Published in Instinct Magzine
By Parker Ray
You saw that movie Cold Mountain, right? Well, while Nicole and Jude were filming it over in Transylvania or some place similar, the real Cold Mountain is actually a warm and friendly place-especially for the gay traveler.
Actually, Cold Mountain is located about 40 miles from the town of Asheville, a secret enclave of culture and tourism nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. "It's the Santa Fe of the East," enthuses Mark File, a two year resident of Asheville that runs RomanticAsheville.com, a comprehensive Web site that is pretty much a guide to everything you can do in Asheville and the surrounding areas.
While single guys would totally get a kick out of the thriving art scene—check out John Cram's Blue Spiral I (38 Biltmore Avenue) and New Morning Gallery in Biltmore Village—the Biltmore Estate (the largest home in America, also with the most visited winery in the States), and the relaxed but busy sidewalk cafes, coffee shops and boutique stores you'll find downtown, Asheville is actually the perfect place to go with your man. (Why do you think Mark File named his site Romantic Asheville?)
Asheville had been severely down in the dumps economically for most of the 20th century (especially following the Great Depression), and it has only been in the last decade that this artsy mountain community has made a comeback. "The lack of money actually kept many of the great buildings from being torn down," points out File. Some of these buildings have been converted into quaint inns, the two most prominent for homos being the gay-owned and operated Biltmore Village Inn and the Whitegate Inn & Cottage. (Read more about the inns.) The former is a 1892 Queen Anne Victorian located next to the Biltmore Estate, with huge Southern porches that practically insist you sit back and enjoy the warm spring day. The latter is from 1889, and owners Frank and Ralph have filled the house with antiques and original artwork, and their greenhouse with numerous tropical plants and orchids. Both are perfect getaways to surprise your boyfriend with. And speaking of surprising your boyfriend, you might want to check out Homewood if you looking for an ideal place for your commitment ceremony.
And since yoru've come all this way, File recommends Gabrielle's at Richmond Hill Inn for the "most extravagant" dining experience in Asheville. It's a four-diamond restaurant with a six-course dinner. There are also a good variety of choices downtown.
But what really makes Asheville stand out from a gay perspective is how much of a non-issue it is. Downtown there are coffee shops, like Malaprop's Bookstore; antique shops like Stuf Antiques and Fireside Antiques; and even Tressa's if you're into jazz and blues. All of these options are either gay, mixed or extremely gay-friendly.
And if you're in town for a while and get bit by the dancing bug, Scandals is your best bet. There is also Club Hairspray and O.Henry's.
Not bad for a city of 67,000 tucked away in the mountains, huh? We've discovered it, now you should too.
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