New Year's Events in Asheville NC

Come celebrate the arrival of the New Year 2016 in Asheville and the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina. There are events and parties of all varieties. Plus, find things to do all weekend to start the new year, including outdoors fun like hikes and waterfalls. See our full list of events and attractions on RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide.

Christmas inside Biltmore House

Banquet Hall inside Biltmore House

Christmas inside the Biltmore House in Asheville is as grand as ever. See photos of the Biltmore Christmas 2015 decorations. See dozens of trees, 1,000 poinsettias and miles of garlands that create the magical experience. Biltmore Estate is open every day and admission includes the castle tour, gardens, and winery. And don't miss the candlelight tours. See current Biltmore ticket specials and event details. The new Village Hotel in Antler Hill Village will open December 1.

Asheville Fall Color Reports 2015

Drove 150 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway today to check out the fall colors. Watch this video for our report on FOX8 News (Greensboro NC) and see more pics from this week in Asheville and along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the mountains of western North Carolina: http://www.romanticasheville.com/fall-color-report

DuPont State Forest Waterfalls Oct 2015

See High Falls and Triple Falls yesterday at DuPont State Forest after the rain. It's an easy 2-mile hike to see both of these waterfalls near Asheville and Brevard. Read more about things to do at DuPont Forest including biking, hiking, waterfalls and picnics: http://www.romanticasheville.com/dupont.htm

RomanticAsheville.com Fall Color Report September 30, 2015

See our latest fall color report for Asheville and the North Carolina mountains from our trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway today. For more info, go to http://www.romanticasheville.com/fall.htm.

Roy's Folks: Mark File Chases Fall Colors

Check out this fun news story about Mark File, owner of www.RomanticAsheville.com, chasing fall color in the North Carolina mountains. Roy's Folks is a longtime favorite series on FOX8 News in High Point, NC, by Roy Ackland and David Weatherly.

NC Mountain Fall Color Updates

We are posting fall color reports and photos to keep you updated on the autumn hues in the North Carolina mountains near Asheville. When will peak color be? The fall leaves are turning about a week early in many locations. Peak color in the highest elevations is still expected in early October, progressing into the lowest valleys by late October. See the reports at www.romanticasheville.com/fall-color-report. 

Fall Color Report for Asheville 2015

Watch my fall color report on FOX8 news this morning in High Point NC. Color has started a little early this year. See my full fall foliage forecast, tips and events for Asheville and the North Carolina mountains at www.romanticasheville.com/fall.htm.

Afternoon Tea with Llamas

Looking for interesting company for tea and scones? Head to Cradle ofForestry in America for Afternoon Tea with Llamas on Saturday, September 12, 2015, at 11 AM and 2 PM. The llamas will carry your lunches or snacks on this easy walk along the Forest Discovery Trail at the Cradle of Forestry. Ice tea and cups will be provided.

The programs will be led by George Appenzeller and Sarah Meadows, founders of Challenge Adventures, a nonprofit organization experienced in leading hiking and camping adventure programs for youth groups. Since 1989, they have involved over 4,000 young people in educational experiences in the outdoors with llamas. Before each walk, they will explain traits that make llamas good pack animals, and also good trail companions. Visitors will hear about the llamas' cooperative social structure that presents humans with an example of teamwork and caring.

As the group walks the Forest Discovery Trail, children can take turns leading the llamas. The group will stop and picnic along the trail. This moderate walk through scenic woods and by the 1914 Climax logging locomotive is about 2 miles roundtrip.

Admission to the Cradle of Forestry is $5 for adults. Youth 15 and younger are admitted free. Golden Age passports and America the Beautiful passes are honored. In addition to the llama program, this fee includes the Forest Discovery Center with 15 hands-on exhibits, two films, historic cabins and antique equipment on two paved trails, the Adventure Zone, and living history interpreters.

The Cradle of Forestry is located on Hwy. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest near Asheville in the North Carolina mountains, four miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

LEAF Downtown Asheville Festival

Watch the fun from LEAF Downtown Asheville festival with plenty of music, art, food and dancing! See more upcoming festivals at http://www.romanticasheville.com/summer_festivals.htm.

Secret Falls, Highlands NC

Check out Secret Falls near Highlands, North Carolina. It's an easy hike in the Nantahala National Forest to this beautiful swimming hole. For driving directions and hike details, go to http://www.romanticasheville.com/secret-falls.htm.

Skinny Dip Falls, Blue Ridge Parkway

Watch the fun at one of the most idyllic swimming holes in the North Carolina mountains. Skinny Dip Falls is a short hike from the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Looking Glass Rock. See more info at http://www.romanticasheville.com/skinny_dip_falls.htm.

Sliding Rock, North Carolina

Watch the fun at Sliding Rock yesterday. This very popular natural slide in Pisgah National Forest near Brevard and Asheville has been a favorite summer swimming hole for generations. Saturdays in July are always the busiest days of the year, so it's best to arrive before 11 AM to get a parking spot. Often on July Saturday afternoons, they have to close the gates after the parking lot is beyond capacity. Lifeguards are on duty for another month and changing rooms will stay open through Labor Day weekend. Get more updates and tips for visiting Sliding Rock at www.romanticasheville.com/sliding_rock_north_carolina.htm

Asheville Hotels Recycle Soaps & Shampoo

Discarded soap and bottled amenities left behind by guests at the DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville-Biltmore and Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park now have a second life thanks to a recycling program from Clean the World that helps fight the spread of preventable diseases.

