Summertime in Montreat - Black Mountain - Asheville
In less than a week’s time, one can see and experience a quintessential, Southern mountain experience. For me, it’s nice to escape the the intense and often unbearable Charelston heat and head slightly north to 'the other Carolina.’ From Lowlands to Highlands, every time I am in the North Carolina mountains, a new experience awaits and new memories are made.
Montreat and Black Mountain, North Carolina
In 1897, a group of clergy and lay leaders purchased 4,500 acres in the mountains of western North Carolina to build a Christian settlement that would later be named Montreat. In ensuing years, Billy Graham and his wife Ruth would call this mountain town home, spending their later years at the top of the mountain, Billy commuting in and out via helicopter. God’s hands in Montreat’s preserved woodland areas can be experienced on long walks through trails, rustic bridges and narrow, winding streets. During summer months, it is tricky to see any structures off the town’s narrow streets, as lush, full red maples, river birches, tulip poplars, and hackberries seem to take over the whole earth. Engage in pottery classes — and explore your creativity! — offered by Currie Craft Center and Sally Jones Pottery Studio at the Montreat Conference Center. Classes include both hand-building and wheel throwing and you will meet many new acquaintances, some having spent summers in Montreat since childhood.
Adjacent and only a stone’s throw to Montreat is Black Mountain. I had first heard of Black Mountain College through the visual arts. Black Mountain College was a private, liberal arts college (founded 1913), organized around ideology and educational philosophy, which emphasized holistic learning and the study of art as central to a liberal arts education. The college attracted great talents and many who went on to become highly influential in the visual arts — such as, Josef Albers, Elaine de Kooning, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Robert Rauschenberg and Cy Twombly. Although it was quite notable during its lifetime, the school closed in 1957 after 24 years due to funding. Many paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture by Black Mountain College artists can be found at the Asheville Art Museum and also the Johnson Collection.
Just twenty minutes from Asheville, Black Mountain is a funky, eclectic town for those who love art or have no genuine interest. There is an array of coffee shops, outdoor stores and quaint restaurants scattered throughout the small town. Dripolator Coffeehouse and Recess Coffee and Baked Goods is a personal favorite. It occupies a historic building with bright, natural light and tables filled with locals. Glass counters tease baked goods and a chalkboard menu outlines fresh smoothies and perfectly brewed coffees.
Biltmore Estate, Asheville
Under thirty minutes from Montreat or Black Mountain is Asheville, a city in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains known for its natural beauty, arts and culture, and outdoor activities. One of United States’ most historic treasures is the Biltmore House (or better referred to as the Biltmore Mansion) and its grounds. A Châteauesque-style mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889-1895, it is the largest privately owned house in the United States, at 178,926 sq ft of floor space and 135,280 sq ft of living area. Still owned by George Vanderbilt's descendants, it remains one of the most prominent examples of the Gilded Age mansions. In the 1880s, at the height of the Gilded Age, George Washington Vanderbilt II began to make regular visits with his mother, Maria Louisa Kissam Vanderbilt, to the Asheville area. He loved the scenery and climate so much that he decided to build a summer house in the area, which he called his "little mountain escape.”
Due to the massive square footage, dense treasures and crowds, it can take many hours to tour the mansion, but an experience you will not regret. For me, to see such historic paintings in situ was mind blowing, as the Vanderbilts lived with masterpieces by Monet, Renoir and Whistler throughout the home in libraries, the main dining hall, bedrooms and sitting rooms. In fact, the Biltmore Estate has a collection of over 92,000 pieces of art and some of the most treasured and sought after Impressionist pieces in the world. Mr. Vanderbilt was a seasoned collector and early and avid support of the Impressionist movement, befriending many museum directors and curators. And during World War II, the Biltmore Estate stored some of the National Gallery of Art's most important art treasures, including works by Botticelli, Rembrandt, and Gilbert Stuart, as the National Gallery of Art feared bombings in the United States. In continuing the legacy of Mr. Vanderbilts commitment to the arts, the Biltmore Estate displays period pieces, as well as hosts contemporary art, including glass installations by Dale Chihuly.
Downtown Asheville
If someone twisted my arm and forced me to move from Charleston, Asheville, what I dub “hippy chic”, would be an ideal spot. An easy, walkable city, there are countless boutiques, galleries and coffee shops to explore. The Edge Boutique specializes in cleaned line and contemporary womens clothing, also curates unique tapestry bags, leather belts and jewelry by local artisans. Also located downtown, Mora Jewelry offers “curated, individual, contemporary jewelry handmade by master jewelers using traditional metalworking techniques as well as modern technologies.” Many jewelry designers are from the Asheville area and integrate old techniques with new, cutting edge and reimagined designs. Take a breather and enjoy a coffee or champagne at the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar, which is one of downtown Asheville’s must visits. Located at the historic Grove Arcade, Battery Park offers delectable bites and deserts within a two-story bookstore decorated with art and antiques. Battery Park’s bookstore is perfect any day, but particularly a rainy one.
Asheville Art Museum is located in the center of downtown and is easily accessible. Galleries are built and curated so that a visitor can spend a range of time (thirty minutes to a full day) viewing stunning works by regionally and nationally acclaimed artists, printmakers, photographers, sculptors and furniture makers. Permanent and rotating exhibitions feature American art from the 20th and 21st centuries and rare art and objects from Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia are displayed throughout the space. Permanent exhibitions pay tribute to the Black Mountain College art works from the mid-century.
Take your time and spend as much Summertime as possible in the Blue Ridge mountains. Take long walks through nature trails along rippling streams and sleep with the windows open. Be present to make memories with family and friends, only a slower pace can allow. Taste local sweet jams and honey and sip perfect coffee brews by local baristas. In what many call “God’s country,” the scenery, art, and culinary experiences will converge to become a unique travel experience only North Carolina can lend.
