Gardens, Girlfriends & Great Books in Asheville, North Carolina

Wednesday, September 24
Pack your favorite autumn pashminas and fly east, intrepid Sirens, touching down in the sweetly-scented mountain aerie of Asheville, North Carolina. (Delta has one non-stop and several flights that go through Atlanta.)

When you arrive, motor from the airport to our hotel, settle in and relax. We’ll gather for a cocktail and a gift exchange of a favorite book. Due to different arrival times, dinner will be yours to choose.

Lodging: TBD.

Meals: Cocktail. Book Exchange.

Thursday, September 25
Our adventure together launches out of the gate with some exceptional food. We’ll savor a brunch of incomparable finger-lickin’, mouthwatering hot chicken, buttery biscuits, mashed potato cakes and light-as-air waffles! The Mimosas (and they are epic!) are on you but please indulge. Lyft & Uber are doing the driving.

Sated and energized, we are entering a world of lush, spectacular color, timeless elegance and Gilded Age wealth. Raised in the shadow of the Blue Mountains, and sprawling over land that was purchased (for approx $37 an acre)  from an African-american community of farmers, the Biltmore Estate was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt. The gardens were created by Frederick Law Olmstead, the same landscaper who designed Central Park in New York City.

We’ll roam the hills and dales of Biltmore and then gather for a late afternoon wine tasting at the historic winery. If we can find a quiet corner, let’s sip wine and dive into a discussion of our first book.

With our palates piqued by the fruits of Biltmore’s vineyards, we are headed for mouthwatering small plates and generous pours at the James Beard-award winning Curate.  

Linger over charcuterie, ensaladas and perhaps a sorbet to complete the meal. And then it’s back to sweet dreams and the anticipation of another sparkling day to come.

Meals: Brunch, Wine-tasting, Book Discussion, Dinner.

Friday, September 26
Rise & shine, sweet Sirens, and don your walking shoes because, after breakfast, we are headed to the North Carolina Arboretum! This is another glorious garden designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and we are going to soak up the fresh air, roam the grounds and then for the quilters in our group, we’ll stretch out on the grass at or near the famous Quilt Garden, partake of our picnic lunches and discuss a book from our list.

Then, in the late afternoon, let’s head for Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar.  Choose from the literarily-themed cocktails: The Secret Garden, The Great Gatsby, and The Age of Innocence, munch from the delectable small plates, and disappear into the stacks. If you are still feeling peckish, choose from many of Asheville’s fine Southern cooking establishments for dinner on your own.

Meals: Breakfast, Picnic (Box) Lunch & Book Discussion, Small plates.

Saturday, September 27
Girlfriends, the peaks are calling!  Push the caffeine and the carbs this (early) morning because we are headed for waterfalls, forest trails and a spiritual experience in the mountains.

The rest is……a wonderful surprise and it will blow your mind!

When we’ve returned, the afternoon is yours to sightsee, shop, nibble and relax.

Then, NPR calls Asheville “the Napa Valley of Beer” and we’re going to find out why. We are headed out to Asheville Brewing Company, established twenty years ago, for convivial conversation over pizza and craft brews.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Sunday, September 28
Breakfast will be deliciously bittersweet as we compare notes over our favorite moments and prepare to depart the wonders and charms of Asheville.