Frommer's: Asheville Top 15 Places to Go in 2015

It's no surprise to us, but Asheville got a major endorsement from a biggie in travel advice. It made the Frommer's Top 15 Best Places to Go in the world list for 2015 (along with places like Belize, Tanzania, Austria, Belgium and Argentina!).
Here's what Frommer's says: "Everyone's talking about Asheville. Is it the gentle Great Smoky mountains and their National Park nearby, beckoning hikers and nature photographers? Is it the crunchy bohemian culture, the burgeoning community of artists? It might be the walkable historic downtown full of style-within...-reach boutiques, evolved Southern cooking, and Malaprop's, one of America's great independent bookstores. Whatever the reasons, Asheville's national profile has risen to qualify it as the Austin of the East—accessible, youth-friendly, affordable, and the place to go for a sweet lifestyle.
In late 2015, the $175 million, employee-owned New Belgium brewery turns the formerly forbidding French Broad River district into cyclable parkland for beer lovers, and as the company actively stimulates the growth of farmers' markets and the local River Arts District, it's helping push Asheville over the line from a pleasant mountain burg to a Great American Town where it's a pleasure to hang out for a while. Soon, the Brewery will join nearby Biltmore Estate (nearly 1 million visitors a year) in attracting vacationers with tours. And the facility isn't alone; Asheville now supports more breweries per capita than anywhere else in America. It's even rising as a center of American arts. The first Hunger Games movie was filmed nearby, the Brevard Music Festival gathers more steam each summer, and Edie Brickell and Steve Martin just wrote a new bluegrass musical set in the city; Martin has a home in the area."
We are busy making updates for 2015. Take a look: www.RomanticAsheville.com.

Aluminum Tree Museum Opens in Brevard

Take a tour of the Aluminum Christmas Tree Museum in downtown Brevard with founder Stephen Jackson. See two dozen vintage trees, individually themed. Read more at http://www.romanticasheville.com/aluminum_tree_museum.htm.

New! Winter Lights at North Carolina Arboretum

New in Asheville for this holiday season is Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum. It opened November 22 and runs through January 4, 2015. Visitors walk through a botanical Christmas wonderland with thousands of lights in the gardens.

The Arboretum worked with Jerry Stripling, former designer and manager of holiday decorations for Walt Disney World®, to create a very magical experience. This new light show definitely enhances the natural beauty of the gardens and landscape. Also enjoy local art for sale in the gift shops, music by a DJ in the Courtyard, and fire pits to create your own s'mores. The Savory Thyme Café offers food and beverages, including a hot chocolate and coffee bar.

The light show is open every night, 6-10 PM. Advance tickets are required. Prices are

• Individual (12 years or older) $18
• Children (ages 5 to 11) $16
• Children age 4 & under FREE

The North Carolina Arboretum is in south Asheville. From I-26, take Exit 33 and follow NC 191 South for two miles to the entrance on right.

For more info: http://www.romanticasheville.com/arboretum_lights.htm