Cabin Spotlight: Mountain Sunshine

Introducing…. Mountain Sunshine! This beautiful mountain home is one of our newest listings and the perfect spot for your next mountain vacation. Elegant design, stunning décor and sophisticated layout in an upscale community are what make this cabin unique and comfortable. Near Chimney Rock and with easy access to Asheville, use it as a home base for any excursions and outdoor activities. Relax on the outside decks, spend peaceful time with family and friends, and enjoy all the entertainment and amenities this cabin has to offer. Call us today to reserve this amazing vacation house rental!

Local Art Galleries and Shows in Asheville, NC

It is a great time of year to come and visit Asheville, NC!! One great reason is that you can take advantage of many winter specials when staying with Carolina Mornings in a beautiful mountain retreat. Another is to check out indoor ventures around town (in addition to getting out and playing in the snow!). There are some great shows happening at art galleries around town, and I wanted to mention a few.
At American Folk Art and Framing, they are having their 6th Annual Miniatures Show. Artists of non-academia present small works in acrylic, wood block, clay and more. This show runs through Feb. 28.
Amongst other current showings, Blue Spiral 1 gallery has Cups From Hand to Hand, a showing of sixteen artists working with my favorite medium, clay. This exhibit presents a great way to share in your love of art and travel- you can take home a small piece of artwork from Asheville and use it everyday!! Showing through March 21.
Through April 4, Grovewood Gallery hosts Women in Wood, an exhibit honoring the women craftfolk that work with wood. I love this idea because much of the time when we see artist's expressing themselves with wood, they are men. This exhibit honors the many women that love to carve or turn wood, which I find very inspiring!!
Not that these are the only galleries or shows to see in Asheville- I just wanted to give you a taste. Come see for yourself why Asheville is an arts and crafts dream, and let Carolina Mornings host your stay! It will surely be a piece of art!!

Happy Valentine's Day!! Part IV

Okay, so here is the last post on what to do for love-your-honey weekend (if you missed the others, check out Part I, Part II, and Part III). After choosing which mountain retreat you will be visiting here in Asheville, NC, you have a few other decisions to make: pick up groceries and stay in all weekend, or let Carolina Mornings do the shopping for you (with our concierge services), already there for you when you arrive- either of these options you spend your weekend cooking and relaxing together while enjoying the fantastic views from your hot tub! Then there are the packages we offer, massages that come to you... I of course don't want to stray from a weekend chock full of nothing but relaxing, but if you decide that it'd be better to go out, then by all means... head out to explore the town on Saturday or Sunday! Besides the great ideas of enjoying your Saturday evening from Part III, here are options for dining out on Sunday (it is very wise to make a reservation at any of these tasty restaurants): -Laughing Seed Cafe is offering a Valentine's Aphrodisiac Dinner, complete with a 3- course meal, optional wine pairing, and a take home Love Potion cordial. -Mela Indian Restaurant is offering a 3- course Indian delight with a glass of champagne complimented by live Indian music. -The Market Place Restaurant isn't offering anything specifically for Valentine's per se, but they are an incredible eating place with 3- course dinners offered every Sunday. Most of their menu comes from within 100 miles, and that is to be celebrated! -The Corner Kitchen in Biltmore has brunch on Sundays, which is a great option too. So many options, and thankfully you have a whole weekend to explore just your cabin and the surrounding views, or take a bit to get out and about. Whatever your fancy, a love-your-honey weekend at a Carolina Mornings vacation cabin is the best idea I have come up with for Valentine's Day! Enjoy!

Asheville, NC Fringe Arts Festival

Tonight marks the first night of the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival, a festival founded in 2003 of the Asheville avant-garde (and believe me, Asheville is a mecca!). The mission of the festival, as taken from the website, is as follows:
The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival provides artists with opportunities to explore the edges of their work, collaborate across genres and bring new and innovative performances to culturally adventurous audiences.

Leaves one's imagination running wild...
This year, the Festival takes place in many locations, such as Scandals Nightclub, Bebe Theatre, and on the LaZoom Tour bus. It holds a space for such performances as the Runaway Circus; Western Carolina Sacred Harp Singers; Naked Stark Dance Company; the Lymphatic Players; and Eyelash Carpets, just to name a few. If you are one that revels in upbeat and off-the-cuff activities, the Fringe Fest is for you!! And, if you are one that enjoys great entertainment, the Fringe Fest is for you, too!!!
Jump in the car and head on over to Asheville, NC... stay with Carolina Mornings in a mountain retreat (and enjoy many winter special options, including a gas rebate to help cover the drive!), enjoy this great mountain town, and get yourself entertained at one of the locals' favorite festivals!!!

