Visitors have long been drawn to Asheville for its natural beauty and creative spirit, but now its creative culinary scene and amazing resorts lure even more travelers. We partnered with Ford to bring you this one-of-a-kind expedition.
Nestled between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, about a two-hour drive from Charlotte, Asheville is home to nearly 85,000 people, many of whom arrived over the last two decades. While the city still has its famed mountain views, it now also has pilgrimage-worthy restaurants, arts festivals, and more. Take a drive in your Ford Expedition along the Blue Ridge Parkway and marvel at the scenery—with the Expedition’s power reclining seats and available panoramic vista roof®, you won’t miss a thing.
Western North Carolina’s long history of agriculture deserves some of the credit for Asheville’s stellar restaurant scene, but credit should also be given to talented chefs like John Fleer of Rhubarb.
Fleer helped put Foothills cuisine on the map, and continues to celebrate regional ingredients and recipes at Rhubarb and its casual sister spot, The Rhu.
If you want to visit the legendary Biltmore Estate, book ahead. Tickets sell out at peak months and on weekends.
Even in warm months, bring a light jacket. The temperatures in this mountain town can get chilly year-round.
Check the lineups at The Orange Peel and Grey Eagle—both iconic music venues that draw top musicians.
After lunch, check in at the Tudor-inspired Grand Bohemian Hotel just outside the entrance to the Biltmore Estate, a short drive from downtown. Classic hotels like the Biltmore and Grand Bohemian channel an earlier era of the South.
Head back downtown for dinner at Cúrate, where chef Katie Button prepares classic tapas dishes and spreads. Try the morcilla casera, featuring house-made blood sausage, or the migas con verduras that mixes roasted Brussels sprouts with fried breadcrumbs. Want to really feel like you’re in Spain? Order the traditional rice paella.
While you’re on a tasting tour of the authentic small plates menu, be sure to take in the scenery. The restaurant is in a building that was built in 1927 as Asheville’s main bus depot. Renovations made in 2011 by local artists preserve the original energy of the space. And the central location in the heart of Asheville is as convenient as you can get.
Be prepared for any weather or road condition, thanks to the entirely new 2018 Expedition’s Terrain Management SystemTM with up to seven preset modes1. The customizable feature allows you to select from up to seven preset modes to optimize driving dynamics for conditions such as "wet", "gravel" or "snow".
Start your second day at OWL (Old World Levain) Bakery in West Asheville, a 10-minute drive from the Grand Bohemian, where you can indulge in fabulous pastries and delicacies like thick-sliced porridge bread with brown butter, honey, and smoked sea salt.
7 SW Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801
10 S Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
1860 Charlotte Hwy, Fairview, NC 28730
57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview, NC 28730
11 Boston Way, Asheville, NC 28803
13 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
295 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
1438 Patton Ave, West Asheville, NC 28806
15 W Walnut St, Asheville, NC 28801
31 N Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
10 S Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801
1 Page Ave #101, Asheville, NC 28801
