Innkeepers of the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association have assembled a list of best romantic places. You’ll fall in love with their outdoor hikes, strolls, food stops and more.
Love With a Victorian Accent
At the Beaufort House Inn, there’s a “kissing nook” on the landing of the winding, wooden staircase, original to the 1894 home where Charlton Heston lived for a short time. Sweet spots abound at this Victorian bed and breakfast with a front porch gazebo that’s perfect for couples or a crowd. Once guests force themselves to leave the house, innkeepers Christina and John Muth recommend a romantic stroll on the front lawn of the Biltmore House & Gardens. (Tip: The new “Fashionable Romance” exhibition featuring wedding gowns in film and Vanderbilt wedding heirlooms opens at American’s largest privately owned home opens Feb. 12 through July 4, 2016.) Wrap up your day with a toast to your beloved at the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar. Christina enjoys suggesting this used bookstore and wine bar with its “glowing atmosphere with intimate seating corners” to guests. Cheers!
Dinner, Anyone?
Crooked Oak Mountain Inn is nestled on a mountaintop, wrapped in trees and rhododendrons with a fire pit for storytelling, guitar playing and more. Innkeepers Michael (most people call him Bear) and Patti are former caterers, so they know their way around the dinner table…and Asheville restaurants, too. Their top romantic recommendation is Zambra. Travel + Leisure describes Zambra as a “colorful, secret world…designed by a local artist, the low-lit retreat is accented with Moorish arches, wooden columns, and booths lined with throw pillows.” The restaurant serves an eclectic tapas menu with Spanish, Portuguese and North African accents and local North Carolina ingredients–and you’ll likely encounter a belly dancer, too!
Hankering for a lovely view of the Asheville skyline? Patti and Bear recommend the Sky Bar at Asheville’s historic Flatiron Building for a drink or coffee. It’s especially lovely (and also a little busier) around sunset.
A Place to Stroll
Emily and Bill, innkeepers at A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast, worked together in the medical profession as a medical illustrator and photographer in Boston before focusing their artistic passions on working together at the inn. They recommend wandering the sculpture garden at The Grovewood Gallery, off the beaten track on the grounds of The Omni Grove Park Inn.
Emily says you can find a lovely bench or intriguing sculpture hidden away here…and enjoy a few intimate moments.
Heart Pounding Hikes and Drum Circles
If the weather is good, Susan and James from Carolina Bed and Breakfast encourage guests to grab a picnic from the nearby Greenlife Grocery and take the five-mile hike to the top of John Rock in the Pisgah National Forest. To raise your heart rate closer to their inn, they recommend the Asheville Drum Circle at Pritchard Park, a free community event occurring every Friday evening. (The drum circles move indoors during the winter). They send guests to cap off the evening with one of the unique desserts at James Beard-nominated Katie Button’s second restaurant, Nightbell Restaurant & Lounge. Finally, Susan says the swing on the front porch of their 1901 American Craftsman-style home is a favorite place for an evening kiss, too.
Heat Things Up in Hot Springs
More than one inn recommended taking a picnic and hiking the Lover’s Leap trail in Hot Springs, NC, about 45 minutes away from Asheville. The Appalachian Trail goes right through the center of this quaint mountain town. Take the 1.6-mile loop from downtown to Lover’s Leap. This hike will get you breathing hard and take about an hour and a half if you’re in fair shape. After the hike, innkeepers Gary and Cindy from North Lodge on Oakland Bed and Breakfast recommend the Hot Springs Resort and Spa. The resort’s written history dates back to 1778 when white settlers discovered the springs—and artifacts used by Cherokee Indians who used the springs for their curative powers. Relax here with a couple’s massage followed by sparkling wine and a private mineral bath. Arturo and Emilie at Chestnut Street Inn will pack a bath mat, towels and even a rubber duckie for guests heading to Hot Springs, and they’ll book their favorite tub for you, in advance.
See more about Ashevile’s best romantic places HERE.
Whatever the occasion, the 16 inns of the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association offer the ultimate insider experience as seasoned guides to the Asheville area. Book some romance into the year ahead at http://ashevillebba.com/ or call 828-250-0200 for more consumer information.
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