The owners are rose lovers. At a former home, they had over 400 rose bushes. They tried the same thing when they established the woodland gardens at Willow Winds. Unfortunately, it did not work because the roses had such short bloom cycles and were too disease prone.

Double knock out roses, just beginning to bloom

Then we discovered the Double Knockout roses, which bloom from early spring to first frost. We don’t yet have 400 rose bushes, but we are well on our way. The first roses of the season have bloomed and they look more beautiful every day .

Our Rhododendron of many colors are in full bloom, with more on the way.

Our azaleas in red, white, and pink colors are still in bloom.

For many people this is the most beautiful time of the year in our Asheville Cabins and woodland gardens. There are only a few vacancies in our luxury Asheville resort cabins. Book now and enjoy our spring color at its best.

by Sandy McLeod

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial is the site of the ‘Old Kentucky Home’ boarding house, owned and run by Wolfe’s mother, and is well worth a visit on a trip to Asheville. Photo by Ken Lax.

One not-to-be-missed Asheville literary pilgrimage is the Thomas Wolfe House and Memorial, which has been one of Western North Carolina’s most renowned attractions for generations. The Memorial, a sprawling, historic house, is famously known as “The Old Kentucky Home.” It is equally famous for being depicted as “Dixieland” in Wolfe’s iconic novel, Look Homeward, Angel. This local, national and international literary treasure is a treat to visit for many reasons.

Thomas Wolfe, was a contemporary of writers Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald (who also famously spent time in Asheville at the Grove Park Inn). He was born in Asheville in 1900, the youngest of eight children. The Old Kentucky Home was originally a boarding house run by Wolfe’s mother; the noted Asheville figure Julia E Wolfe. When Wolfe was six, his mother opened the boarding house and moved there with Wolfe; the rest of the children, and their father, remained at the residence on Asheville’s Woodfin Street, where Wolfe spent his infancy and very early childhood.

Thomas Wolfe Memorial Presents a Vivid portrait of early 20^th Century life in Asheville

Thomas Wolfe lived at the Old Kentucky Home until he set off for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the prodigious age of fifteen. He later drew heavily upon his boyhood in Asheville for his acclaimed debut novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Some locals thought his depictions of life in Asheville drew too heavily on the real people of the City for comfort. As an expression of local outrage, the book was famously banned from Asheville’s local library for a number of years. In the wake of the book’s tremendous success, which catapulted Wolfe to fame, Wolfe himself did not return to Western North Carolina for almost a decade.

In the contemporary age, Wolfe—like F. Scott Fitzgerald—is one of the city’s most beloved ghosts. And Wolfe’s novels are celebrated for their excellence in craftsmanship as well as being priceless snapshots of day-to-day life and culture as it existed in the early 1900s in Asheville.

Some travelers came to the ‘Old Kentucky Home’ with nothing more than a suitcase and hat. Photo by Monty Combs.

The Wolfe Memorial is a North Carolina Historic Site that welcomes hundreds of tourists a year. It is open for tours Tuesday-Saturday, from 9-5, for only $5.00 per person, or $2.00 for students. Visitors can purchase tickets at the visitor’s center, which is located conveniently on Market Street in downtown Asheville, behind the house.

The house’s rooms are the scenes of many celebrated episodes from Wolfe’s novels, like the bedroom where Wolfe’s father died, as chronicled in Of Time and The River. Thomas Wolfe’s own bedroom (where the seeds of his novels formed), the house’s piano parlor where the guests gathered, and the kitchen and dining areas are highlighted in the tour of the rambling home. Guests are treated to a fascinating video presentation as a primer, and led around the house by knowledgeable tour guides. Much Wolfe memorabilia is viewable, and the full oeuvre of the author’s novels is for sale.

The Old Kentucky Home suffered an act of arson in 1998, which did considerable damage to it that took seven years to repair. However, the damage was fully restored, and the house reopened to the public in 2004.

The parlor of the boarding house was a popular place for guests to gather and share stories about their travels. Photo by Monty Combs. 

House a treat for history-buffs

The appeal of the home is by no means limited to literary-minded visitors; those who love history and historic buildings for their own sake will also find much to delight in a tour of it. The house’s architecture and period-era furnishings are marvels in themselves. The Memorial’s location on Spruce Street, in vibrant and bustling downtown Asheville, makes visits easy to incorporate into a full day of sightseeing, wining, dining, hiking, and relaxing.

