Your Asheville, NC tea (or craft beer) for restaurant reviews, local events, itineraries, and things to do. Map out nearby day trips and overnight getaways because Tom and I will most definitely drive 2 hours for a cascading waterfall, a cheesy-fun gimmick, an alpaca farm, a mushroom hike, a picnic with cows on a mountain bald, and a delicious burger by the river. Give me all the bookstores, wineries, and Blue Ridge Mountain wanderlust. ๐ Christine, your indie AVL travel writer since 2019.
๐๏ธ Couches, Cockpits, and Coffee โ๏ธ
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Good Morning Reader, In a world of growing AI slopโthat apparently might โ ๏ธ us all in a decade, like the clown below at the Asheville Mallโplease take a few seconds to add Uncorked Asheville as a Preferred Google Source by clicking here. It's a quick checkbox. This tells Google that Uncorked Asheville is a reliable, quality publication, improving and tailoring your search results, too. ๐ The Latest: Avocado Toast Ornaments & Oktoberfest BrewsTom and I spent much of the past week at Biltmore Estate with Tom's parents, who were staying at the Village Hotel. Look at that BBQ pork sandwich from Stable Cafe. I also could not resist their holiday ornament sale at Biltmore Winery. โจ Remember to mark your calendars for next year: from the end of August into early September, Biltmore heavily discounts their souvenirs, previous year's ornaments, and more across property shops. ๐ ๐ป Notably, the local grocery stores, like Harris Teeter, are also rolling out the Asheville breweries' fall craft beer. I love it. Right now, the fridge is stocked with Oktoberfests from both Highland Brewing and Wicked Weed. Hi-Wire makes one of my favorites, too. โ๏ธ How My Pilot Wanted To Celebrate His Birthday: Our Hickory, NC GetawayCouches, cockpits, and coffee: that pretty much sums up our fantastic overnight in Hickory, NCโand our brand-new day trip itinerary on Uncorked Asheville. Whether you are visiting with the entire family or planning a romantic getaway, Hickory is a small oasis of bookstores, cozy coffee shops, boutique stores, a famous furniture store, a beautiful riverwalk, and a stunning new aviation museum (relocated and completely renovated). Hickory is about a 1-hour, 20-minute drive from Asheville. See what we loved below, and watch our latest YouTube Short for a video summary.
๐ฆ Now Is A Great Time To Visit Banner Elk, NCIf you crave places like Hickory, we also can't recommend Banner Elk enough. Sure, everyone heads to charming Gilmore Girl town Blowing Rock. And don't get me wrong, we like Blowing Rock (and Boone), too. However, Blowing Rock gets busy with a bit pushier crowd in the fall. And pushing triggered me well before the perimenopausal rage. Banner Elk boasts gorgeous fall foliage, lower prices, and easy access to the High Country, with wineries, hiking trails, and nearby mountain towns. Did I mention the alpaca farm and book exchange?
๐ In The Foodie WorldIn honor of Tom's sausage and peppers sandwich from Zella's, we've recently updated our "best lunch in Asheville guide." Watch Tom model his lunchie eats in this Instagram reel. If you don't have Instagram, see 8 delicious lunch spots on YouTube. ๐ฅข With multiple changes (and a little confusion) for Suwana's and HieThai Thai Sushi & Vegan, we also updated our "favorite restaurants for Thai food" roundup. ๐ Mark Your Calendars: Mid-September 2026 Events in Asheville
๐ ICYMI: All Asheville Fall GuidesStill planning your fall in Western North Carolina? Start here: ๐ For Our Uncorked ReadersThis section contains affiliate links that earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I happened to be at the twilight-zoney Asheville Mall on release day and picked up a copy of Alice Hoffman's latest, The Witches of Cambridge, which I hope is as excellent as it sounds. I cannot wait to watch Practical Magic 2. Can I just say that we are loving the new Ted Lasso season, too? Since Tom and I recently visited Salem, MA, I also updated both The Uncorked Librarian's Salem Witch Trials reading list and Books Set Massachusetts. Like Uncorked Asheville, you can also make The Uncorked Librarian a Preferred Google Source here. I'd really appreciate it! See more of our latest Massachusetts trip on Instagram, including our Salem itinerary and a day in Sandwich, MA guide (blown glass museum & gorgeous gardens with the antique car museum, included). ๐ฅ As mentioned in our last newsletter, The Uncorked Librarian also has a new YouTube channel with literary and boozy travel. Lastly, if you are looking for new books to read, two that I recommend right now include: ๐ The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff - (Check the TWs) - This might just be one of my favorite books of the year. It's devastatingly beautiful and incredibly intense. This contemporary family saga follows the Russo and Torres families through a house fire, childhood abandonment, and Alzheimer's disease (these are not plot spoilers), with themes of generational trauma and perspective. Have the tissue box ready. โ ๐ As Always, Say Thanks With A TipAs always, if you loved an article, piece of advice, or an email reply, say thanks with a tip. Thank you so much to those who do tipโand generously. Every gifted dollar keeps our guides updated and this newsletter going strong.
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Uncorked Asheville
Your Asheville, NC tea (or craft beer) for restaurant reviews, local events, itineraries, and things to do. Map out nearby day trips and overnight getaways because Tom and I will most definitely drive 2 hours for a cascading waterfall, a cheesy-fun gimmick, an alpaca farm, a mushroom hike, a picnic with cows on a mountain bald, and a delicious burger by the river. Give me all the bookstores, wineries, and Blue Ridge Mountain wanderlust. ๐ Christine, your indie AVL travel writer since 2019.