Celebrate MLK 3-day weekend in Asheville, NC!!

Officially, Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is on January 15th, but we celebrate the holiday as a nation on January 18th (this coming Monday). This gives us all a three-day weekend to remember and honor this amazing person, which most of us do by thoroughly enjoying our time off. Why not take this time to visit Asheville, NC and partake in some celebratory holiday offerings?? When you stay in one of our mountain vacation cabins this weekend for three nights, enjoy a dinner at Zambra on us! Carolina Mornings gifts our patrons this weekend in celebration: a $50 gift certificate to Zambra for FREE!! And, what is a birthday celebration without ice cream? You choose when you go, and we provide the funds: a $10 gift certificate to The Hop Ice cream Parlor! What a way to celebrate the birthday of a legend: three nights in the beautiful mountain retreat of your choice; $50 FREE DINNER; and $10 in celebratory ICE CREAM!! You can't beat it (starting to sound like a perfect idea for my birthday, too:)!!

While you visit Asheville, honor MLK by attending one of the local events out on in his name:
-Monday at 7:30am begins a Prayer Breakfast at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat
Center, with Asheville's Mayor Terry Bellamy as the keynote speaker.
-Monday, Asheville will gather at 11:30am to begin a Peace March and Rally at noon. The
Asheville MLK Association will be leading this march from Nazareth First Baptist Church to the
MLK Park.
-Monday there is a Candlelight Service at 6pm to honor local organizations who are working to
live King's teachings. This event will be at St. Matthias Episcopal Church.

Whether you choose to honor in the peaceful space of your Asheville vacation rental or you choose to gather with community, you are sure to enjoy yourself this weekend here in Asheville, NC!! Carolina Mornings will ensure it, with dinner and ice cream on us!

Part V: Northbound, ho! On the French Broad River

Gather the family and hop afloat for FREE at French Broad Rafting Expeditions on one of the two northbound rivers in the United States: the French Broad River! While relaxing in one of our beautiful mountain retreats, Carolina Mornings gives you one free adult pass for a family adventure- rafting on the French Broad River!!
Here is some info from the French Broad Rafting Expedition website:

• The French Broad River got its name because the river flowed north toward French owned land and because the river is so broad (wide).
• The main stem of the French Broad River is in Rosman, North Carolina.
• The French Broad River is one of two rivers that flows North in the United States.
• The French Broad River flows 210 miles through Asheville, North Carolina, then north to Tennessee and into the Mississippi River and then into the Gulf of Mexico.
• The French Broad River is a free flowing river that includes plenty of small mouth bass and catfish which makes for a great day of fishing.
• The French Broad River is one of the oldest rivers with the Nile and New river predating the French Broad.

Source: www.riverlink.org

The trips upriver are offered 7 days a week anytime March through October.

This is only one of the perks you get from Carolina Mornings for your visit to Asheville, NC. Besides beautiful accommodations (complete with hot tubs and fireplaces to warm you for times like your post-rafting experience) and the Mountain Discovery Pass, Carolina Mornings has a plethora of other specials and offers!! Whatever vacation home fits your family, there are options for you!!

Specials, specials and more specials for Asheville, NC getaways!!

Okay, let's take a detour from our Mountain Discovery Pass (see here, here and here) and say that Carolina Mornings has SO many more specials to share with you while you stay in our Asheville vacation rentals!! Whether it is a discounted rate to certain properties, a coupon to a local establishment (let's face it- with the economy the way it has been, we can all use a coupon here and there!) or a package deal while you visit, Carolina Mornings has the savings you need to bring the family on a well- deserved vacation!
Just to name a few, there are discounted and free nights (??!!) offered; a Biltmore Bed and Breakfast Package; Romantic Getaway additions; an All-Girl Getaway Package; massage add-on options; and coupons to local establishments. And, all of this is on top of the Mountain Discovery Pass freebies!! With Carolina Mornings, we think of your whole visit, and your whole experience. Come and visit and see what is on the house! Here is how to save some bucks!