Used soap and plastic amenity bottles from both hotels’ 362 rooms are shipped to a Clean the World Recycling Operations Center, where they are sanitized and repurposed. Clean the World’s simple mission is to recycle hotel soap and save lives. The organization has partnered with more than 4,000 hotels and resorts to put life-saving hygiene products in the hands of those who need them most.

About 2 million children under the age of 5 die every year due to hygiene-related illnesses. Hand washing with soap is a low-cost intervention that can reduce those deaths by almost 50 percent. Since 2009, Clean the World has distributed more than 25 million bars of soap in 99 countries.

"Sustainability is a major focus for hotels," said Shawn Seipler, CEO and co-founder of Clean the World. "We estimate the North American lodging industry throws away more than a million bars of soap each day. By recycling soap and bottled amenities, Biltmore Farms Hotels is having a positive effect from both an environmental and humanitarian perspective."

The Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park in one of the greenest built hotels in the area, awarded LEED Sliver Certification by the United States Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute.

Read more about these and other Asheville NC Hotels.

Bryson City, Great Smoky Mountains

Bryson City is our favorite small town in the North Carolina mountains. Located adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, outdoors things to do are limitless - including whitewater rafting, tubing, hiking, horseback riding, zip lines, scenic drives and more. Plus, it's home to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad with daily train excursions. See more at www.romanticasheville.com/bryson_city.htm.

40 Waterfalls in North Carolina

Watch our playlist of 40 great waterfalls to visit in the mountains of North Carolina near Asheville. All are easy to find and free to visit. Most are in Pisgah National Forest and Nantahala National Forest. See guides and photos to these at www.romanticasheville.com/waterfalls.htm.

FOX8 Feature on RomanticAsheville.com: Frozen Waterfalls

Get a behind-the-scenes look at RomanticAsheville.com with this story from FOX8 News in Greensboro about Mark photographing frozen waterfalls in the North Carolina mountains. See more winter waterfall scenes at www.romanticasheville.com/winter_waterfalls.htm.

Four Frozen Waterfalls in Snow near Asheville NC

See four frozen waterfalls in Pisgah National Forest in the North Carolina Mountains near Asheville. Visit Looking Glass Falls, Sliding Rock, Slick Rock Falls and Daniel Ridge Falls. All of these waterfalls are located near each other so you can visit all in one day, any time of year. For more info on these and 60 other falls, go to www.romanticasheville.com/waterfalls.htm.

Sliding Rock, NC, Frozen in Snow and Ice

See a frozen Sliding Rock waterfall in the North Carolina mountains near Asheville. Located in Pisgah National Forest, Sliding Rock is a popular swimming hole. Lifeguards are on duty starting on Memorial Day Weekend. See more details to plan a visit in warmer weather at http://www.romanticasheville.com/sliding_rock_north_carolina.htm.

Cullasaja Falls Ice Formations

See the beautiful ice creations at Cullasaja Falls in the North Carolina mountains between the towns of Highlands and Franklin on the Waterfall Byway. A benefit of the cold winter temperatures. For photos and details on how to find this waterfall, go to www.romanticasheville.com/cullasaja_falls.htm.

Looking Glass Falls in Snow, North Carolina mountains

See Looking Glass Falls in Pisgah National Forest in the snow. A truly magical setting in the mountains of North Carolina near Asheville. Read more about this popular waterfall at http://www.romanticasheville.com/looking_glass_falls.htm

Asheville Mardi Gras Parade

Watch some highlights from today's very entertaining Mardi Gras Parade in downtown Asheville. The costumes were amazing. What a creative town! See pics and more info at http://www.romanticasheville.com/mardi_gras_parade.htm .

Moore Cove Falls, North Carolina

We took this short video on a recent visit to Moore Cove Falls in Pisgah National Forest near Asheville. A fairly easy 3/4-mile hike takes you to this beautiful setting where you can walk behind the waterfall. It's near Looking Glass Falls and many other cascades, so you can see many in one day. It's along the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway, so it's one of our favorite drives too. For info on this and 60 other waterfalls to visit in the North Carolina mountains, go to www.romanticasheville.com/waterfalls.htm.

Dressing Downton Abbey Costumes in Biltmore House

Take a video tour of the new "Dressing Downton" exhibit with 45 costumes from the popular PBS series Downton Abbey. See the costumes throughout the elegant rooms of Biltmore House and imagine the life of the Vanderbilts. The exhibit runs February 5-May 25, 2015 and it's included in the regular estate admission fee. Or take a new guided behind-the-scenes tour. For photos, tips on visiting and the latest Biltmore Estate ticket offers and specials, go to http://www.romanticasheville.com/biltmore_downton_abbey.htm.