Wolfe himself died of tuberculosis at the tragically young age of thirty-seven. He is buried in Asheville at the Riverside Cemetery, for literary enthusiasts who want to visit Wolfe’s grave. His grave has been visited by countless fans over the years, and many people have incorporated their pilgrimage to his peaceful resting place with a tour of his childhood home. Visiting the Old Kentucky Home is something visitors to Asheville will always treasure and remember. More information can be found by visiting the Memorial’s official website.

Book a cabin in Asheville, only 10 minutes drive from the Thomas Wolfe Memorial. 

]]> http://www.ashevillecabins.com/blog/weekend-getaways-asheville/entertainment/thomas-wolfe-memorial-home-in-asheville-a-great-place-for-literary-history-enthusiasts-to-visit/feed/ 0 http://www.ashevillecabins.com/blog/weekend-getaways-asheville/outdoor-activities/dupont-state-park-tour-de-falls-may-11th-and-12th/ http://www.ashevillecabins.com/blog/weekend-getaways-asheville/outdoor-activities/dupont-state-park-tour-de-falls-may-11th-and-12th/#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 02:00:56 +0000 sandy@willowwinds.com http://www.ashevillecabins.com/blog/?p=697 Continue reading →]]>

Triple Falls – Dupont State Park

Don’t miss Tour de Falls!

This Spring has been abundant with rain which has resulted beautiful spring blooms and swelled the rivers, creeks, and waterfalls.   The “Tour de Falls” offers families and those who have limited hiking ability the opportunity to see three of our most beautiful waterfalls – Triple Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, High Falls, and Lake Julia in Dupont State Recreational Forest. Shuttle buses will run from 9 am to 2:30 pm every 20 minutes.  Prepare to be amazed at the majestic beauty of the falls which were featured in parts of the movie “The Hunger Games”.

Bridal veil Falls

This twice a year event is possible due to the efforts of The Friends of Dupont Forest who will be on board the shuttles and at the falls & lake to share the history of the forest and the work to preserve it. A donation of $6 per child ages 6 to 17 and $12 for those over 18 is requested and donations are used in the preservation of the forest and falls, construction projects, maintenance and educational efforts. Cash or check only, they cannot process credit or debit cards. Pets are not allowed on the buses. This year’s Tour de Falls dates are May 11th & 12th and October 12th & 13th, 2013.

High Falls

The Azaleas are beautiful this year

After a cool early Spring, all of our trees are green with foliage. They are complemented by millions of white blossoms of our azaleas. With the ideal temperatures of the last week, our Delaware Valley Whites have burst into full bloom.

The Delaware White Azaleas are perfect this year

We have only a few vacancies for this week and for the next month–our peak azalea season. Give us a call to make your reservations for a visit to Asheville Cabins of Willow Winds.

A view of the Azaleas from the hill side

The pink Azaleas are beginning to bloom

by Sandy McLeod

The Ramble Run occurs on Mother’s Day weekend this year.

Don’t miss the Ramble Run at Biltmore Park on May 11^th. The 5k/12k race is organized by the Asheville Track Club and sponsored by Mission Health this year. Many other prominent local organizations and businesses are also supporting it.

Ramble Run Draws Runners and Their Supporters

Over one thousand runners and walkers are expected to participate this year, and since it is occurring on Mother’s Day weekend, there is even a special race for children.  There are two runs for adults:  one is a 5k run and the other is a 12k run.   For kids, the Kilometer Fun Run starts at 9:30 a.m.

Course Schedule and Description

The Ramble Run Course begins in Biltmore Park at the Reuter Family YMCA, with the 5k run starting at 8:00 a.m. and the 12k race starting at 8:15 a.m. Participants can expect some challenging climbs on each route and a few windy descents.  The Ramble Run neighborhood is on en route providing runners a great view of woods, fields and other landscape features to make the course both challenging and memorable. 

What to do After the Ramble Run

Awards Ceremonies are planned for 9:30 and 10:15 a.m., so runners and their loved ones can relax and grab a bite to eat at one of the many fine restaurants in Biltmore Park afterwards.   Some may even want to head up to the nearby 

Blue Ridge Parkway for a drive or hike. 

Book a Cabin in Asheville

For accommodations in Asheville, close to Biltmore Park Town Square, visit the Cabin Rentals page.

]]> http://www.ashevillecabins.com/blog/seasonal-specials/ramble-run-may-11-2013-biltmore-park-town-square/feed/ 0 http://www.ashevillecabins.com/blog/weekend-getaways-asheville/whats-going-on-in-asheville-this-spring/ http://www.ashevillecabins.com/blog/weekend-getaways-asheville/whats-going-on-in-asheville-this-spring/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:33:20 +0000 elizabeth http://www.ashevillecabins.com/blog/?p=668 Continue reading →]]> by Sandy McLeod

The drum circle is on Friday nights in Pritchard Park in Downtown Asheville.

