Trip Motivation
In February 2021, we wanted to take a short outdoors weekend getaway. We decided to take the group to nearby Asheville for hikes, outdoor beer gardens and playing in snow.
Later in May, a friend asked if we wanted a birthday weekend trip and we are always up for a trip! There were dog-friendly patios and hikes. A fun quick trip!
To read more about what our favorite things to do in Asheville, see here
3 hour road trip Nashville to Louisville
This trip was about 4 hours and 30 minutes each way with 30 minutes added for stops. We stopped at Pilot and Loves stops as we usually do. Another good stop I would suggest is Knoxville (which is about halfway). On the way back, we stopped in Canton, NC (about 40 minutes west) for lunch before our long rainy drive. Some favorite kids activities for cars I suggest: White boards, sticker books, craft pile, easy readers, snacks, snacks and more snacks. See more road trip tips here
AirBnb vs Hotel
We visited Asheville twice in early 2021. In early February, we used a healthcare discount price to stay at the Hyatt Place Asheville for $139/night. The points cost made the cash price preferred. They have a beautiful patio, nice rooms, and an indoor heated pool. Note that this hotel is no longer a Hyatt Place and is now a Hilton DoubleTree
For our May stay with friends, we booked a cute AirBnB in the Arden area. It had a big backyard space and three bedrooms. While we usually prefer hotels much closer to downtown, its always nice to do a house stay with friends.
From the house, we were about 20 minutes away from the south slope area and 30-45 minutes away from hikes. Many of the hikes around Asheville are 30-45 minutes out in various directions, so I would recommend researching what/where to do first and then finding an AirBnb near.
Activities in Asheville
To read more about what we did in Asheville, see here.