The DIY Network is putting a new twist on a home giveaway. And this one is located right near Asheville! (In a community called the Preserve at Little Pine). Here is an overview, then you can go check out the site for yourself!
Blog Cabin 2009
"Blog it. Build it. Win it."
Internet users vote on an array of home building options - and the one with the most votes is used in building and designing.
Blog Cabin Central includes voting, a blog about the cabin and building in general, location info, time lapse videos and vlogs.
This week is the round of voting, and Blog Cabin Central introduced new options, including:
Wall color
Treehouse design
Street name
After the house is complete, DIY will give it away to the winning voter.
The Carolina Mornings Team:
This sounds like the first interactive home building giveaway we've ever heard of. And we love it, because it's a cabin! What could be better?
Simplify! Call Carolina Mornings toll free at (877) 902.9441 to reserve your Asheville Vacation Rental. Let our Vacation Planners help you find the perfect mountain vacation cabin to make your getaway a unique experience!
February 24, 2009
February 17, 2009
The Chef's Quarter - Biltmore Village
Thanks to our friends at Hendersonville Epicurean for this tidbit of tasty information.
There's no question that several of Asheville's best restaurants are located in Biltmore Village. Three Biltmore Village chefs - Joe Scully (Corner Kitchen), Reza Setayesh (Rezaz Restaurant and Enoteca) and Bill Klein (Fig) - have teamed up to provide 3 course dinners for just $25.
All three restaurants are offering this Chef's Quarter special from Feb 15th - Mar 31st.
Complete the Biltmore Village experience by relaxing in luxury at the Biltmore Village Villas, while taking advantage of Carolina Mornings' community packages and property specials - including Corner Kitchen gift certificates and discounted tickets to Biltmore Estate.
There's no question that several of Asheville's best restaurants are located in Biltmore Village. Three Biltmore Village chefs - Joe Scully (Corner Kitchen), Reza Setayesh (Rezaz Restaurant and Enoteca) and Bill Klein (Fig) - have teamed up to provide 3 course dinners for just $25.
All three restaurants are offering this Chef's Quarter special from Feb 15th - Mar 31st.
Complete the Biltmore Village experience by relaxing in luxury at the Biltmore Village Villas, while taking advantage of Carolina Mornings' community packages and property specials - including Corner Kitchen gift certificates and discounted tickets to Biltmore Estate.
February 4, 2009
Have a national park adventure in 2009
Great Smoky Mountains National Park turns 75 this year!!
The park is inviting guests to help celebrate, with events all year long.
Re-dedication Ceremony
See the great Web site developed separately for and devoted to only this commemorative year in our national park history! This site includes park information, memories of the past and a vision for it's future, resources for visiting and supporting the park, a detailed list of events in the park and within the community - and much much more!
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park sees millions of visitors each year - 9.4 million in 2007 to be exact. In 2008, as gas prices went above $4 per gallon and tourism slowed in general, the park saw an overall decrease of 4% (328,000 people).
I'm feeling confident that 2009 will prove to be a productive year for the park, even in the face of economic adversity.
So, GO support your local national park, or if you live further away, come visit us here in the NC mountains to check out our Great Smoky Mountains as millions of other people do each year!
The park is inviting guests to help celebrate, with events all year long.
Overview of important anniversary dates:
June 13-15, 2009
75th Anniversary Weekend Celebration
Re-dedication Ceremony
See the great Web site developed separately for and devoted to only this commemorative year in our national park history! This site includes park information, memories of the past and a vision for it's future, resources for visiting and supporting the park, a detailed list of events in the park and within the community - and much much more!
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park sees millions of visitors each year - 9.4 million in 2007 to be exact. In 2008, as gas prices went above $4 per gallon and tourism slowed in general, the park saw an overall decrease of 4% (328,000 people).
I'm feeling confident that 2009 will prove to be a productive year for the park, even in the face of economic adversity.
So, GO support your local national park, or if you live further away, come visit us here in the NC mountains to check out our Great Smoky Mountains as millions of other people do each year!
February 3, 2009
Asheville beer retailer ranked #3 in the world
Congrats to Bruisin' Ales! We're always glad to boast about our wonderful local businesses.
Asheville's own Bruisin' Ales claimed the #3 spot in the Best Beer Retailers 2009 at BestBeer.com.
This global award comes from the world's largest beer competition for the past 8 years. Over 1.97 million reviews of 91,000 beers from over 8,700 brewers worldwide were tallied.
Brusin' Ales is owned by Jason and Julie Atallah, self-proclaimed beerlanthropists... but I won't give away everything here so go check out the Web site for more.
They are located at 66 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville.
