ASHEVILLE,
N.C.,
is
a
gay-friendly
mountain
town
nestled
in
a
valley
of
the
Blue
Ridge
range,
120
miles
west
of
Charlotte.
It’s
populated
by
free
spirits
and
drifters
who
arrived
by
way
of
the
Appalachian
Trail
and
impulsively
decided
to
stay
for
awhile.
With
only
about
70,000
residents,
Asheville
became
a
haven
for
artists,
craftsmen
and
chefs
with
enough
culture
to
acquire
the
nickname
“The
Paris
of
the
South.”
If
that’s
not
enough
of
a
reason
to
visit,
two
years
ago
Out
magazine
ranked
it
as
the
hottest
small
town
in
which
to
be
gay.
Most
of
the
city’s
million-plus
tourists
include
the
popular
Biltmore
Estate
(www.biltmore.com)
on
their
itinerary,
either
as
an
afternoon
jaunt
or
a
primary
destination,
and
gay
visitors
are
no
exception.
The
country’s
largest
private
residence
was
built
for
the
Vanderbilt
family
and
boasts
an
extensive
collection
of
antiques
and
art,
a
respected
winery
with
regular
tastings,
endless
gardens
and
an
outdoor
equestrian
center.
For
the
first
time,
on
July
1,
the
fourth
floor
of
the
Biltmore
is
scheduled
to
be
open
to
the
public.
The
city’s
Summer
Concert
Series,
featuring
performers
from
Loretta
Lynn
to
Three
Dog
Night,
begins
in
August.
More
than
300,000
people
flock
to
the
Bele
Chere
Festival
in
downtown
Asheville
each
July.
Reserve
at
least
a
full
day
to
explore
Asheville’s
downtown
area,
which
is
packed
with
art
galleries,
cafés,
and
antique
stores.
A
visit
to
downtown
Asheville
isn’t
complete
without
a
stop
in
the
lesbian-owned
Malaprops
bookstore,
widely
rumored
to
be
the
best
independent
bookstore
in
the
Southeast.
It
is
centrally
located
on
Haywood
Street
and
features
an
outdoor
café
and
live
music,
along
with
an
eclectic
book
selection.
In
addition
to
books
of
gay
interest,
the
store
has
a
special
section
devoted
to
literature
currently
banned
by
libraries
and
schools
nationwide.
A
DAY
HIKE
through
the
Blue
Ridge
foothills
or
to
nearby
natural
waterfall,
Sliding
Rock,
might
leave
you
too
exhausted
to
sample
any
of
Asheville’s
nightlife.
If
you
can
muster
the
energy,
however,
the
town’s
premier
gay
clubs
include
Scandals,
which
has
a
two-tiered
dance
floor
and
pulsing
house
music,
and
Club
Hairspray,
a
’60s-style
drag
disco.
For
something
more
low-key,
the
Smokey
Tavern
is
a
honky-tonk
local
favorite.
Residents
say
straight
nightspots
like
the
New
French
Bar
and
the
Flying
Frog
are
as
welcoming
as
gay
establishments.
Though
Asheville
has
its
share
of
major
hotel
chains,
a
better
way
to
experience
the
town’s
charm
is
to
stay
at
one
of
the
local
B&B’s,
especially
one
that’s
gay-owned.
The
1889
WhiteGate
Inn
&
Cottage
overlooks
the
famous
Thomas
Wolfe
House,
and
is
owned
by
long-term
partners
Ralph
Coffey
and
Frank
Salvo.
(Rooms
run
from
$160
per
night
for
the
mission-style
Dorothy
Parker
room
to
$340
for
the
lavish
Walt
Whitman
suite.)
Don’t
miss
Frank’s
blintz
soufflé
with
warm
strawberry
sauce
or
his
crab
and
artichoke
egg
puff.
After
breakfast,
let
Ralph
take
you
on
a
tour
of
the
gardens
or
pamper
yourself
with
one
of
the
spa
packages
available
on
site.
If
you’re
traveling
on
a
budget,
Richard
Fast’s
1940’s
style
Montford
Apartment
has
a
fully
equipped
kitchen
and
dining
area
in
a
stately
neighborhood
for
$90
per
night.
Other
gay-owned
inns
and
B&B’s
include
Compassionate
Expressions,
a
spiritual
retreat
30
minutes
outside
of
Asheville,
and
Bittersweet
Cottage,
an
arts-and-crafts
style
mountaintop
retreat.
