Many of the food spots above are sort of near Carrier Park, which is a wonderful spot in West Asheville right on the French Broad river. Carrier Park has a nice running path, open green space, and if you're feeling adventurous it's also a fine place to drop a tube in the river—or you can cast off further upstream at Hominy Creek River Park. If you’re looking for a climbing gym, you’ll find Climbax near Carrier as well.

The River Arts District is generally a great place to do a studio crawl and pick up some cool weird art or ceramic pieces. (If you're into fancy pottery, or even just mugs, check out East Fork too—they have a downtown spot where they sometimes sell cheaper seconds.) You’ll also find Foundy Street in RAD—it’s a nice big mural park that has recently opened a ton of little restaurants and shops. They also opened the Grail Moviehouse, which is reminiscent of a (tiny) Alamo Drafthouse.

Want to walk in the footsteps of our nation’s Presidents? Plan a visit to the historic Grove Park Inn, home of the the National Gingerbread House Competition and vacation fav of Obama, Taft, and Roosevelt to name a few. It’s an expensive hotel, but you don’t have to be staying on-site to visit or avail yourself of their amenities—the view from the patio is incredible, you can get a coffee or a beer and just hang out. (I’ve seriously considered using the rocking chairs in their epic lobby for coworking.) You could also hit their spa, even without booking a night, but be aware that it tends to book up.

Many folks also enjoy a visit to the Biltmore, which is a historic mansion that was landscaped by Olmsted—that’s the same dude who did Central Park. Its grounds are pretty epic. The nearby Biltmore Village is rather touristy, but check it out if you want to see a very unconventional McDonald’s with a baby grand player piano inside.