Overlooking North Carolina’s French Broad River, the Radical takes up residence in Downtown Asheville’s hip River Arts District.
Planes
Asheville Regional Airport is just 20 minutes’ drive from the hotel and is connected to major US cities, including New York, Chicago and Atlanta. The closest international hubs are Greenville-Spartanburg (around an hour by car) and Charlotte Douglas near the capital (about two hours’ drive).
Trains
The nearest Amtrak station is over an hour’s drive away in Greenville.
Automobiles
Road trippers are just 15 minutes from the incredibly scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile mountain-traversing stretch that’s well worth having a set of wheels to explore. The Radical offers valet parking for $25 a day.
Worth getting out of bed for
The Radical’s River Arts District location puts you within walking distance of Asheville’s boundary-pushing galleries, design studios, and independent breweries. Also within the street art-plastered district of converted warehouses and mills is the North Carolina Glass Center, a non-profit studio offering glassblowing and flameworking classes over one- or multi-day courses. Set aside a couple of hours to follow Asheville’s Urban Trail, an interactive map-led or audio tour taking in 30 sculptural stations. If you’re visiting between June and October, go bargain-hunting at Art in the Park, a local crafts market held every Saturday in Pack Square. Or stop by the Tobacco Barn to browse second-hand treasures from over 75 different antiques dealers. Rainy days are best spent in the Asheville Pinball Museum, an all-you-can-play arcade that’s home to vintage games machines and classic video games. Plan a night out at the Orange Peel, the city’s buzzy live music venue that showcases up-and-coming talent alongside legendary performers from Bob Dylan to Blondie.
George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate draws many visitors just outside of town for wine tasting, fishing, horseback riding, cycling, archery, yoga (and just every countryside pursuit imaginable) across its 8,000-acre grounds. Closer to the hotel, adventure company Wai Mauna offers guided four- and seven-mile paddle-boarding tours along the French Broad River, with spectacular views of Biltmore House from the water en route.
Local restaurants
Chef Jacob Sessoms is a household name in these parts (and happens to be a two-time James Beard Award nominee), helming the Radical’s restaurant Golden Hour, as well as several eateries across Asheville. Drawing on his long-standing connections with Southeastern producers, Sessoms’ menu at Table celebrates farm-fresh, seasonal ingredients. More casual, comfort dishes at All Day Darling are served, well, all throughout the day, from breakfast bowls and pancake stacks to Hawaiian roll burgers and fries. And when you’re not raiding the food trucks parked around the River Arts District, try 12 Bones Smokehouse for big, barbecue platters of pulled pork, baby-rack ribs, and chopped brisket.
Local cafés
There’s an independent café on almost every corner of Downtown Asheville, but Rowan has fast become one of the most popular. The wooden pastry case never stays full for long, so arrive early if you’d like a cardamom bun or banana-walnut slice with your hand-poured brew.
Local bars
As a beer-brewing hub, Asheville’s many taprooms would take several evenings to drink your way through. For something a little different, head to Botanist & Barrel for southern ciders, natural wines, and craft beer – all made through wild fermentation, from fruit picked in abandoned orchards. Or, refresh the palate with creatively-mixed cocktails at Crow and Quill, a quirky, antiques-packed bar that prides itself on sourcing unusual and out-of-production labels.
