"Asheville is the only city in the
Southeast with a true mountain-town
feel," says local expedition kayaker
and filmmaker John Grace. "And
predictable flows on Class V
whitewater year-round. If you're
serious about kayaking, that can
give you the skills to paddle any
river, anywhere."
Read the rest of the story at OUTSIDE ONLINE...
which names Asheville as its 'best OUTSIDE town
for whitewater kayaking'

Whitewater Kayaking
is just ONE of the
many flavors of
Asheville BLISS!

Asheville is not just ONE kind of bliss... it's layer upon layer of bliss... bliss which is often subtle, often hidden, with many aspects taking time and networking to discover.

The goal of AshevilleBliss.com is to reveal to visitor, newcomer, and long time resident alike, what makes Asheville so blissful, including aspects of Asheville's BLISS which aren't so readily apparent... to make these many wonderful islands and rivers of little-known bliss accessible ... in a way which has never before been done.

"Untamed Waterfalls" of North Carolina.
For MORE beautiful waterfalls CLICK HERE

Some of Asheville's many charms are obvious, highly touted, and easy to find. Who doesn't know that Asheville is home to the largest private residence in the United States, Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate... and that world class Grove Park Inn continues to be attract the kind of discriminating traveller that made Asheville a destination for presidents and kings.

Salseros828, Maria 'Guajira' Voisin, Director 'Tribute to Ray Barreto' at the Salseros828 5 year Anniversary & Xmas party

From Rolf Potts' Vagabonding blog:

I've never been one of those uptight literary types who thinks that you have to have actually read a book in order to recommend it to others. So I feel no trepidation in suggesting Eric Weiner's new travelogue-slash-memoir The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World The premise of the book is simple but intriguing-- here is Amazon's description:

Part foreign affairs discourse, part humor, and part twisted self-help guide, The Geography of Bliss takes the reader from America to Iceland to India in search of happiness, or, in the crabby author's case, moments of "un-unhappiness." The book uses a beguiling mixture of travel, psychology, science and humor to investigate not what happiness is, but where it is. Are people in Switzerland happier because it is the most democratic country in the world? Do citizens of Singapore benefit psychologically by having their options limited by the government? Is the King of Bhutan a visionary for his initiative to calculate Gross National Happiness? Why is Asheville, North Carolina so damn happy? With engaging wit and surprising insights, Eric Weiner answers those questions and many others, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions.

In the imaginary Netflix queue of books-that-I'm-planning-to-read, this one has just jumped to the top. By the way, why has no one started a Netflix for books? This question, and many more, I'll leave for another day.

Click on each of the dozens of categories to the left to uncover what makes the Asheville area so vital, so intriguing and so, well, UTTERLY BLISSFUL!

Discover the Bliss of the Artists of the Toe River Valley Art and fine crafts are a significant part of what makes the Asheville area so blissful. Drive 45 minutes north of Asheville, and you'll enter an area full of extraordinarily accomplished artists and artisans. Bakersville Artists Celo Artists Burnsville Artists Penland Artists Spruce Pine Artists Left: Sculpture by Penland area artist Shane Fero represented by Blue Spiral 1 Gallery Click on each of the following links to learn more about the amazing Toe River area: Toe River Galleries & Tours Toe River Art & Craft Schools, Workshops Where to Stay in the Toe River area What to See and Do in the Toe River area One common thread is the Penland School of Arts and Crafts which has served as a magnet for attracting many of these artists. The Penland Gallery features the art of many of the artists who have also taught had residencies at Penland. Other artists have their work exhibited at one or more of the several galleries that dot the region: two Toe River Arts Council (TRAC) Galleries, one in Burnsville and the other in Spruce Pine... and the Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville. Many artists also have galleries at their studios which are open daily. Twice a year, TRAC sponsors a two-day studio tour to over 100 of artists studios, which is a great time to connect with these artists personally. Sometimes you can even get 'bargain seconds' during these tours. To start your tour of Toe River Valley artists in Asheville, drop by Ariel across from Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. This is a contemporary crafts cooperative which showcases the work of twenty outstanding artisans, most of them from the Toe River Valley... Artists like Ken Sedberry, Janet Taylor, Melissa Cadell, Jane Peiser, William and Katherine Bernstein, and many others. Then stop in the Blue Spiral One gallery on Biltmore Avenue and ask to see the Robert Johnsons. He usually has a one-man show there once a year or so. Other well-known Toe River Valley artists frequently exhibit at the Blue Spiral in solo or group shows: Mark Peiser, Kate Vogel and John Littleton, Shane Fero, to name a few.