Hours are:
Monday closed
Tues-Thurs 12-8pm
Fri-Sat 12-9pm
Sunday 12-4pm
Join them on Facebook, tweet them on Twitter, subscribe to their blog.
Asheville's own Bruisin' Ales claimed the #3 spot in the Best Beer Retailers 2009 at BestBeer.com.
This global award comes from the world's largest beer competition for the past 8 years. Over 1.97 million reviews of 91,000 beers from over 8,700 brewers worldwide were tallied.
Brusin' Ales is owned by Jason and Julie Atallah, self-proclaimed beerlanthropists... but I won't give away everything here so go check out the Web site for more.
They are located at 66 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville.
Hours are:
Monday closed
Tues-Thurs 12-8pm
Fri-Sat 12-9pm
Sunday 12-4pm
Join them on Facebook, tweet them on Twitter, subscribe to their blog.
January 28, 2009
Simplify your vacation for 2009 - stay in the NC mountains
It seems like everyone is experiencing some effects from the economic slowdown. But a tough economy doesn't mean you necessarily have to forgo your entire annual vacation. Leisure and fun are important, especially in more stressful times, and it's important to remember to keep money moving through the economy.
How do Asheville & Carolina Mornings help vacationers acheive this?
Visiting Asheville and the surrounding NC mountains is a great way to slim down your vacation costs, support local businesses, and still get away for fun and relaxation. Those in the Southeast will cut costs by sticking closer to home. Those from other parts of the country - especially the larger cities - will often find Western North Carolina more affordable in comparison to home. Those who usually go to faraway destinations can have a really fantastic trip with the arts, culture, food, and shopping that Asheville has to offer - without spending extra money on European (for example) travel costs.
Asheville has many free or affordable attractions. There are many art galleries and studios to visit free. Enjoy theater performances (including impressive traveling national and international acts) at Diana Wortham and Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at affordable ticket prices. Spend an entire day strolling the streets of downtown and window shopping. Eat at nationally acclaimed restaurants for under $20 a plate for dinner, $10 and under for lunch.
There are many reasons Asheville is called the Paris of the South, or the San Francisco of the East. Enjoy the perks and attractions of big city atmosphere in a small community setting - all for less than you would spend in other locations.
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For your affordable Asheville mountain vacation, give Carolina Mornings a call. Our Vacation Specialists will help you find the perfect property for your stay!
How do Asheville & Carolina Mornings help vacationers acheive this?
Visiting Asheville and the surrounding NC mountains is a great way to slim down your vacation costs, support local businesses, and still get away for fun and relaxation. Those in the Southeast will cut costs by sticking closer to home. Those from other parts of the country - especially the larger cities - will often find Western North Carolina more affordable in comparison to home. Those who usually go to faraway destinations can have a really fantastic trip with the arts, culture, food, and shopping that Asheville has to offer - without spending extra money on European (for example) travel costs.
Asheville has many free or affordable attractions. There are many art galleries and studios to visit free. Enjoy theater performances (including impressive traveling national and international acts) at Diana Wortham and Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at affordable ticket prices. Spend an entire day strolling the streets of downtown and window shopping. Eat at nationally acclaimed restaurants for under $20 a plate for dinner, $10 and under for lunch.
There are many reasons Asheville is called the Paris of the South, or the San Francisco of the East. Enjoy the perks and attractions of big city atmosphere in a small community setting - all for less than you would spend in other locations.
------
For your affordable Asheville mountain vacation, give Carolina Mornings a call. Our Vacation Specialists will help you find the perfect property for your stay!
January 27, 2009
Rivertime Specials- the Early Bird gets the good vacation deal
Rivertime is a great getaway for couples or small families. This cozy cabin is surrounded by the natural beauty of the NC mountains, but makes a good base camp for those looking to travel into Asheville and many other area attractions. Achieve ultimate relaxation - sit by the river, curl up in front of the warm fireplace, lay back in the hot tub, or enjoy the cabin's massage table. Don't leave out your furry family members - dogs are welcome at Rivertime too.The owners of Rivertime are offering these great specials to make your getaway even easier to afford!
Winter Specials:
Enjoy discounted nightly rates - see Web site listing for rate information.
Plus -
Book any two nights during January, February or March and receive a third night for ONLY $11!
Or...
Stay five nights and get your sixth and seventh nights for ONLY $22!
Early Bird Special:
Reservations made between January 26, 2009 and April 9, 2009, for a WEEK'S STAY (seven nights) during the period of April 10, 2009 and December 31, 2009, will receive $90 off the weekly rate!
