Travel like a local.

Podcast, Reedy Press

River Arts District, Chow Chow Festival & Western NC Nature Center in Asheville, North Carolina

Best things to do in Asheville North Carolina - Kristy Tolley - Tanbark Ridge Overlook photo by ExploreAshville

Tanbark Ridge Overlook. Photo by ExploreAshville.

I’m really excited to interview Kristy Tolley, the author of the book “100 Things to Do in Asheville Before You Die,” about Asheville, North Carolina. Kristy’s tips for the best things to do in Asheville are awesome because she’s been coming to Asheville for more than 30 years. And she was smitten from the start. Kristy’s visited the city countless times and writes about it often as a travel writer.

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Best things to do in Asheville North Carolina - Kristy Tolley - Gray Line Trolley

Gray Line Trolley.

Asheville, North Carolina

We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Explore Asheville, the local visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.

If you’d like to learn how to travel for free using airline miles and hotel points, check out my free 7-day email course.

Best things to do in Asheville North Carolina - Kristy Tolley - WNC Nature Center

WNC Nature Center.

Getting around Asheville

The local airport is Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), which is a twenty-minute drive to downtown. Use our Expedia tool below to find flight, hotel, and rental car options.

Kristy says that there’s no need to rent a car if you’re staying downtown. However, to explore the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Western North Carolina Nature Center, and other attractions, a car is the best option. For the best rental car offers, visit Avis, Budget, or Hertz.

Uber and Lyft are excellent ways to get around.

When you only need a car for a couple of hours, you can rent by the hour with Zipcar. Join now to get $25 loaded into your account.

Best things to do in Asheville North Carolina - Kristy Tolley - Black Lives Matter mural

Black Lives Matter mural.

Places we talked about on the Asheville, North Carolina podcast

Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Kristy Tolley about Asheville, North Carolina. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.

  • Red dots = best places to eat in Asheville, North Carolina
  • Green dots = best things to do in Asheville, North Carolina
  • Yellow dots = best places to stay in Asheville, North Carolina

Who is Kristy Tolley?

Kristy is an award-winning travel journalist and editor and longtime Asheville devotee. She wrote her book “100 Things to Do in Asheville Before You Die” by Reedy Press during the pandemic.

She’s worked as a travel writer and editor for the past 30 years. Kristy has explored the Holy Land, medieval European castles and countless Caribbean beaches. Ans she’s currently the Content Operations Editor for The Points Guy.

a woman smiling at camera

Here are a few articles that she’s written:

You can connect with Kristy on her website and on Facebook and Instagram. Support Kristy and this podcast by buying her book through our Amazon affiliate link.

Big thanks to today’s affiliate partner – AwardWallet

This episode is brought to you, in part, by AwardWallet. Using airline miles and hotel points makes travel affordable, but keeping track of all of those loyalty programs can be a challenge. That’s why I use AwardWallet to track my miles and points balances, reservations, and special goodies like free hotel night certifications and airline companion passes.

Having everything in one easy-to-use dashboard helps ensure I don’t let any rewards expire and makes logging into my accounts super easy. Go to WeTravelThere.com/awardwallet to start your free account.

Best things to do in Asheville North Carolina - Kristy Tolley - Woolworth

Woolworth.

Stay tuned for our next episode

Water Park Adventures for Family

Our family at Tropic Falls theme park and water park at OWA in Foley, Alabama, in May 2023.

Listen to the next episode when I interview my kids, Timothy and Scarlett, about water park adventures for families. In this episode, we talk about our favorite water parks, what to pack before you go, and how to stay safe during your visit. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.

What’s your favorite part of Asheville? Send us a Tweet, let us know in the comment section below, or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!

Please take a moment to follow the podcast on your favorite podcast apps, like Apple Podcasts or Stitcher, so you don’t miss the next episode! While you’re at it, give us a rating and Tweet the podcast to your friends.

To see which cities we’ve interviewed and scheduled, please visit WeTravelThere.com/map. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please submit an application at WeTravelThere.com/guest.

Related episodes for Asheville, North Carolina

To learn more about destinations in North Carolina, check out our episodes below:

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