Used to be a nice place decades ago. Has become another filthy place in recent years, drugs, fent, meth, dirty unkempt birkenstock type people, etc.

I just drove from the AVL airport to the beautiful Grove Park Inn for their popular Sunday buffet brunch and everything on this route looked normal, compared to even this spring.

Downtown Asheville is fine with tons of shops and restaurants. The Biltmore Estate is fine. The Bohemian Lodge just outside the entrance was flooded up to the 2nd floor and is now reopened.

The Biltmore Village shops near the Bohemian Lodge are slowly reopening, so it isn't the shopping experience it used to be, but there are some that have completed renovations. Many are in the middle of renovating.

The River Arts District, near downtown, is still mostly closed, but some shops have reopened. I've only been there on the trolley tour years ago, and while many people loved the vibe there, I think you can have a fine vacation in Asheville without the RAD.

Most of the Blue Ridge Parkway has been repaired and reopened, but always check their website for the latest closures. If you are going Nov-Apr, portions will frequently be closed due to ice, but that is nothing new.

Every winery and brewery I know of is fine and open and the views are gorgeous.

Most of the hiking trails, especially in Dupont and Pisgah are repaired and open. There are a couple others that were damaged and haven't been fixed, so check google or youtube before you go on a hike for recent reviews.

I would not do any activities in the French Broad River that risk getting your skin wet (which is all activities). It is still contaminated from chemicals and sunken debris. But it looks beautiful!

Unless you love downtown Asheville, or want to stay in one of the gorgeous historic hotels, also consider staying in Hendersonville, Brevard or even Black Mountain. If you like isolation, but want to go where the wealthy go, then there is Highlands, Cashiers and Lake Toxaway.

Hendersonville downtown is delightful, but the greater Hendersonville area is like a medium city without a lot of small-town charm. However, it is centrally located for many of the tourist activities you will be doing.

The other 5 towns I listed are very quaint and much like you would find in a Hallmark movie. They all have wonderful vrbos.

You can still drive to Asheville or Biltmore for the day. Brevard is central for driving ~30 min to hikes, waterfalls and wineries.

The 3 "fancy" towns will be about an hour to hikes, and a little longer to Asheville, but they have a wider selection of fine dining.

I personally would avoid the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area. There are still detours to get there and the few open places are desperate for tourist dollars, but it's not very pretty right now, like it used to be.

I wouldn't hesitate to visit Asheville or the surrounding towns. There is plenty to do and the views withstood the hurricane.

I recently went to Asheville and had a wonderful time. Restaurants and businesses were very welcoming and happy to have tourists visit. Hard-hit areas like Biltmore Village and the River Arts district are still rebuilding, but most of the area is up and running. Some sections of the Parkway are still closed, but we were able to visit Craggy Gardens, Mount Mitchell, and the Folk Art Center. Go and have fun!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh not recovered yet. It's like LA after Katrina.

?

I suggest folks search up YouTube videos from recent weeks/months to see tourists and locals sharing their current, real world experience.

As someone who went to NoLA to meet with housing advocates post-Katrina, I can report that most tourist areas scramble to rebuild quickly because they are desperate for tourist dollars. Staying away really isn’t helpful.

Having watched videos on Asheville recently, they definitely are open for business.

I can say the same as someone who lived in a Central American country before and after Hurricane Mitch. While hurricanes are devastating, in places that are not islands at least, the destruction impacts all areas at the time of the storm (due to lack of electricity and downed bridges) but only a small minority of areas a year later. Tourist areas want visitors, and have much to offer as well.

Anonymous wrote:Ugh not recovered yet. It's like LA after Katrina.

?

I suggest folks search up YouTube videos from recent weeks/months to see tourists and locals sharing their current, real world experience.

As someone who went to NoLA to meet with housing advocates post-Katrina, I can report that most tourist areas scramble to rebuild quickly because they are desperate for tourist dollars. Staying away really isn’t helpful.

Having watched videos on Asheville recently, they definitely are open for business.

Anonymous wrote:Ugh not recovered yet. It's like LA after Katrina.

This is not true. The damage was much more localized than in New Orleans.

Not recovered.

Ugh not recovered yet. It's like LA after Katrina.

I live 2 hours away and have spent a lot of time in Asheville and the mountains since the hurricane, some doing relief work, some simply recreational. MOST things tourists are interested in are back open. The biggest impact tourists will feel is Blue Ridge Parkway closures, and they actually opened up quite a bit of it at the end of the summer. You can once again access Mount Mitchell from Asheville, and the Linville section east of US 221 is open. But most of the stretch between Mount Mitchell and Linville Falls is still closed.

In Asheville, the River Arts District is slowly recovering, and some places decided not the reopen. Otherwise, the city is open for business and will happily welcome you and your money.

I went with my family of four over the summer, and it was wonderful. Yes, there are stores and artists that were hit hard and haven't reopened but SO MANY have reopened and are ready for visitors. The food, the art, the scenery are all amazing. Go and enjoy - everyone there is thrilled to welcome visitors, so you'll be greeted by smiles everywhere and come home with new art, full bellies, breathtaking pics from hikes.

Biltmore is open and will be decorated for Christmas. The parkway is open in the Linville Gorge area and near the Folk Art Center. I’d do it!

There are a lot of different areas of Asheville, and some were hit harder than others. I'm sure you'll find plenty to do. I saw that they recently opened the most beautiful part of the Blue Ridge Parkway (Linville Gorge Area).

My mom lives there, many things still have not recovered and they are in dire straights needing tourist income.

A friend was just there. Some areas are fine and others are still recovering. But she enjoyed it! And I’m sure they need tourist dollars.

Has anyone been to Asheville NC recently, after the hurricane? We're thinking of going there for Thanksgiving.