Visit our Web site or give us a call (800.700.9055) to book one of these great specials and Rivertime can be all yours for the length of your Asheville visit! Great long-term rental rates too.
January 22, 2009
It's not easy being green. But it does pay off!
I'm sure I've talked about our environmentally friendly programs and practices before.
For those who are unaware, here are some of the actions we take to limit our impact on the environment:
-Online fax (paperless)
-Limiting our paper usage
-Using compact flourescent lights in the office
-Encouraging all of our owners to use CFLs in their properties, both for environmental and economic reasons
-Participating in the Adopt-a-Highway program to keep our highway green spaces as litter-free as possible
-Recycling our printer paper - we use both sides, then when we need to discard altogether we use the 'mixed paper' option at our recycling center
-Recycling everything that can be recycled, and paying attention to recycling numbers (higher numbers are harder to recycle, so they use up more power resources to recycle. This defeats the purpose of recycling, which is to reduce the amount of resources used in production of these items)
What do you do in your daily life to be or go 'green'? We always like to hear new tips.
Carolina Mornings also includes an eco-friendly certification program that our owners can choose to participate in. Certification requires a number of any eco-friendly features.
Some of these many possible features include:
Recycling, Isolene foam in ceiling, cellulose insulation, bamboo flooring, local or recycled lumber, "Trex" recycled decking, recycled and energy efficient doors and windows, recycled paper products, bio-degradable soaps and detergents, compact fluorescent light bulbs, cloth napkins and dish rags, environmentally friendly cleaning products, Energy Star appliances, and No-VOC ICI paint.
Check out our officially certified properties individually for a complete list of the included eco-friendly features. Many of our other property owners also use eco-friendly supplies or appliances, but are simply not certified.
It is not always easy - or cheap - to be environmentally friendly. But we believe that it will pay off, for us and future generations. And of course, as more consumers look for green products any extra effort or monetary value will be worth the cost for those companies who make a genuine effort to be green.
For those who are unaware, here are some of the actions we take to limit our impact on the environment:
-Online fax (paperless)
-Limiting our paper usage
-Using compact flourescent lights in the office
-Encouraging all of our owners to use CFLs in their properties, both for environmental and economic reasons
-Participating in the Adopt-a-Highway program to keep our highway green spaces as litter-free as possible
-Recycling our printer paper - we use both sides, then when we need to discard altogether we use the 'mixed paper' option at our recycling center
-Recycling everything that can be recycled, and paying attention to recycling numbers (higher numbers are harder to recycle, so they use up more power resources to recycle. This defeats the purpose of recycling, which is to reduce the amount of resources used in production of these items)
What do you do in your daily life to be or go 'green'? We always like to hear new tips.
Carolina Mornings also includes an eco-friendly certification program that our owners can choose to participate in. Certification requires a number of any eco-friendly features.
Some of these many possible features include:
Recycling, Isolene foam in ceiling, cellulose insulation, bamboo flooring, local or recycled lumber, "Trex" recycled decking, recycled and energy efficient doors and windows, recycled paper products, bio-degradable soaps and detergents, compact fluorescent light bulbs, cloth napkins and dish rags, environmentally friendly cleaning products, Energy Star appliances, and No-VOC ICI paint.
Check out our officially certified properties individually for a complete list of the included eco-friendly features. Many of our other property owners also use eco-friendly supplies or appliances, but are simply not certified.
It is not always easy - or cheap - to be environmentally friendly. But we believe that it will pay off, for us and future generations. And of course, as more consumers look for green products any extra effort or monetary value will be worth the cost for those companies who make a genuine effort to be green.
January 21, 2009
The enviro-friendly trend
Customer demands have influenced companies to go green. In some cases, these companies were already inclined to be environmentally friendly. It seems that some are now using the labels, such as "organic" "all natural" and "green" a little too liberally.
How can you tell if a company has a genuine interest in the environment? Check out their entire product line, materials or ingredients, and try to discern if they have a commitment to going and staying green.
Some examples? Recently I came across My Emma, a e-newsletter service provider that plants trees every time a new customer signs up for their services - to represent how many trees are saved by choosing e-newsletters over traditional paper mailings. I've been using Seventh Generation products for years. They are a green home products company from Burlington, Vermont (one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the U.S.) that has been in business over 20 years. This is a sign that they came along before the recent 'green' marketing movement. In addition, their Web site includes an entire section for learning more about being ecologically conscious in your purchases and within your home environment, including an "Ask Scienceman" section.
Another part of this going green movement has been eco-friendly travel. This is great for us at Carolina Mornings, because our company team is dedicated to being as environmentally friendly as possible in our own lives. This dedication has made Carolina Mornings an eco-friendly business since Shari began the company over 10 years ago.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the ways our employees and our company practices demonstrate our commitment to be environmentally friendly.
