Top 12 Winter Outings in Asheville

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Asheville NC Travel Guide

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Top 12 Asheville Winter Romantic Outings 2012

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The fall and holiday crowds are gone. The winter months of January, February and March are the most serene of the year in Asheville and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. So it's perfect time for a North Carolina mountain escape, including a Valentine getaway. And the weather is usually on the mild side. Surprising to some, it rarely snows in Asheville. The city is protected by the surrounding mountains, so it often snows about 20 miles away on the mountaintops. Meanwhile, the valley rarely gets a big snow. Here are our Top 12 Asheville winter outings:

1. Winter Getaway Packages: Since the winter months are the slowest months of the year for inns, hotels and cabin rentals, you will find the best deals of the year. See a big variety of Winter Packages and Specials. Rates will be higher on Valentine's Weekend, so bring your Valentine before or after the big day to save more!

2. Biltmore Specials: Enjoy the grand estate without the big crowds and get good deals on tickets through March. Save 50% on tickets and accommodations at the Inn on Biltmore. Photo at right is the fascinating Rooftop Tour. Read more about winter outings at Biltmore.

3. Downtown Asheville: Browse through more than 200 shops, 30 art galleries and a dozen antique stores - all locally owned. No cookie cutter chain stores here. And if you need a break, stop at one of the 50 restaurants. Tour the fascinating Thomas Wolfe Home for just a dollar! See our Downtown Asheville Guide.

4. Destination Spas: Be it a simple weekend of relaxation, a romantic couple’s getaway in the mountains or a chance to improve your health, Asheville is the ultimate destination for spas and wellness. Stay at an Asheville area destination spa and well some well-deserved pampering from your busy life. Warm up in the 100-degree mineral waters in Hot Springs.

5. Beer Crawl: Asheville (a.k.a. Beer City U.S.A) has an amazing selection of bars, brewpubs, microbreweries, and restaurants for a city of its size. In fact, Asheville (per capita) has one of the highest rates of craft brew consumption in the Southeast. Sample some excellent brews, enjoy some great food, and meet some very interesting people along the way. Here are our top picks for beer the Asheville area. If wine is more to your liking, see our guide to Asheville Wine Bars. Or find the best downtown Asheville coffee shops and bakeries.

6. Hot Air Balloons: Enjoy the tranquility and beauty of winter as you soar above the mountains on a sunrise flight. Read more about Asheville Hot Air Balloons.

7. Live Music & Dance: Each evening, Asheville comes alive and offers a mulitude of places to go for a big variety of live music any day of the week - some jazz to plenty of bluegrass. See some of our favorite music venues. Join the locals at weekly contra dances on Monday and Thursday. Regulars love to help beginners. Lessons and an evening of great memories are $12/couple.

8. Biltmore Village: Ready for more shopping? Located across from the entrance to Biltmore Estate, the Village is home to more than 40 unique shops and 10 cafes and restaurants. Most businesses are housed in historic cottages and buildings. Tree-lined streets, brick sidewalks and period architecture make it a delight to stroll through and explore. And this is the best area for antiques. See our Biltmore Village Guide.

9. Art & Craft: With more than 100 galleries and even more artist studios, you will need plenty of time for exploring. In addition to the galleries downtown and Biltmore Village, head to the Folk Art Center and the River Arts District. See our Gallery Guide and info about the big Grove Park Arts and Crafts Conference in February.

10. Ski & Snowboard: Beech Mountain is the highest ski area in eastern USA. Their Stay & Ski Package features a midweek stay with two nights of cozy lodging and a day on the slopes of Beech Mountain Resort, all for just $99 per person, plus tax. Take advantage of this fantastic offer January-March (until the end of ski season) on Sunday-Thursday nights. Read more.

11. Winter Hiking: For the best views of the year, take a winter hike. With leafless trees, cool temperatures, less crowds and frequent bright blue skies, it may become your favorite time of the year to hit the trail. See our hiking guide for our top picks. And don't forget to find some of our spectacular waterfalls, including the roadside Looking Glass Falls. If you want a hike in the snow, head to higher elevations like Roan Mountain (photo on right) or Mt. Mitchell. See photos of rime ice, snow and icy waterfalls.

12. Stay in Style: See our complete list of small B&Bs, large B&Bs, cabins and hotels in the area.

Top Asheville NC Mountain Winter Events

Tiffany at Biltmore
January 1-31, 2012: A wonderful display of Tiffany lamps at Biltmore. Read and see more.

Winterfest Weekend
January 7-8, 2012: For a very fun weekend, head to Beech Mountain Resort with events throughout the weekend, including the NC State Championship Snowshoe Race, Cardboard Box Derby Race, Roots Ride Shop Fashion Show, Bathing Beauty competition, the Village Rail Jam and live music at the Beech Tree Bar & Grill. Other attractions include live ice-sculpting demonstration and figure skating demonstrations. Read more about Winterfest Weekend and Beech Mountain.

Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
January 19-22, 2012: This avant-garde festival pushes the boundaries of artistic endeavor through a variety of media: dance, words spoken and unspoken, visual, theatre, picha kucha and others. See our Asheville Fringe Arts Festival Guide.

