Experience Asheville

Talking tourism with the incredible perspective it all brings to our beautiful city with General Manager of Biltmore Farms Hotels, Robert Foster. Greg has lots of questions about if the city can sustain the growth, the balance of locals to visitors and more. Robert shares a wealth of knowledge, both from his personal and professional experience, including the fact that there has been a 26% increase in hotel rooms and what he feels that means for guests coming in to Visit Asheville. He shares some of what is going on in terms of tourism growth, expansion in to new areas including the creation of 26k jobs and overall impact in Buncombe County and beyond.

This episode is jam packed with fun facts too, like the Doubletree Hotel was the old Biltmore Farms Dairy, the amazing beer from Hillman Beer & Catawba and his fav restaurant which offers a Caliente Margarita and a Blood Orange Margarita (any guesses), What's up and coming, according to Robert, you'll have to listen till the end!

There is always something happening in and around Asheville. Whether it is a new business start up, politics, happenings and more, and our next guest has been writing about this and more since 2008! In this episode we talk with Jason Sanford of Ashvegas who shares how he got his start, where the idea for Ashvegas came from and how he transitioned to full time. Stay till the end, Jason shares where he and his fur friend, Sammie, like to get outside. The city you love, the news you want!

This episode is a riot, with fun facts, biz tips, maybe even a life lesson and more! There are over 800 restaurants in Buncombe County and at least 300 are independently owned, we get owner Kevin Westmoreland's take on how to stand out and keep things fresh for both locals and visitors. Kevin is co-owner of Corner Kitchen and Chestnut restaurants in Asheville with chef Joe Scully; he shares the strange way he ended up in the restaurant biz, the importance of buying from local farmers, keeping things fresh and the overall food scene in our great city. Kevin shares HIS go to restaurants in town and a wine night we definitely need to check out, so be sure to listen to the end!

Today the microphone is turned and Greg is interviewed by one of our friends, Ryan Krishnan. Take a listed as you get some of the inside scoop on how NCLINE Adventures got up and running, where the idea came from and what you can expect from this Asheville Experience company.

We chat with Ryan and Perry of Muddy Sneakers, based out of Brevard, NC, which is an environmental education program that works with 5th grade public school students across Western North Carolina and the Piedmont. They talk about how the children of today are the conservationists of tomorrow and how learning and engaging outside is vital to our kids and our future land! This innovative program educates on the core concepts of the state science curriculum using hands-on, experiential teaching methods spread over multiple, outdoor classroom experiences.

Perry and Ryan share some secret gems of where to hike at the end so be sure and listen close.

Proceeds from our Launch Party at Twin Leaf Brewery will go to this incredible organization. Currently, Muddy Sneakers partners with approximately 2,700 students at 36 different schools in the Carolinas.

In this episode we sit down with Jenny and Joe of JCM Photography chatting about the Asheville wedding scene. They provide some tips on what to ask and what to look for in a wedding photographer and knowing your style. They even let you all in on a little known secret hike that's pretty easy and with incredible views! Give a listen and enjoy!

Have you ever wanted to listen to some of the most incredibly talented musicians in your living room? Mark and Julia of Asheville Guitar Bar have filled a void, we didn't even realize we had, in the music scene here in Asheville. Find out what brought this incredible couple to open up this listening room, who they've been inspired by and who plays in their Cotton Mill Studios space. Maybe you've heard of the Three Davids or Jody Caroll? Yup, they stop in. There is something for everyone at the AGB, from classical to jazz, cookouts and brunch, whether you want to dance or sit and relax, you will have one of the best times, at the Asheville Guitar Bar. You are going to have to take a listen if you want to find out which famous musician actually lived in Mark's house as a kid.

Patrick from Hunter Banks is up this week, sharing some of his favorite places in Western North Carolina, with over 4,000 miles of accessible fly fishing water there are a lot of options on where to fish and Patrick gives us a few of his top picks. Hunter Banks has been outfitting and guiding folks in and around Asheville since 1985; these guys have a ton of knowledge, so if you are thinking about getting in to this sport, you should definitely stop in and talk with Patrick and the other guides.

Tim Weber shares a bit of his story on how he went from Engineer to Brewer, landing in Asheville and where he likes to drink beer and hike when he isn't making killer beer. Greg also asks about his thoughts on Wicked Weed selling to Budweiser and what that could do to the craft brew scene. Be sure to stop by the brewery in Asheville's South Slope and grab one of the limited bottles of the best beer Tim has ever made (you'll just have to listen to find out). Oh and did we mention, we are having our launch party at the brewery April 28th; there may be a special brew just for us so be sure and come on by! (Sorry about all the extra noise, we wanted to record right at the brewery!)

Take a listen from Adventure Bike Experts Justin and Blair of Eurosport Asheville, located in Historic Biltmore Village, share riding tips, what makes a great Adventure Bike, and some really interesting stories and facts. Sneak peak: you must find out why these guys had to sleep with their window open and their eyes on their bikes while on a trip South. They share some of their favorite rides, including the must not miss, Blue Ridge High Pass Boogie, May 11-13, a full weekend of Southern VA's best motorcycle routes both on and off-road to benefit the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some secret spots and random facts - did you know that Pete the bartender of the Village Wayside gives out custom Christmas gifts to his regulars? Find out what random and extremely unique gift he got one of these guys one year, and why it is still unopened. And a shout out to another local restaurant with the best breakfast and brunch in Asheville and more on this episode!