Discover the Bliss of Kayaking in Western North Carolina! CLICK HERE for more.

Asheville Music Jamboree "... help us create an event that mirrors the true spirit of Asheville with its picturesque scenery, unbridled talent, and limitless hospitality which has captured the hearts of poets, painters, princes and paupers alike... people have been drawn here from across the map, sharing their talents and ideas to create a cultural tapestry that's enormously rich in diversity and unrivaled beauty. May 23rd through May 25th, AMJam will embrace that diversity and beauty, inviting patrons from all walks of life to enjoy an eclectic mix of world-class entertainment and to celebrate a unique sense of community consciousness that will stay with them for a lifetime.... over 30 talented musical acts on two stages, an impressive children’s compound, full crafter’s village, food vendors, and non-profit organizations to educate and encourage social and ecological consciousness. There will be scheduled workshops, activities, and a kid’s parade, as well as spontaneous drumin’, pickin’ and playin’! ...." 3-day camping, music and arts festival taking place the 3rd weekend in May at Deerfields

Ashley Heath and Kevin Reese playing Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" on Main St. of Hot Springs CLICK for more Hot Springs.


Outside Best Towns Issue:
Asheville #1 'Best Place to
Live' in Southeast

"...YOU CAN LEARN A LOT about a town from the stickers on locals' cars. One that's always nice to see: KEEP ASHEVILLE WEIRD. An island of liberal alternative culture, the town attracts artists, musicians, and, of course, plenty of outdoor funhogs. Cradled in a lush green bowl anchored by 5,721-foot Mount Pisgah and surrounded on all sides by the Appalachian Mountains, Asheville serves up more than 2,000 miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails and some of the nation's finest whitewater creeking. In downtown's compact grid, infused with art deco brick buildings, it's not uncommon to see a "suit" in deep confab with a natty dread about the past evening's mountain-bike ride at Cane Creek. Live-music venues host a regular lineup of top-shelf bands (recently, the Smashing Pumpkins announced an artists-in-residence extended-stay performance at the Orange Peel Social Aid & Pleasure Club), and every July the town hosts Bele Chere, the Southeast's largest free outdoor festival, with some 70 bands. Though the population of surrounding Buncombe County has swelled to 222,174, prompting an anti-development backlash, the city retains its small-town vibe. Don't worry: Asheville will still be plenty weird by the time you get there...."

Smashing Pumpkins"Aeroplane Flies High" at the Orange Peel


Frommer's Picks Asheville
as TopTravel Destination

According to Frommer's Top Travel Destinations of 2007. Asheville has joined such worldly cities as Tokyo and Zurich as 'must see' destinations for world travelers.

"This year, editors at Frommer's Travel Guides and Frommers.com scoured the globe and polled our stable of authors and experts to identify a mix of surprising, thriving, or emerging travel destinations," said Kelly Regan, editorial director of Frommer's.'

Frommer's says: "Located in the Smoky Mountains, Asheville is a small college town with a thriving arts, culture, and gay & lesbian scene. It is home to the Biltmore Estate, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, and Carl Sandburg's birthplace in nearby Flat Rock. Recently, Asheville has been drawing literati and celebrities who had gravitated to New Orleans as a hub of culture. With the Blue Ridge Parkway nearby, the area is also great for driving tours and shopping trips to numerous crafts and pottery shops (we suggest picking up a hand-made broom)."

A Crazy 19 Hours in Asheville...
Crazy night on the town in Asheville, NC. Fire shows, asheville celebrity, party, tap dancing, breakfast, art opening, and more... puts the "Weird" in "Keep Asheville Weird"!