Part III: FREE GOLF!! Reems Creek Golf Club

So here we are on our count of the FREEBIES you get when staying with Carolina Mornings. With each night of your stay, you get free passes to local attractions!!
The first we covered was a free lift ticket at a local ski resort (see Part II). Now, we are talking about FREE GOLF!! With the Mountain Discovery Pass, Carolina Mornings has teamed up with Reems Creek Golf Club to give patrons one free round of golf per night's stay.
Reems Creek is known as a true Scottish golf experience. For those of us who aren't in-the-know, golf basically originated in Scotland, so a true putting experience would have to take place on a course designed around a Scottish golf experience. And, here we have it at Reems Creek!! If you are in the know, then you surely will agree. And, staying with Carolina Mornings allows you to enjoy the course for one round on us!! Reems Creek is only 15 minutes outside of Asheville, so you can enjoy coffee and breakfast leisurely at your home-away-from-home, and then mosey on over to Weaverville. There you can enjoy your golf experience, pick up some lunch in the quaint little town (I suggest Frank's Pizza, mmmm!) and even go from there into Asheville to enjoy more sights and sounds!

Part II: Wolf Ridge Ski Resort

As mentioned in Part I, when looking for an Asheville vacation cabin look no further than Carolina Mornings! Besides beautiful and peaceful accommodations, Carolina Mornings offers one FREE ticket to two (there are five in total, changing seasonally) WNC outings for each night of stay!! Come and visit an amazing little town, have a place to hibernate, and get out into the mountain air when you deem necessary. Sounds hard to beat...
Located just 30 minutes from Asheville, Wolf Laurel Ski Resort is one of the area attractions that comes as a freebie when staying in one of our Asheville vacation cabins!! Here you will find 20 different runs (although they are not all always open) on 82 acres, with the capability of generating snow as needed, perfect for skiing/ snowboarding. They also offer a tube run for those who need a break, or if you want to join together with the kids for some fun. Staying in one of our beautiful homes gives you one free lift ticket for each night of your stay!! That is hard to beat!! Start planning your first-of-the-decade trip to Asheville, NC and stay tuned for the other freebies you will enjoy!!

Horses, History and Holidays... A MUST SEE!

Image by Axel Bührmann via Flickr

Looking for a great way to kick off the holidays? Check out this great show of horses and dancing as the Lipizzaner Stallions bring the 40th Anniversary Tour to Asheville, NC!

Bring your family and friends to this historical show... this is the OLDEST of all performing dance arts, with horse dancing dating back all the way back to 435.

Lipizzaner, a breed of horses, was rescued by Gen. George Patton in World War II. Thanks to Gen. Patton, this show has entertained more than 27 million people throughout the world.

The tour will have two showings at the Asheville Civic Center on Dec. 5 at 2 and 7:30 pm. Get ready for spectacular leaps and maneuvers that were once used to protect and defend themselves on the battlefield.

Make a weekend trip to go along with the fabulous show and stay at an Asheville vacation rental! There is no better way to enjoy a blustery winter afternoon than spending time with your friends and family, cozying by the fire in a Asheville mountain rental, and embracing the holidays by seeing a great show!

Do you need any more reason to create one of your own Carolina Mornings Asheville vacations? From Nov. 27-Dec. 28, you can receive a COMPLIMENTARY DINNER at Zambra's Tapas Bar and Restaurant with a 2-night midweek or 3-night weekend stay!

Reason # 15 for Staying @ at Asheville Vacation Rental: Traveling & Eating Breakfast In Your Jammies-

Image by Carolina Mornings via Flickr

Budgeting for food expenditures during travel to any destination can be almost as difficult as forecasting the week's weather. When staying at a traditional hotel, the challenge is multiplied as travelers face the added expense of dining out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While the majority of quality hotels do not offer full kitchens, professionally managed vacation rentals allow guests to enjoy their favorite (and often healthier) meals and snacks, as each property provides a full kitchen stocked with clean utensils, pots, pans, plates and ample cabinet/refrigerator space for food storage.

"For my family, including grandkids, the best part of staying in a vacation rental was having breakfast in our jammies," explains Kathy Ogden, a traveler from Clovis, Calif., who stayed with Monterey Bay Property Management. "We loved the freedom to have meals at our leisure and have home-cooked meals instead of dining out."

Often costing less than a single hotel room, vacation rentals afford travelers an accommodations lifestyle unlike any other, providing considerably more space (both for living and dining), amenities, guest services and privacy than other, more traditional lodging options. For answers to common questions, along with additional tips and tools for choosing a rental that fits travelers' needs and budgets, visit Carolina Mornings- Asheville's Premier Vacation Rental Company