Springtime in Asheville is always a thriving time, full of gorgeous scenery stretching as far as the eye can see. Spring in Western North Carolina draws crowds from all over the world, who come out as much for the region’s awesome natural beauty as they do for the wealth of festivities unique to Western North Carolina’s rich natural and cultural heritage. In addition to the area’s traditional happenings, there are always exciting new events to choose from in Asheville. Below are some highlights that visitors to the area will not want to miss.

Children who come to the Drum Circle in Asheville have a great time playing instruments and dancing.

Friday Night Drum Circles

Described as Asheville’s “favorite tradition” the Friday Night Drum Circles at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville have been drawing locals and tourists since 2001. The all-ages festivities, which run through the warmer months, start every Friday night at 6 p.m. Bring a drum, or just come to dance or listen and watch. Anyone can play in the drum circle with a drum or other type of percussion instrument. If you want to celebrate and dance under the stars, this is the place to be.  Drum Circles usually last until mid-October, or as long as the weather is warm enough for an outdoor gathering. Eat at one of the many restaurants in Downtown Asheville before or after the Drum Circle, which is close to Pack Square, Battery Park Avenue and Haywood Road.

Biltmore Park, the Outdoor City Farmer’s Market, and the Asheville Cinema Society

Biltmore Park is the new “town square” in bustling South Asheville. Described as “a reimagining of the Main Streets of the past,” this thriving neighborhood includes many attractions, like the Outdoor City Farmer’s Market, which just opened this April 3rd. The market, established with a mission “to help local farms thrive”, will carry a wide range of organic foods and handmade items, and will be open every Wednesday.  The area also hosts the Asheville Cinema Society, which, in cooperation with the Regal Biltmore Grande Stadium 15, will be screening alternative and independent films beginning on April 16th. Most visitors to Biltmore Park make a day or evening of their visit to town square that may include a meal at one of the many fine restaurants and a movie or some other form of entertainment.

The WNC Farmer’s Market and the 24^th Annual Herb Festival

The Western North Carolina Farmer’s Market is another popular attraction. Open 7 days per week and all year round, the market boasts a melee of fruits, vegetables, preserves, jams, and many custom made items. It also includes a deli and, in the Garden Center, a greenhouse, bonsai trees, ponds, and a forty foot waterfall. The 24^th annual Herb Festival—the largest herb festival in the Southeast—runs from May 3-May 5, and features a huge selection of medicinal herbs, soaps, herbal baked goods, and many other unique products. Vidalia Onion Day ushers in Memorial Day Weekend on May 24. Sample some carnival-fresh cooked onion rings and enjoy the sights!

The North Carolina Arboretum

The North Carolina Arboretum, located in the Pisgah National Forest amid the Southern Appalachian Mountains, is a magnificent 434-acre garden, and one of the region’s most dazzling and popular attractions. Just a short drive from Asheville, the Arboretum, adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway, has many scenic hiking and biking trails. The Arboretum offers the public guided trail walks, plant shows, and other events. On Memorial Day weekend, visitors can attend the annual Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibition, which features a rainbow of magnificent roses in all colors and varieties. Visitors can see Asheville’s famous azaleas, rhododendrons, and mountain laurel in bloom, and enjoy the sight of Western North Carolina at the height of spring.

Festival of Flowers at Biltmore Estates

Asheville’s renowned Festival of Flowers runs through May 15^th at Biltmore Estate. As its name would suggest, it features a paradise of blossoms, including a profusion of 100,000 tulips, featured in colored beds in the world-famous 8,000 acre Biltmore Estate. The Estate winery will be offering special Festival of Flowers wine, as well as fun weekly “grape stomps” for kids. Biltmore Estate restaurants will be featuring unique menu items. Visitors can enjoy live music daily at the Antler Hill Village Green and Bandstand and in the Biltmore House and Conservatory.

The Carl Sandburg National Historic Site hosts a music festival every spring.

Carl Sandburg Folk Music Festival

May 27 is the date of the Carl Sandburg Music Festival, which takes place at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in beautiful Flat Rock, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Asheville. The festival brings out musicians from all over the country, who play music inspired by Sandburg’s famous “American Songbag.” The entertainment includes spirituals, folk ballads, and instrumental arrangements, and the whole family is welcome.

