Finding holiday fun is one of my favorite December activities! I am a December baby, so usually my birthday celebrations include Christmas-themed bars, restaurants, etc. This December happened to be extra special because I turned 30! (Shoutout to all my fellow 90s babies!) For a little bit of extra celebrating, my family headed out on a three-and-a-half-hour road trip to Asheville, NC!
Although there is always a lot to do in Asheville for a weekend getaway any time of year, I want to share about holiday activities for a weekend away in Asheville during the month of December!
Our Itinerary for Holiday Activities in Asheville
I was so excited for this trip because the daytime temperatures were cool enough to wear jeans and a sweater — not something we can do very often in the Lowcountry! We arrived on a Thursday night and decided to start with a little low-key celebration. We picked up some pizza, and roasted some marshmallows! This was my two-year-old’s first time roasting marshmallows, and let me tell you, it was a huge hit!
The next morning, my best friend treated me to a massage at Still Point Wellness. What better way to treat yourself in this busy season? This spa was so unique. They also had floatation tanks for maximum relaxation! My claustrophobic self could never, but it looked really cool. After this, we were ready for some Christmas shopping, and lights!
I was tipped off by a friend who lives in Asheville to go look at lights at the North Carolina Arboretum. Unfortunately, tickets were sold out every night we were there, but we will be going back next year to check these out! Tickets are sold per car and are tiered on the level of popularity. Very much like our own James Island County Park lights!
We headed out for some Christmas shopping in the Biltmore Village. There were pretty lights, and Christmas trees all around so that made up for my sadness regarding the Arboretum lights. Of course, I dressed in my ugly sweater so we had to grab some pictures in front of the biggest Christmas tree!
After shopping a bit, we stopped for some drinks at 131 Main. They had a few fire pits going outside, so it felt holiday-ish sitting in the rocking chairs and enjoying a drink by the fire!
In years past, I would have tried fitting more in on our weekend getaway. Having young babies, however, makes you stop to take a breath! More of my Asheville holiday favorites include a trip to the Biltmore mansion. Here they have every room decorated beautifully for Christmas, and you can feel the magic! I don’t think my littles would appreciate a mansion tour just yet, but try it out with older kiddos!
My hands-down all-time favorite activity in Asheville during the holidays is visiting the Grove Park Inn. Every year the Omni hosts a Gingerbread house decoration contest! (Can you get any more holiday?!) It is amazing! Each house is beautiful, and the artists are insanely talented. I love walking around viewing each one, and then grabbing a seat by one of their gorgeous fireplaces to enjoy some hot cocoa! There truly is nothing like it!
Have you been to Asheville during the holidays? I’m excited to start a fun little getaway tradition with my family! What stops would you add to the list of holiday activities in Asheville?
