North Carolina - mountain biking, NFL and city break in Autumn
Travelling in early autumn, my itinerary for 10-14 nights in North Carolina. Biking, ball, art trails and barbecue…..all in the one place.
Itinerary At A Glance
10-14 night independent itinerary for North Carolina in the Central East of the USA: 3-4 nights in Charlotte, and 7-10 nights in Asheville on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Based on flying in and out of Charlotte from Manchester with hops either in Munich, JFK or London. Car will also be essential to move between locations, as well as mountain bike hire in Asheville
Highlights include biking the Great Smoky Mountains, NASCAR, authentic BBQ, perhaps some live NFL and plenty ‘o’ beer
Based on a couple travelling, with a focus on leisurely cultural activities and biking, interspersed with time to just relax and soak up the atmosphere
Why here?
A friend ‘accidentally’ spent a day in Asheville on a US road trip and said it was the best stop of the whole two-week holiday — she wished they’d based themselves there. That offhand comment stuck, and kicked off my research.
In mountain biking circles, North Carolina’s gaining a reputation for world-class trails that fly under the radar. My boyfriend loves fast, technical riding, and I don’t mind a bit of singletrack challenge myself — so it looked like a solid fit for both of us. Add in the cultural side: breweries, art trails, city yoga, and maybe even a Nascar or NFL game if the timing works. It started to look like a place with range.
I’ve planned a twin-centre trip: Charlotte for a classic city break with Southern food, urban cycling, and a bit of American sports history; then west to Asheville, on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains, for a longer stay that blends city buzz with outdoor adventure.
I’ve skipped the North Carolina coast — refinement has taught me I’m not a beach person.
WHEN
Autumn - October or November.
Conversely to the UK weather, October and November are historically two of the driest months of the year, and this time of year will see pleasantly warm days, cool evenings plus the beautiful colour change of autumn leaves. It would be lovely to get away from the UK at this time also - in my opinion, autumn is the worst season for weather in the UK.
Summer is swelteringly hot, humid and the rainiest time of year- it is much drier outside of the summer months
Try to time our visit with an NFL home game for the Carolina Panthers
TRAVEL MEANS
Getting to Charlotte will involve stops, almost irrespective of where I fly from.
With Lufthansa, Manchester to Charlotte with a 2hr layover in Munich
With British Airways, Manchester to Charlotte with a 1.5hr layover in London Heathrow
With Aer Lingus, Manchester to Charlotte with a 2hr layover in JFK
NEIGHBOURHOODS & ACCOMMODATION
Asheville neighbourhoods
Montford, north of downtown - heritage buildings, more suburban than touristy downtown
West Asheville - funky, up-and-coming, laid-back vibes and a vintage feel - a hive of activity for the music scene.
River Arts district - Restored, renovated industrial estate, home to cool warehouses and artists from all kinds of industries and niches
Black Mountain - 20-minutes drive east of downtown Asheville, in the shadow of the mountains, gateway to Pisgah National Forest and Mt Mitchell.
Self catering options, in order of preference:
Top-floor quirky and characterful apartment with fantastic views from the deck
Modern Airbnb bungalow with some great outdoor seating
Historic Carolinian home with outdoor veranda
Charlotte neighbourhoods
Uptown - the central business & retail centre
NoDa - the arty alternative area
South End - the cool renovated-industrial area
Myers Park - the greenest and grandest area
Dilworth - the charming and cute historic area
For this trip, and such a short buzzy stay in Charlotte, I’m fancying a hotel, and a good one - one that represents Charlotte’s historic past and modern future. It will have to be either:
SCHEDULE
Charlotte - Day 1 to 4
Day 1
Arrive; settle in & wander the neighbourhood
Day 2
Brunch: book at at The Stanley
Bike hire: Hire a bike and follow one of these self-guided bike routes in and around the city
Visit: the Nascar Hall of Fame
Day 3
Walking tour: Book onto one of these Charlotte tours - on foot, one to learn more about the history of the city
Visit: the Mint Museum for contemporary art, craft and design
Dinner: North Carolina is, after all, part of the ‘South’ and BBQ is important in this part of the world - pick any one of these BBQ locales for dinner
Day 4
Lunch: Enjoy some classic Southern cuisine at The Haberdish
NFL game: Book to see an NFL game at the Bank of America stadium
Day 5 - Drive between Charlotte & Asheville
About 130 miles, 2hr 20mins driving
Asheville & surrounds - Day 5 to 12
One of the main aspects of the stay will be regular mountain biking in the surrounds of Asheville. Options that strike my fancy are:
Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventures specializes in professionally guided trips in Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Recreation Forest
The Tsali Trails in Nantahala National Forest are a series of mountain biking trails that offer a great combination of challenging but not overly technical trails, spectacular lake-and-mountain views, and convenient access
Big Avery Loop - gruelling 12.9-mile route in Pisgah National Forest. With difficult climbs and breakneck descents, this is not a route for beginners, but experienced mountain bikers will find many thrills here.