Big Band & Swing Dance Weekend at Grove Park Inn
January 20-22, 2012: Grove Park Inn is saluting the 70th Anniversary of USO - North Carolina and the era of Big Band music with a special Friday night dance by the NC Revelers Orchestra and the USO Liberty Bells. They welcome back the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra as Saturday dance headliners. Both weekend package and individual tickets available. Click here to visit their Web site.

Winter Warmer Beer Festival - SOLD OUT!
January 21, 2012: Features specialty brews from the Asheville area as well as breweries in Tennessee and Georgia. Local chefs offering food pairings. Live music. For tickets, go to their Web site.

All That Jazz Weekend at Grove Park Inn
January 27-29, 2012: This Grove Park Inn event has earned national recognition as one of the premier jazz festivals of the Southeast! Special performances by The John Pizzarelli Quartet on Friday evening, Jessica Molaskey & Aaron Weinstein Trio on Saturday evening and a special Saturday afternoon concert with the Lenore Raphael Duo featuring Herman Burney. Other fun activities include live music, a cooking demonstration, history tours and more. Both weekend package and individual tickets available. Click here to visit their Web site.

Celtic Adventure Weekend at Grove Park Inn
February 3-5, 2012: Gaelic Storm is back at Grove Park Inn, by popular demand, along with traditional Irish folk band McPeake and Scottish songwriter, storyteller and guitarist, Colin Grant-Adams. Both weekend package and individual tickets available. Click here to visit their Web site.

LaZoom's "Let Your Love Roll" Ride
February 10-14, 2012: The absolute finest way to tell your sweety that Money CAN Buy You Love! A Valentines ride on the purple bus for couples with games, performance, special guests, and LaZoom's special brand of heart warming mayhem, breaking at a super special secret location with a romantic live band just for YOU and your LOVE! Read more about LaZoom City Tours.

Valentine's Gala
February 11, 2012: Dance away the night with your sweetie with music by America's Number One Show Band, The Voltage Brothers, in the Grove Park Inn Grand Ballroom. 8 PM until. Cocktail to formal attire suggested. $45/person. Click here to visit their Web site.

Arts & Crafts Conference at Grove Park Inn
February 17-19, 2012: Arts and Crafts enthusiasts, including new collectors, veterans, curators, craftspersons, authors, builders, architects, designers, editors, and bungalow owners gather for workshops, tours, crafts show and more. See our Arts & Crafts Conference Guide.

Asheville Bluegrass First Class Festival
February 17-19, 2012: This annual festival features plenty of bluegrass music and jamming. See our Asheville Bluegrass First Class Festival Guide.

Books and Boots at the NC Arboretum
February 18-19, 2012: A fun two-day event, encouraging indoor and outdoor winter activities, and special presentations by selected authors. Read more about it!

Mardi Gras Parade
February 19, 2012: Asheville's Mardi Gras Parade is presented by the Mystic Mountain Krewe, an all-volunteer community based organization made up of New Orleans ex-pats, and aficionados of that culture! Read all about the Mardi Gras Celebration!

Asheville Small Plate Crawl
February 21-23, 2012: Sample the best of Asheville's culinary scene with special Small Plate Menus, priced from $3 to $8, at many locally-owned restuarants. Read all about the Asheville Restaurant Small Plate Crawl.

National Truffle Fest
February 23-25, 2012: Enjoy culinary seminars, tours, and tastings and culminates with the Chef and Vintner's Gala. See our National Truffle Fest Guide.

Black Mountain Marathon & Mt. Mitchell Challenge
February 25, 2012: (Registration for 2012 is full - try it in 2013!) The event for the elite athlete or weekend warrior! Begin at dawn in Black Mountain and run up the mountains. With a starting altitude of 2,360', the elevation gain for this 40-mile run is 4,324 feet on a demanding course run over rugged mountain terrain under potentially life-threatening winter weather conditions to reach the Mt. Mitchell 6,684' summit. For more, go to their Web site.

“Spring for Free” Guided Hikes at Chimney Rock Park
Saturdays, March 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31; 1-2 PM: Take a guided hike to one of the tallest waterfalls east of the Mississippi, Hickory Nut Falls. Along the way, see how spring’s approach is changing the Park’s diverse scenery. Meet trail guide for the hike in front of Cliff Dwellers Gifts at 1pm. No additional cost with paid Park admission.

Comedy Classic Weekend at Grove Park Inn
March 9-11, 2012: Two days and nights of laughter, hosted by actor, comedian, writer and all-around funnyman Jeff Jena. Friday night kicks off with comedians Andrew Kennedy, Rachel Feinstein, Mike Armstrong, Mike Green and Ralph Harris. Saturday night, the laughs keep on coming with one of the country's funniest performers, Kathleen Madigan, joined by funnymen Ryan Hamilton and JR Brow. Both weekend package and individual tickets available. Click here to visit their Web site.

Orchid Show and Sale
March 31-April 1, 2012: This popular show at the NC Arboretum features hundreds of orchids, education classes, plant and supply vendors. See our Orchid Show Guide.

Looking Ahead: Top Spring Events | Top Summer Events | Top Fall Events

See beautiful ice formations at Looking Glass Falls

Official romantic getaway vacation guide to Asheville, Blue Ridge Parkway and the North Carolina Mountains