Looking for Brevard/Asheville/Highlands NC recs? Dropping our daughter off at camp and then looking to find somewhere cute for lunch or coffee/great bookstore/pretty walks?

Question

Cosmo · Answer

Bagatelle Books: West Asheville, NC

stinao · Answer

all day darling: The cutest walkable spot in Montford! Love their breakfast and croissants.

Cathy · Answer

Highland Books - Brevard, NC: Great local bookseller in Brevard! Lots of cute galleries and shops in the town - but this place was my favorite!

Hannah M. Wilde · Answer

botiwalla avl: This is a must-stop for us whenever we go. Get the okra!!! And literally anything else on the menu

Hannah M. Wilde · Answer

cooperative coffee roasters: The best coffee!! We always buy a bag to bring home and a bag for friends. Plus their coffee shop has a great outdoor space

Hannah M. Wilde · Answer

okie dokie swannanoa: The best bbq!! Okie dokie catered our wedding and everybody raved! Extra bonus - you’ll support a local business coming back after Helene

Lulu Graham · Answer

Dolly’s Ice Cream: A WNC camp staple. Your daughter will without a doubt write a letter home telling you about Dolly’s. They have flavors named after all the camps in the area. A staple!

Lulu Graham · Answer

Smoke On BBQ: Incredible BBQ and it’s a drive through!

Lulu Graham · Answer

Morning Social: Wonderful breakfast and across from the antique shop!

Bookalli · Answer

Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe: Wonderful independent bookstore I have been wandering their aisles since the 1980s…have a coffee or lunch in the cafe while you are there!

Soph · Answer

Blue Ridge Parkway Asheville: Drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway (from Asheville) until the mountains disappear into the mist. My family always picks up a pizza to-go, finds a scenic pull-off, eats dinner overlooking the ridges, then wanders one of the nearby trails around sunset or twilight. It’s one of my favorite memories.

Keep an eye out for bears—they’re usually far more scared of you than you are of them.

Cole Radcliff · Answer

Zillicoah Beer: Great brewery on the river with nice seating to hang out with a book by the water. I haven’t been since they reopened post-Helene but understand they’re back up to their full operation

Cole Radcliff · Answer

Leo’s House of Thirst: Great wine menu, lots of outdoor seating for warm days, and a really good menu

Cole Radcliff · Answer

Rowan Coffee (Downtown or Haywood Rd): One of my favorite spots in town! Incredible coffee and solid food + wine options at their Haywood Rd location.

Whit · Answer

highlands is magical and lovely and you may want to move there after you walk down mainstreet and visit Dry Falls. Annawear and Wild Thyme are always a stop for me!: highlands is magical and lovely and you may want to move there after you walk down mainstreet and visit Dry Falls. Annawear and Wild Thyme are always a stop for me!

Emily · Answer

North Carolina Arboretum: Gardens, hikes, and a nice place to get away from the tourist-y downtown.

Emily · Answer

White Duck Taco Shop Locations & Hours: I dream about White Duck! They have some wild taco combos.

Emily · Answer

Battery Park Book Exchange: I’ve found some really great vintage books here (and enjoyed a glass of champagne!)

Sara Quinn · Answer

Downtown Books and News: I really love this bookstore and prefer it to malaprops, I always find something really interesting

Sarah Lips · Answer

The Yard Brevard: Cute airstream vending coffee and treats. Lots of outdoor seating.

We have a family tradition of a stop at OP Taylor’s for a toy after camp pick-up and a banana split at Rocky’s Soda Shop to ease the post-camp blues, big rec for both!!

even*cleveland · Answer

Hole Donuts: Asheville, North Caroline: I have had donuts near and far but some of the very, very best are made at Hole. Always served fresh and hot; could've eaten this whole box myself.

Sarah Bohl · Answer

highlands, north carolina: Highlands is one of my favorite places in the country! Here’s the thing: you don’t need specific recommendations for Highlands, because everything is wonderful! It’s best discovered by simply walking through the town, which consists of about four square blocks. I will say, try to Highland Hiker which is a little bit out of the way, and have lunch at the grocery store.

Olive · Answer

izzys coffee in Asheville!

sarah a · Answer

SMASH NC: I live in East Asheville and don’t spend a ton of time in bit Brevard but the downtown area is super cute with great shops and a really cool toy store, Opie Taylor. Great hikes at Dupont State Forest. Looking Glass Falls & Sliding Rock are also really popular.

I have a WNC rec board if you want to check out other things around Avl.

Lumos Yoga & Barre · Answer

Mr. K's Used Books

Lumos Yoga & Barre · Answer

The Language of Place (Kate Stamps): Mother is fantastic

Lumos Yoga & Barre · Answer

Old World Levain | OWL Bakery: OWL bakery for coffee and pastries

Megan Liles · Answer

Sliding rock: The actual opposite of what you asked for but if you haven’t been, you have to go. Charm 1,000!