Take a day-trip south to Chimney Rock or go east to funky Boone
Asheville Trails offers lots of information on trails in and around the area - including a free self-guided walking tour that explores the city’s history, notable residents, architecture & local art with 30 stop-offs in places of cultural significance.
Namaste in Nature offers mountaintop yoga, waterfall hikes and a Sunset and Full Moon Yoga Hike (full moons March through October) on a scenic mountaintop with guided yoga and meditation.
The Wedge – two locations in the River Arts District it was founded by a metal artist and is adorned with eccentric and delightfully creepy art.
Smoky Park Supper Club, a riverside, casual, lively eatery set in a strategically arranged shipping containers and the kitchen specializes in all sorts of wood-smoked morsels, from char-grilled oysters to wood-fired mussels
Ginger’s Revenge - they serve alcoholic ginger beer that they brew onsite
Make a visit to Funkatorium, Wicked Weed’s industrial-chic taproom. In addition to being one of the most fantastically named beer joints in America, they are devoted exclusively to sour beers
Other Twin-Centre Itineraries
Hanover and The Harz Mountains - a Spring travel plan for mountain biking and city break
Travelling in spring, departing from Leeds, my imagined itinerary for 7 nights of exploring in Lower Saxony.
Why Hanover & The Harz Mountains?
The start of my research into The Harz Mountains was inspired by this article from Culture Trip; I did a bit more digging and found what looks to be a perfect region to explore on a bike.
The main focus of the trip will be the Harz Mountains and I’ve plumbed for one of the most obvious towns as the base - Quedlinburg. This little city is a UNESCO World Heritage site owing to it being the burial site for the first German King, and it was Germany's first capital and an important city during the Middle Ages. Now, it is a well-known tourist destination and is usually the favoured spot for a visit to the region. Looks to be a great base for a bit of biking around the Harz, while also offering up options for historical activities and dining.
Hanover (spelt Hannover in German) is very simply the nearest city and the most obvious airport - so I decided to make it a part of the itinerary. Much of their visitor marketing is geared towards the city as a business destination but reading between the lines, I found more than enough history, culture and uniquely Hanoverian experiences for us to enjoy a few days getting to know this city. The Aldstadt (German for ‘Old Town’) is full of those gorgeous half-timbered structures and it is home to the Eilenriede, Europe's largest municipal forest. It is very bike friendly, both in the city and its surrounds, with hundreds of kilometres of signposted routes and city bike lanes. Its reputation as a business hub also makes it incredibly easily logistics-wise, so superb for the independent traveller. Most unique of all is that the city has an international firework competition each year………weird, and cool. In short, many many reasons for a visit.
I have visited Germany once before - Bavaria and Baden-Wuttemburg - and ever since, I’ve been telling anyone who will listen that the best baked goods are in Germany - not in France, not in Italy - Germany. So add superb cake and daily pretzels to the list of attractions.
Itinerary At A Glance
7 day independent itinerary; 4 nights in Quedlinburg, then 3 nights in Hanover, travelling in Spring - April, May or June.
Based on flying in and out of Hanover from Leeds with a hop in Amsterdam.
Highlights include a two-wheeled day trip to Marienburg Castle, international firework competition displays, enjoying modern German fine dining in a 2-star Michelin restaurant, understanding more of Germany’s medieval history, and biking around the Harz Mountains.
Based on a couple travelling, with a focus on leisurely cultural activities and biking, interspersed with time to just relax and soak up the atmosphere.
WHEN
Spring - April or May
The weather is very similar to the UK so highly unpredictable, though I’m of the opinion that Spring is the absolute best time to visit Northern Europe. That being said, I’ll still expect a variety of warm, cool, wet and generally changeable weather for this trip.
