I truly think there is nothing else like this location for hundreds of miles. Heading into our 19th and newest state on the Coverage Project, we enter the region of the Tar Heel State most associated with the culture of the Appalachian Mountains. Although the natural environment here might convince you of the feel of Appalachia’s backcountry and isolated culture, today’s location is quite the exception. A visit to Asheville in eastern North Carolina will impress you enough to convince you that anything is possible when touring the United States. Rather than the usual humble, rustic town one may expect with this area, we first experience the architectural sophistication of America’s largest and arguably most well-known mansion, the Biltmore Estate. Built as a “summer escape” over a century ago for a member of the nation’s wealthiest family, the Vanderbilts, this chateau draws influence from the decorated manors found in Europe enjoyed by old-world nobility. Nowadays it attracts huge tourist crowds as one of the state’s signature (yet culturally out-of-place) landmarks. We then take a stroll through Asheville’s downtown area, which feels nothing like a typical southern city. Despite never having visited the country’s western reaches, I would compare this urban area to be most similar to one of those west-coast cities found in the states of California, Oregon and Washington. With a laid-back attitude and a population of free-spirited and creative individuals, you would not believe that you were in North Carolina by simply walking down the street. Gilded Age elegance meets quirky urbanity here, what more is there to say?
Location Covered: Asheville, NC ✅
Subscribe to follow me through this grand adventure! 🌎
🗺 Check out my website for more information about the project as a whole and to interact with my regularly updated travel map, marking down every location the Coverage Project has visited:
Home
📸 Follow the official Coverage Project Instagram page for behind the scenes photos and updates on my travels:
https://www.instagram.com/thecoverageproject/