Romance on a Budget: Take Your Valentine to Asheville

Looking for sweet deals for a getaway with your Valentine? Now is the time to get the best deals of the year for travelers to Asheville, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Asheville, NC (PRWEB) January 22, 2009 -- Looking for sweet deals for a getaway with your Valentine? Now is the time to get the best deals of the year for travelers to Asheville, North Carolina (http://www.romanticasheville.com), in the Blue Ridge Mountains. "The first three months of the year are always the slowest of the months for tourism here, so that means the best deals," says Mark File, editor of RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide. "The fall and holiday crowds are gone, making this a perfect time for a tranquil mountain escape to unwind."

Here are a dozen ways to have a winter getaway to Asheville on a budget:

1. Spend a day at Biltmore Estate for as little as $99 for two with RomanticAsheville.com's Biltmore Winter Package. Tour the house, gardens, conservatory and winery, plus enjoy lunch at the Stable Café.

2. Find discounted Asheville vacation packages and specials (http://www.romanticasheville.com/packages.html) (up to 50% off) from cabin rentals, bed and breakfast inns, and hotels.

3. Tour the Thomas Wolfe House, a sprawling 29-room house in downtown with a fascinating history with admission of only $1.

4. Browse the hundreds of locally-owned stores in downtown Asheville (http://www.romanticasheville.com/downtown.htm) and Biltmore Village. It doesn't cost to look! And you'll find some great clearance sales.

5. Warm up in the 100-degree mineral waters in Hot Springs for $20 a couple. And book spa treatments at a day or destination spa ahead of time to take advantage of specials.

6. Take a beer crawl downtown to try out an amazing selection of local brews in the many friendly pubs and microbreweries.

7. Hang out in one of the many cozy coffee shops and bakeries. For a free cupping (coffee tasting), stop by Counter Culture Coffee downtown on Fridays, 10-11:30 AM.

8. Join the locals at weekly contra dances on Monday and Thursday. Regulars love to help beginners. Lessons and an evening of great memories are $12/couple.

9. Each evening, Asheville offers a multitude of bars and restaurants to go for live music. Often, there is no cover charge, so you can enjoy for a price of a drink.

10. Want to see plenty of art and fine craft without a museum admission price? Explore dozens of galleries in downtown. And visit the Folk Art Center (free) for demonstrations and exhibits.

11. Hike and see the best vistas of the year since there are no leaves to block the views! Plus, waterfalls carry the most water in the winter. Add cool temperatures and sparse crowds, and winter may become your favorite time of the year to hike. There are hundreds of free Asheville area hiking trails to explore in the surrounding national and state forests and parks.

12. Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway (http://www.romanticasheville.com/BlueRidgeParkway.htm), one of most scenic drives in the country. Since salt and snowplows are not used on the Parkway, it closes when it gets icy. But many winter days are quite mild, so plan a drive around the weather forecast. The Parkway remains closed for repairs about 17 miles north of Asheville, so head south for an extended ride. For road closures and weather conditions, call the Parkway information line at 828-298-0398.

For more information on these and other money-saving tips for visiting the Asheville area, go to http://www.romanticasheville.com, a free 250-page travel guide.

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