TRAVEL MEANS
KLM, from Leeds into Hanover, with a 2hr change in Amsterdam
I will also hire a car for the entirety of the trip, and a mountain bike for the stay in the Harz Mountains
Note the following:
the city centre is an environmental zone - access is only permitted for cars with a green sticker
there are over 360 kilometres of cycle paths alongside the city’s roads and 170 kilometres of cycle paths through Hannover's green spaces
you can take your bike on the tram or S-Bahn (Stadtbahn), sometimes at no extra charge
ACCOMMODATION
Quedlinburg (in order of preference):
This delightful little Airbnb feels very inkeeping with the town and its vibe
Similarly adorable is this little 2 bed apartment
Hanover (in order of preference):
GORGEOUS and atmospherically designed apartment smack bang in the centre
A very funky and modern design hotel, Me and All - I’d go superior double for the extra space and the view
Arthotel ANA Prestige - I’d plum for a Junior Suite
Funky and quintessentially German loft apartment right up in the eaves
SCHEDULE
Quedlinburg - Day 1 to 4
Take a guided mountain bike tour in the Solling-Vogler Nature Park & Mountain Biking network
Visit Volksbank Arena Harz mountain bike trail centre with a choice of 74 routes
Visit Bikepark Bodetal
Take any of these off-road routes to take in the scenery around the Bodetal
Eat some traditional German ‘pub-grub’ washed down with German beer at Brauerei Ludde Quedlinburg
Get some coffee and cake at Cafe Zum Roland
Hanover - Day 5 to 7
Visit the Sprengel Museum, to see their collection of 20th century cubist art
Book into a brewery tour at Herrenhauser Brauerei
Attend Velo City Night - at Velo City Night, thousands of cyclists conquer the streets of Hannover, forming a huge collective tour of the city. Similarly, at Skate by Night, around 4,000 inline skaters cruise around the city. Both initiatives are designed to promote alternative travel options and encourage the creation of the infrastructure needed
Attend one of the international firework competition displays at the Herrenhausen Gardens
Day trip to Marienburg Castle - 1 hr 30 m each way on a bike. Perhaps book for one of the guided tours or simply stop in at the restaurant
Hanover has a 2-star Michelin restaurant, Jante. I’d book in here for a treat
Stop by Lindenblatt Burger-Bar. All the ingredients are from the Hannover region, with the steaks coming from ecologically reared animals.
Stadtmauer Hannover - modern restaurant with a view of the Leine river
Have breakfast at Fraulein Schlicht (closed Monday & Tuesday)
ABOUT HANOVER’S NEIGHBOURHOODS
Aldstadt (Old Town) - the central historic hub. This is where all the major sites can be found and the half-timbered architecture
List - the cultured and refined residential district. To the northeast of the Aldstadt, it is just north of the Eilenreide Forest also, so very well located for both culture and the urban outdoors
Calenburger Neustadt - the student district. Bound on all sides by water - River Leine to the east and north, River Ihme to the west
Südstadt - the up-and-coming district for young professionals. This neighbourhood is quiet, residential and is considered a bit of a haven for outdoor activity (with both the Eilenreide and Machensee Lake in close proximity) and is home to a lot of design-focused modern boutiques and a variety of modern restaurants. It is also home to the Sprengel Art Gallery.
Linden - the edgy, funky alternative district. It only became part of Hanover in 1920 and often considers itself having a separate identity
FOOD AND DRINK - SPECIALITIES & CUSTOMS
In Lower Saxony (German: Niedersachsen), the cuisine is features many of the ingredients common to Northern Europe - buckwheat, apples, butter, potatoes, cherries, pears, plums, asparagus, cabbage, dill, beer and rye. Some of the more unusual specialities include:
Apple Soup made from cooked apples and raisins and seasoned with a generous helping of cinnamon and vanilla
During the spring season, asparagus served with schnitzel, potatoes and brown butter
Welf Pudding is a traditional dessert from Hanover, which is a two-layer posset-like concoction made from egg, milk, vanilla, sugar, cornstarch, dry white wine and lemon
Pinkel is Lower Saxony's national sausage
Sour milk cheeses such as Harzer, Gelbkäse and Bauernhandkäse
They also love Arme Ritter (French Toast) and Buckwheat pancakes
Other 7-10 night Itineraries
