Archive for the 'Things to do' Category

If you are looking for an international cultural event within a short distance from your Asheville cabin, consider taking in the 26^th annual Folkmoot USA International Festival taking place in various Western North Carolina counties from July 22^nd to August 1. One of only two international folk festivals in the US, Folkmoot USA, centered in Waynesville, NC, features more than 300 traditional dancers and musicians from 10 to 12 countries each year.  This year’s festival has 21 ticketed performances as well as 34 private and charitable performances, some held as close as Asheville.  Of course, the first step is choosing the right Asheville cabin.  Greybeard Realty can help you make the right decision.  Choosing the right festival event is up to you.

Obama Visits Area

President Obama (POTUS) and first lady Michelle Obama, completed an Asheville vacation weekend that featured a Blue Ridge Mountain hike and golfing, as well as sampling various local restaurants and visiting with Reverend Billy Graham.  Their vacation included lots of scheduling and logistics to ensure that everything went smoothly.

Do you think the Obamas planned their own recreational activities during their weekend in Asheville? Did they choose the best site for their Blue Ridge Parkway hike?  Did they make the calls to the restaurants for reservations? Was the President on the phone checking for the best tee times?  You can be sure that they had someone take care of that for them.  Now, from your Asheville rental cabin you can enjoy the same level of planning on your behalf.

When you rent your Asheville cabin from Greybeard Realty, you can also utilize the guest services division and have them plan and organize your entire vacation, just like the Obamas did.  Think of it as having a vacation’s worth of Presidential treatment.    Greybeard has packages that include golfing at multiple golf courses, including the course Obama played during his Asheville vacation.  We can also arrange for your romantic getaway weekend or an Asheville outdoor adventure package.

If you would prefer several activities, consider taking advantage of one of our a la carte services like a spa day or a horseback riding adventure.  The President had most every move during his vacation photographed by the local press.  While we can’t arrange that type of coverage for you, we can schedule a photography session with a very talented local photographer to record your vacation memories.

The first step in the process is to choose the best Asheville area rental cabin to meet your particular needs.  If you need help with that, we can offer suggestions including best views, dog friendly or most secluded.  Once you have settled on your rental, let us handle the rest of the planning, to make your next Asheville vacation comparable to a Presidential retreat.

For some people, simply choosing an Asheville cabin for a romantic getaway is just the beginning.  For people looking for the ultimate romantic experience, Guest Services of Greybeard Realty now has a romantic vacation package that assembles all the elements needed for the perfect escape.  (more…)

It’s never too early to start planning some fun in Asheville. We’ve got just the ticket:

Let’s start your Asheville vacation at the North Carolina Apple Festival, in historic downtown Hendersonville. The festival includes the famous Apple Festival Street Fair that brings 150 vendors to 9 blocks of Main Street. The King Apple Parade starts at 2:30 and features floats bands, youth groups, and fire trucks. There is something about the combination of kids, apples and fire trucks that just makes you smile.

Then come to downtown Asheville for Shindig on the Green at MLK Jr. Park. A proper shindig, this event features banjoes, bluegrass, and uncontrollable dancing.

All that dancing will warm you up for a mountain bike ride in the Pisgah Ranger District. The Pisgah Ranger District is south of Asheville on either side of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Rent a bike or bring your own and explore the greatest mountain bike trails in Western North Carolina. Some of these great Blue Ridge trails can be tricky, so don’t be shy to take some good local advice. First time Pisgah mountain bikers should consult a guide.

Recover from biking with a walking tour of the beautiful Biltmore Estate Gardens. The historic Biltmore House is the largest private residence in America. Built for the Vanderbilt family and completed in 1895, the Biltmore Gardens were design by the revered landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted.

Wrap up your weekend at the Biltmore winery. Tasting and tours here rival anything you’ll experience in Napa Valley.

And now we come to the crux of the vacation – which Asheville cabin suits you best?  Here are a couple suggestions: Woodhaven and Blue Ridge. Search for other available Asheville cabins here.  And have a great vacation!

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

If you are safely ensconced in your Asheville cabin and would prefer a screen tour of the Biltmore Estates why not rent or buy the fabulous movie starring Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine, Being There.  Filmed at the Biltmore and first released in movie theaters in 1979, it has come out in a deluxe edition DVD and in blue ray for the first time this month.  Sellers’ character, a gardener/avid television watcher, is mistaken for a deep thinking, well-educated man in this timeless satiric movie. Each is available at amazon.com for $14.99 and $19.99 respectively.

If you enjoy viewing movies and then the locale itself then don’t forget to order Dirty Dancing while you are at Amazon.  This movie, filmed at nearby Lake Lure, features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. A DVD 20^th anniversary addition, released in 2007, is available for only $4.99.

If you are a real estate owner or renting an Asheville cabin, you probably already know about the popular, well-publicized attractions such as The Biltmore Estate and the Thomas Wolfe House. Directions, descriptions and costs for these and other areas of interest are all listed by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. You may not know as much about the beautiful natural wonders Asheville offers. My family has enjoyed many hours exploring the beautiful waterfalls in the area that are featured in Kevin Adams’ book, North Carolina Waterfalls: A Hiking and Photography Guide. The book gives accurate estimates of time and difficulty of each hike as well as details on how to photograph the waterfalls and in most cases the best time of day to go for proper lighting, etc. And best of all, after the initial book purchase price, all of the waterfalls can be seen without a fee. The book is available on line through Amazon.com or better yet take a trip into Asheville to Malaprops Bookstore and Café at 55 Haywood Street to pick out this book or many other area related travel books. The bookstore is a perfect destination for exploration when foul weather might preclude a waterfall hike.