
The Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar in Downtown Asheville is where we headed to that evening. We sat outside with my dog, Brandino, and enjoyed the handful of street vendors on the sidewalk next to us. As a fan of any sparkling wine, this place was high on my list to check out in Asheville, and it was fantastic! We ordered the Tale of Two Choices Charcuterie platter, giving you a choice of meat and a choice of cheese, along with fruit, bread and jam, and The Phantom of the Burrata. We decided to order a champagne flight to share, which featured three different champagnes, one which was a sparkling pinot noir, and the other was the same champagne brand that was found on the Titanic. It was safe to say we felt very fancy and classy. https://batteryparkbookexchange.com/drink-menu/
The Twisted Laurel Restaurant was on our list for dinner, specifically for the doggie menu they offer. As a dog mom taking her boy on his first vacation, this place was a must-visit for us. Your dog has options of protein (trout, veggie burger, hamburger, or scrambled eggs), veggies (sweet potato, grilled Brussels, or Asparagus), and dessert (doggie biscuits and peanut butter, doggie ice cream, or doggie biscuits). Brandino got scrambled eggs and a sweet potato, and unfortunately, they were out of doggie biscuits and doggie ice cream, so he got to enjoy some peanut butter. As for the humans that were there, we were stuffed from our snacks at the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar, so I grabbed the Limonata vodka drink, and we shared a piece of the layered sponge cake. https://www.twistedlaurel.com
Our last morning in Asheville, we walked to one of the local coffee shops for some coffee and breakfast. This cute little coffee shop is called “The West End”, which was right down the street from our AirBnB. We decided we needed more caffeine, so after we packed up the car, we left our AirBnB behind and headed to Downtown Asheville to try the famous double decker bus coffee shop, Double D’s. We both got speciality coffee drinks, but tragically I dropped and spilled mine before I even got to taste the blackberry chocolate mocha. Tip: Double D’s only takes cash, but they have local AMTs listed on a sign by the entrance, and a parking lot is right down the street so it’s very convenient to park and grab a coffee! https://www.doubledscoffee.com
We paid for a few hours of parking so we could explore Downtown Asheville in the daylight. Because this trip included my dog, we had to check out one of the many local dog boutiques that are in Asheville. We walked to the Patton Avenue Pet Company. They had so many awesome things for both dogs and cats. Brandino got a fancy cookie, a bottle of dog beer to drink with his Grandpa, and a new travel water bottle. He left having been very spoiled, and my cats, Calogero, and Babycat, even got toy mouses and treats. https://www.pattonavenuepet.com
On the way out of Asheville, my housemate, Sophie, was dying to get some pictures of some Asheville graffiti, and lucky for her, it is everywhere in Asheville. The particular spot we found to check out was called “Good Vibes Silo.” It was a great last stop in Asheville before we headed home back to Georgia.
While our trip to Asheville was quick, it was an amazingly, fun adventure. Asheville is the perfect place to go for vacation if you are the type of person who likes hikes and nature during the day, even with your four-legged friends, but a bit of the nightlife scene in the evening.
