Day 2 and 3: Frankfort KY to Asheville NC
Postcard from Asheville, North Carolina.
I started the day pretty early, hitting the Old Frankfort Pike toward Lexington: horse farms till you can see, wooden fences, lush trees, smooth turns, rolling hills and zero traffic.
Then it was drizzle and showers till North Carolina with some more heavy rain in the Tennessee branch. I took a diversion to ride the NC section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Little Switzerland to Asheville. A gorgeous relaxing solitary 50 miles ride in and out the Blue Ridge section of the Appalachian Mountains. Felt like being in a movie, a theater play, till a tick fog came down. Curtains. Applause. End of the fun.
Asheville: a city build around dozens of breweries. A little weird place with a beautiful art district populated by art galleries, record shops, graffiti and, as I said, breweries.
- Think of Dalston before the hipsters.
- Bushwick without the attitude.
- Portland minus the rain.
- Mezzago 2005 circa with all its bloomers.
If I was living in Asheville I would spend most of my time there.
Driving from Frankfort to Asheville Cheat Sheet
Accommodation in Asheville:
- The Beaucatcher, a boutique motel, 60 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC 28805 Once of the nicest motel I’ve ever been, a mere 30 minutes walking from downtown.
Where to eat and what to see between Frankfort KY and Asheville NC
- Three Knobs Overlook, 39000 Blue Rdg Pkwy, Marion, NC 28752 Only one of the several viewpoints you get on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which by the way is one of the most beautiful road I’ve driven in America.
- Buxton Hall Barbecue, 32 Banks Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 Like you can imagine from the name, BBQ is what you get here. And sure thing this is one of the finest I’ve ever tried. Everything is very good but you can’t leave before having tried the hushpuppies. To die for,
- Burial Beer Co. Asheville Taproom, 40 Collier Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 Nice brewery a few minute away from Buxton Hall
- The Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 Another nice brewery in downtown Asheville.
- Wicked Weed Brewing’s Brewpub, 91 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 Another nice brewery were I got offered a free flight sample cause someone made a wrong order. Who am I to say no to beer?
- Wedge Brewing Company, 37 Paynes Way, Asheville, NC 28801. If I had to pick only one brewery, I’d pick Wedge every single time. The beer was great, the location fantastic, everyone seems relaxed and cool. The place is not exactly downtown but it is absolutely worth the walk to get there.
- Biscuit Head, 417 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801. A great place for a massive southern breakfast. Prepare to queue but trust me, it is totally worth it. Do not forget the fried green tomatoes
- La Bodega by Cúrate, 32 S Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801. A friend told me to go to Cúrate (the restaurant) but I couldn’t get a reservation so I went to Cúrate (wine bar), pretty much next door. A spanish place in North Carolina? Well, it was worth.
Driving from Frankfort to Asheville FAQ
Between Frankfort KY and Asheville NC there are 310 miles if you follow the highway. My route was a bit longer, about 380 miles cause I tried to avoid the highways and due to a detour to drive the NC section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Little Switzerland to Asheville.
5 hours if you follow the quickest way. It took me more than 8 hours due to some stop and cause on a tick fog that did surprise me on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
There are a couple of bucket list types of roads between Frankfort and Asheville which make the drive enjoyable and fun.
The Old Frankfort Pike road between Frankfort and Lexington, the Blue Ridge Parkway which runs trough the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Asheville art district.
A midsize. Driving from Frankfort to Asheville you end up driving in a pretty mountainous region, especially in the North Carolina part of the road trip. A nice reliable mid size car is probably the best choice.
Photos taken between Frankfort and Asheville
My itinerary on a road trip from Chicago to Key West
- Chicago to Key West – Main article
- Day 1: Chicago to Frankfort
- Day 2 and 3: Frankfort to Asheville
- Day 4 and 5: Asheville to Charleston
- Day 6: Charleston to Savannah
- Day 7: Savannah to Daytona Beach
- Day 8: Daytona Beach to Florida City
- Day 9: Florida City to Key West
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