Asheville is a city of natural wonders. The mountainous skyline contrasts with the changing seasons, with new things to see each time.  Spring is a time for enjoying the natural world.  Visiting Asheville in the springtime is guaranteed to be an experience visitors will always remember.  Choose from the many festivities going on in the city and the surrounding area or just explore some of these well-known sites at your leisure.

Explore Asheville this spring and stay in a luxury cabin right in town.  These cabins are affordable, family friendly and accessible to all areas of Asheville.

Delaware Valley White Azalea

With the arrival of ideal Spring temperatures, our Spring blooms and foliage have never been better. Our hundreds of Delaware Valley White azaleas are bursting into full bloom.

After a cool Spring delay, the trees in our woodland garden are filling with leaves. The blooms of our Bradford Pear trees have been replaced by mint green foliage. Even the faraway mountains visible from our resort are filled with leaves. Our trademark Weeping Willow trees are full of their delicate leaves.

Weeping Willow Tree by the pond

We have a few vacancies this week in our luxury cabins. Please call us and take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy nature’s beauty at the best time of the year in Asheville.

Some of our guest enjoying a stroll by the trout pond

Our Beautiful PJ’s are gorgeous this year!

The ideal temperatures and sunshine of the last week have brought out an abundance of blooms. Our PJ early azaleas are in full bloom.

Our new Fountain….just complete and ready for your enjoyment

We have turned on our 17 fountains so our guests can enjoy the sight and sound of falling water throughout our property. We are upgrading and enlarging some of our fountains to make them more delightful.

It is an ideal time to enjoy the Spring beauty of the only cabins in a woodland garden in the United States.

Also it is a great opportunity to enjoy the Festival of Flowers at the Biltmore Estate, only five minutes from our entrance. When you buy tickets from us, they are good for two consecutive days. This is a special not available at the Biltmore entrance.

Below are Photos just taken at this year’s Festival of Flowers

A View of the Conservatory and the Tulips

Morning dew on the Tulips

View of the Biltmore Estate from the Garden

Asheville has long been known as a Mecca for artists, and its reputation for having some of the best galleries in the country only continues to grow. This year, the First Friday Art Walks, will take place from 5-8 p.m. on the first Friday of every month from April to December.   This is an ideal showcase for artists’ work, which encourages locals and visitors to spend some time in the galleries in Downtown Asheville.

The Artwalk brings together the art community, collectors and many who visit specifically to gain a wider perspective on the Asheville art scene.  Attendees can also see historical exhibits, as well as some of the most striking and original painting and sculpture being produced today.

The first Artwalk began on April 5^th. The second will occur on May 3^rd. Galleries will open to the public again: June 7, July 5, August 2, September 6, October 4, November 1 and December 6. Local businesses will offer concurrent specials and Asheville’s local trolley service will be available to offer transportation to galleries.

Here are some highlights from the 26 spaces that are part of Asheville’s vibrant Downtown Gallery Association.

Black Mountain College Museum and Art Center

The Black Mountain College Museum celebrates the art produced by Black Mountain students, teachers and colleagues.

The Black Mountain College Museum and Art Center, which seeks to uphold the legacy of the internationally famous Black Mountain College, is one of Western North Carolina’s most highly regarded gallery spaces. Featuring vibrant and eclectic rotating exhibits, it has hosted everything from art workshops to poetry readings to lectures and community events. In cooperation with the University of North Carolina Special Collections Library, it’s become one of Asheville’s most important cultural centers. The space is always showcasing work by Black Mountain artists or those who have been taught by the College’s attendees and welcomes many visitors

Blue Spiral 1

The Blue Spiral 1 gallery, which describes itself as a “15,000 square-foot gallery that spans three floors catering to various tastes and aesthetics,” is one of Asheville’s most breathtaking gallery spaces. Blue Spiral has been in Asheville for some time and is well known among artists and art enthusiasts. The gallery hosts more than 15 shows annually, many of which feature work from renowned artists. The shows often run simultaneously, which means that visitors can enjoy a wonderful and diverse array of art—including photography, pottery, and printmaking, as well as painting.

Woolworth Walk

Woolworth Walk is a space where many types of traditional painting, sculpture, fabric art and craft are exhibited and sold.

Woolworth Walk, like its name suggests, is an historical Woolworth’s drugstore that was converted into an art gallery. As such, it is perhaps Asheville’s most unique gallery space, and certainly one of its most popular places for locals and tourists to purchase locally made art and craft. Boasting an old-fashioned soda fountain, Woolworth Walk has earned a beloved place in the Asheville community by representing almost exclusively local artists. This one-of-a-kind space is usually bustling, and is one of Asheville’s most popular family destinations.

