North Carolina Trip: Day 4 - Asheville

I have heard that Asheville was a very desirable place to live, hence, I wanted to see it for myself. Desirable for me means access to the outdoor activities, and there were plenty of those there!

I started the day with Looking Glass Rock Trail about an hour from my Airbnb. The trail was very well rated, so I could not skip it. The small parking lot still had a few spots available this early in the morning. I put on my hiking shoes and, layered in clothes, started the hike. There were a few other people arriving at the same time. I knew it was going to be packed later in the morning.

The trail was only 6 miles round trip with about 1,700 ft elevation gain. With cooler temperatures this was rather pleasant. I quickly removed the extra layers of clothing as I gained elevation. The forest was like from a magazine.

The first overlook area was hidden off the trail, and I would not have known about it had I not followed the trail on AllTrails. I took a detour, and within a minute or so there was an incredible view of the mountains densely covered in trees just starting to change colors.

For a few minutes I was all alone there in the midst of wilderness, such an incredible feeling. Soon I was joined by another group and decided to proceed to the top. Another 20-30 minutes, and I was at the top. The views were similar, although not as widely open. 

After a short break, I descended and instead of doing a 9 mile hike an hour away that I planned ahead of time, I picked a different one nearby. I was getting a bit tired of driving.

John Rock Trail was just 5 minutes away with plentiful parking. It was a shorter trail, but ran along a steam. Water sounds were coming from everywhere. I forgot what water sounded in nature...

Mushroom heaven

Supposedly, this trail had a nice view at the top, but for some reason I never found that top. I must have missed a detour along the way, so for me it was a hike in the woods. A bit disappointed, I still very much enjoyed the peace and quiet of the trail - not many people were hiking it at the same time.

I wanted more... Just 7 minutes away, I marked another hike - Moore Cove Falls. It was only a mile or so; I could not resist stopping by. Easy hikes like this are packed with people, and Moore Cove Falls was just like I expected - crowded. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the falls and took a few nice pictures.

It was around 2 PM, and on my agenda was a trip to the local winery. I often double book my trips in case something does not work out, sort of a plan B. I had the time and the energy today to go and check it out. About an hour and a half away, Addison Farms Vineyard reminded me of New York wineries. I could not do the tasting because reservations were required, but I did get a glass of wine and sat on the porch for a while.

It was definitely a worthy spot to relax.

Finally, as the day was wrapping up, I headed to Asheville. I found a nice lounge with a large outdoor area, got an expensive cocktail and sat by the firepit chatting with a few locals. It could not have been a better conclusion to the day.

As the sun went down, I finished my drink and got to the AirBnb. Tomorrow was my last full day in North Carolina and I wanted to get a good night of sleep.