New Year's Resolution: Exercise in Asheville, NC...

So here we are, the last day of 2009. Many of us have made plans of growth and change as we have been thinking about 2010. Many, as a yearly ritual, plan to be healthier, which includes... exercise... So I was thinking about this, about all the forms of exercise that we have today, about forms of exercise we have lost touch with, about forms of exercise we get from everyday doings that we are shying away from more and more. Personally, my favorite form of exercise is hiking/ walking, and Asheville has plenty of spaces to shed some tread while shedding some pounds or just firming it up a bit... The first thing I'd like to point out is how many of the rentals offered by Carolina Mornings have hiking trails on property! This is perfect as you travel here- you can wake up and exercise right outside of your front door! Better still is that many of the rentals also allow you to bring your pets- exercise for all!! Then comes the inevitable trip into town- no extra exercise needed. Just traversing our town gives you uphill climbs and downhill descents, and there are so many things to see that sometimes you forget you are getting exercise (and I am not a runner- remember when I say walk, it can also mean run). This is just as true for the biker in you. And that brings me to the next form of exercise widely available here- tons of places for biking. You can bike into, and all over, town, and bikers find their way into Asheville from some far away places. Although most of the Parkway is closed off this time of year, check out Pisgah National Forest or Bent Creek Experimental Forest. These places are chock full of great trail rides, and great trail riders. Morning or mid-afternoon seem to be the least crowded times. These are great places to hike as well if you have already wandered the property of your mountain vacation cabin. Then there's rafting, swimming (Friday, Jan 1 marks the second annual Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Lure- phew!!), frisbee golf(here's a great list of courses in the area)... pretty much anything. And this doesn't even count the indoor venues for workouts; I'm an outdoorsy lady, though, so I lack the knowledge of where all one could go if they wanted to exercise indoors. Here is the list I did compile of indoor workout spaces: The Rush seems to be what everyone is hyped about here if they go to a gym- gym; the Jewish Community Center; YWCA of Asheville ;YMCA of Asheville; and if you go to a national chain gym, you could check out what it would be for you to get into the gym here...I strongly suggest getting out and breathing in some fresh mountain air to start off the new decade, though, so put on your walking/ running/ biking shoes or boots, and get yourself to Asheville for some form of exercise- you can have fun while sticking with your "resolution"!!

Leaf season in western NC- come on, kids, get your hiking boots on!

Image by Carolina Mornings via Flickr

What better way to enjoy autumn than to explore the wonders of leaf season in Asheville, NC! From the middle of October into November the mountains are teeming with vibrant seasonal colors. Plan a family trip to stay with Carolina Mornings in one of our beautiful Asheville vacation rentals, and get out to enjoy the wondrous sights these mountains have to offer! Get the kids all layered and ready if it's nippy and get your hiking boots on!
Warren Wilson College is a short distance from downtown Asheville and the school offers quite a few hiking trails. The area surrounding is beautiful in it's foliage, much of it adorned with the school's own farm animals. Take a minute after the hike to explore Warren Wilson's farm!
Take a quick and scenic drive out to Black Mountain to enjoy the lovely trails at Montreat College. Montreat is known in the area as a great place to hike with the kids because it offers scaled hiking, from easy to difficult. All levels of hikers can find a trail here. Plus, there is a great playground to end the hike with!
And, as always, there is the wonderful Blue Ridge Parkway. A drive along the Parkway is a sight to definitely see during leaf season, and there are trails shooting off into every direction. Get a panoramic view from Craggy Gardens or Mt. Pisgah, or head even further in either direction for more spectacular views. Keep in mind that during this time of year there may be road closures on the Parkway, so check in with the Parkway headquarters before you go.
There are so many places to enjoy hiking with your kids in and around Asheville, too many to list here!! I have listed some of my favorites for hunting season, so as not to worry about keeping a constant eye out!