American Folk Art and Framing

The American Folk Art and Framing gallery prides itself as being host to a “generous helping of whimsy, exuberance, and inspiration”, and it is indeed home to a dazzling array of exhibits—from ancient Inca-like sculptures to avant-garde folk art. As a gallery that specializes in the rich tradition of Outsider Art, it is one of Asheville’s most critically acclaimed galleries, and artists who show there garner a share of press coverage. There is certainly something for everyone here, and a trip to the space is as entertaining as it is educational.

Asheville’s “art renaissance” is continuing to blossom. A trip to the mountains of Western North Carolina would not be complete without a visit to the region’s locally and nationally noted art spaces. The grandeur of the Blue Ridge Mountains continues to inspire artists working in many mediums, and the work they produce reflects the unique culture and breathtaking scenery of the region.

Book a cabin in Asheville online and schedule a reservation for the next ArtWalk.  Asheville Cabins of Willow Winds is a short drive to Downtown Asheville, where all participating galleries are located.

The Western North Carolina area is blanketed with wildflowers every spring and fall. North Carolina State Parks has declared 2013 The Year of the Wildflower. There are two excellent opportunities to visit NC State Parks near Asheville, N.C. and participate in some activities.  Chimney Rock State Park and the North Carolina Arboretum are excellent choices for seeing wildflowers up close. At both state parks, they can be viewed in their native environments, as the blossoms would naturally occur in wilderness areas in Western North Carolina.

The Blue Ridge Parkway intersects with Asheville at several key points, including South Asheville, Downtown Asheville and Weaverville. Even short excursions on the Blue Ridge Parkway will provide excellent wildflower viewing. There are many opportunities to see wildflowers alongside the road on a drive along the Parkway in the Asheville NC area in the spring, summer and fall.  For those who desire even closer encounters with wildflowers, hiking in some of the wooded areas and fields is an even better way to see more.

Wildflower of the Year

In 2013, the New Jersey-tea, (Ceanothus americanus) has been selected as wildflower of the year.  New Jersey-tea is actually a shrub, not a wildflower. But, it has ‘multi season interest’ – which means it displays different colors and characteristics in varying seasons.  In spring there are lots of white flowers; in fall the leaves turn bright bronze; the winter season yields delicate yellow-green twigs beneath the leaves that have shed, giving it memorable colors three seasons out of each year.

North Carolina Arboretum Year of the Wildflower Events

On April 20, 2013, from 1-3 p.m. flower enthusiasts can immerse themselves in a 1-2 mile Spring Wildflower Walk, led by Steven Faucette, a wildflower photographer.  Indulge the senses in trillium, violets and flame azaleas among other species native to the area.  Cost is $18 for adults and $9 for children, 5-15.

May 11, 2013 is Mother’s Day. Use the occasion to bring mothers along on the Mother’s Day Guided Wildflower Walk at the NC Arboretum from 11 a.m. to 12 Noon.  Cost is $16 per adult and $8 for children, 5-15. This three-mile walk includes multiple trails and many stops along the way to view the lovely and unique selection of wildflowers that bloom each May at the NC Arboretum.

Chimney Rock Park Events

Some may choose a visit to Chimney Rock Park on April 20^th to celebrate the Year of the Wildflower with a Spring Wildflower Walk.  Cost is $18 for adults and $9 for children, 5-15.  The 1-2 mile hike will take place on the Four Seasons trail and will occur from 1-3 p.m.  Expect to see some Trillium, phacelia, violets, redbud, spicebush, magnolia, black locust, dogwood and maybe even some Carolina rhododendron.

Violets are a prolific wildflower in Western North Carolina.

Chimney Rock Park is also hosting a Spring Wildflower Walk for Mother’s Day, May 11^th, from 11 a.m. – 12 Noon.  The quest to see wildflowers will take participants down many different trails.   On the Wildflower Walk in May at Chimney Rock Park, visitors can expect to see: trillium, goat’s-beard, mountain laurel, flame azalea, mock-orange, ninebark, sweetshrub, tuliptree and buckeye.

Travelers staying in Asheville in the springtime on a holiday or trip with loved ones take in nature’s continuous display of exquisite and colorful wildflowers and shrubs.  Celebrate the wildflowers at Chimney Rock Park or the North Carolina Arboretum or just take a leisurely drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Do not miss the chance to see a profusion of blossoms and learn more about varieties that are native to the Western North Carolina area.

Asheville Cabins of Willow Winds has accommodations in Asheville throughout the wildflower season.