How can you tell if a company has a genuine interest in the environment? Check out their entire product line, materials or ingredients, and try to discern if they have a commitment to going and staying green.
Some examples? Recently I came across My Emma, a e-newsletter service provider that plants trees every time a new customer signs up for their services - to represent how many trees are saved by choosing e-newsletters over traditional paper mailings. I've been using Seventh Generation products for years. They are a green home products company from Burlington, Vermont (one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the U.S.) that has been in business over 20 years. This is a sign that they came along before the recent 'green' marketing movement. In addition, their Web site includes an entire section for learning more about being ecologically conscious in your purchases and within your home environment, including an "Ask Scienceman" section.
Another part of this going green movement has been eco-friendly travel. This is great for us at Carolina Mornings, because our company team is dedicated to being as environmentally friendly as possible in our own lives. This dedication has made Carolina Mornings an eco-friendly business since Shari began the company over 10 years ago.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the ways our employees and our company practices demonstrate our commitment to be environmentally friendly.
January 20, 2009
Did You Know? about Asheville accolades
Asheville makes it onto the list for several national rankings. Here are a few interesting ones (with some related Asheville links thrown in):
One of "The 50 Most Alive Places To Be" (Modern Maturity)
One of "America's Top 25 Arts Destinations" (AmericanStyle)
The "Happiest City for Women" (Self)
One of the "Best Places to Reinvent Your Life" (AARP Magazine)
The "New Freak Capital of the U.S." (Rolling Stone)
"A New Age Mecca" (CBS News' Eye On America)
The "most vegetarian-friendly" small city in America (PETA)
Plus, Asheville Magazine wrote an interesting story regarding the attraction of Asheville.
One of "The 50 Most Alive Places To Be" (Modern Maturity)
One of "America's Top 25 Arts Destinations" (AmericanStyle)
The "Happiest City for Women" (Self)
One of the "Best Places to Reinvent Your Life" (AARP Magazine)
The "New Freak Capital of the U.S." (Rolling Stone)
"A New Age Mecca" (CBS News' Eye On America)
The "most vegetarian-friendly" small city in America (PETA)
Plus, Asheville Magazine wrote an interesting story regarding the attraction of Asheville.
January 15, 2009
Luxury Biltmore Village Villas honoring one stays until April 9!
Our Carolina Mornings' luxury condos - the Biltmore Village Villas - are accepting ONE night minimums through the rest of the winter season.*
The cost for BVV one night rentals is $290.
*Exception: The Hideaway A-300 does not accept the one night stay offer.
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Call a Carolina Mornings vacation specialist at 1-800-770-9055 to book this limited time special.
The cost for BVV one night rentals is $290.
*Exception: The Hideaway A-300 does not accept the one night stay offer.
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Call a Carolina Mornings vacation specialist at 1-800-770-9055 to book this limited time special.
January 14, 2009
Vacation in Asheville with Carolina Mornings - now offering ONE night minimums!
For the first time ever, we are offering a selection of our vacation rental properties for just ONE night. These properties are a much better value for you than the area hotels - for a comparable price, you get quality furnishings, private space, a kitchen or kitchenette!
Properties that have agreed to this offer include...
Dogwood Studio (also provides free breakfast with your stay)
Red Barn 
Ladybug Cabin 
Properties that have agreed to this offer include...
Dogwood Studio (also provides free breakfast with your stay)
Red Barn Ladybug Cabin January 9, 2009
Phish comes to Asheville!
This just in from BlogAsheville!
Phish will be playing at the Asheville Civic Center on June 9.
Tickets go on sale January 30th and are $49.50 (general admission).
This is the only venue they are playing in the entire Southeast!
So, if anyone will be coming from out of town to see the show (and I'm sure plenty of people will be!), keep in mind that we have plenty of Asheville vacation rentals close enough to downtown to suit your needs. We have several properties downtown or within walking distance of downtown for those who don't want to worry about driving or paying for a cab!
Check out Carolina Mornings on the Web site or give us a call!
Phish will be playing at the Asheville Civic Center on June 9.
Tickets go on sale January 30th and are $49.50 (general admission).
This is the only venue they are playing in the entire Southeast!
So, if anyone will be coming from out of town to see the show (and I'm sure plenty of people will be!), keep in mind that we have plenty of Asheville vacation rentals close enough to downtown to suit your needs. We have several properties downtown or within walking distance of downtown for those who don't want to worry about driving or paying for a cab!
Check out Carolina Mornings on the Web site or give us a call!
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