A [Covid safe] babymoon in Asheville, NC

I had always dreamed of taking a babymoon to somewhere far away and magical, like Maui, but Covid had other plans for us. Instead, we drove to Asheville, NC and ended up having a blast! Here’s my guide to traveling safely and things to do in the area. We were super surprised by how much we loved Asheville and we definitely will be back one day.

Getting there

When planning a Covid safe trip, I would recommend going somewhere you can drive to. Some people feel comfortable flying, but based on photos and videos we have seen of air travel (plus like what everyone knows about air travel from non-pandemic times), we were decidedly not comfortable. If I can’t even trust all of my fellow humans to keep their masks on properly for 30 minutes while at the grocery store, there is no way I am going to trust them traveling for hours in an airport and on a plane.

We are not big road trip people and the furthest we have ever driven together is probably Gainesville (a little over 4 hours), so this was a new experience for us. On the way up, we stopped in a couple of places that made us uncomfortable due to people not following proper masking guidelines (or at a Wawa in Cocoa Beach, any masking at all), but we learned from our mistakes and stopped pretty much only at Starbucks’ on the way back. It was much more safe & enjoyable and I got yummy coffee, win! We also split the road trip into two days, stopping near Savannah both ways (we stayed at a highway side La Quinta, so nothing fancy).

Where we stayed

We decided to rent an Airbnb for the week for a few reasons. One, we wanted to feel like we were away in the mountains. Living in Florida means a very different landscape and we wanted to be able to enjoy the benefits of this new one. Two, we liked the safety aspect of being able to cook meals at our cabin and enjoy the time we spent there. It was not just a place to lay our head; we really lived there. We loved this modern cabin because it offered so much. It was impeccably clean, in a fantastic location, and had all the amenities we were hoping for. We were able to feel “away” and secluded in the mountains, but in reality, downtown Asheville was a 12-15 minute drive away and it was easy to hop over whenever we wanted. The hikes we wanted to do were only 30-55 mins away as well, so it was really convenient for us in that aspect.

Where we ate

Prior to this trip, the husband and I had not eaten out in over a year and had only done takeout/ curbside pickups. We knew ahead of time that we would only be comfortable with eating at a restaurant if they had an area that was completely outdoors with well spaced tables. Although we cooked all our breakfasts and a few lunches and dinners at the cabin, we did get out to enjoy some of Asheville’s varied food scene.

• Early Girl Eatery: This place was phenomenal. We both had the Bow to the King, which is cinnamon-battered, buttermilk biscuits paired with fried chicken and served with whipped cream, blueberries and maple syrup. It was delicious and the most perfect first meal to have after a year of not eating out. We were the only people that chose to eat outside on the cold, rainy day we went, but I am glad we did as I saw people inside get up from their table to use the bathroom maskless. It was absolutely worth it. As soon as we finished out meal, it started drizzling, so it really worked out.
• Pack’s Tavern: We ordered late night takeout from here and the Brisket Mac ‘n Cheese I had was fantastic!! I could have eaten it the next day easily. Although we didn’t eat here, they seemed to have great Covid safety guidelines and a good outdoor area to eat. Unfortunately it was late and raining, so we didn’t get to check it out.
• Mayfel’s: We ended up here after trying to eat somewhere else that was supposed to open at 3pm but didn’t end up opening until later. I am glad for the mixup though because my food was really good! I had the Mayfel’s Po’Boy with shrimp and we ate on a sunny patio with lots of space.
• Tupelo Honey: We did not eat here but so many people recommended it. Unfortunately, their “outdoor” seating was a patio that was enclosed with tent fabric on all sides and tables that had absolutely no distance between them. It was busy both times we went by and this was during the week.
• Old Europe Pastries: This little place only offers to-go right now, but it was worth it!! I got a hot chocolate and a creme brulee that were both delicious. You can order online and pickup at the window, or wait in a line to order at the counter. The line was short when we went but we saw it get much longer, so it just depends on the time of day.

Things we did

Art Galleries & Shops

We spent one day exploring downtown Asheville. We wanted to go to a really cool bookstore that had been recommended to me, but they were only open by appointment to North Carolina residents due to the pandemic. I was bummed because I love going to local bookstores when we travel, but fortunately we stumbled on to Asheville’s art & craft scene.

• Ariel Gallery: This isn’t a huge gallery but it was really magical. It is an artist co-op and the guy at the gallery that day was one of the artists. We talked to him for close to 40 minutes about life and art. He told us about other galleries in the area and was very kind. If we had the money, this is somewhere I would have been able to grab several pieces I loved.
• Blue Spiral 1: The artist we spoke to at Ariel told us we needed to check out this place and I am so happy we did. It was a a huge, three story treasure trove of art. We spent more than an hour here and everyone was following masking guidelines perfectly. It was late in the day and not at all crowded, so we really go to spend out time exploring.
• Horse & Hero: This isn’t an art gallery, but a store that specializes in art, craft, and design. We bought several art prints here for our baby girl’s room and could have easily gotten more. There was such a cool mix of art there and we would definitely come and shop here again.

Hikes

One thing I knew we could do that would fun and safe was hiking; however, the husband and I are by no means avid hikers. Also, being 5 months pregnant means that I have to get used to doing things differently. I used this Hike Finder Guide to research hikes that would be good for us. As long as the hike was relatively short, marked as easy, and not too far away from our cabin, I figured it would be perfect. We planned three hikes and ended up doing two.

• Catawba Falls Trail: We followed the trail guide and it took us right to the parking area that had bathrooms and a clearly marked area to start the trail. This hike was beautiful and all along the way there were picturesque stops along the river – and preggo me needed quite a few stops! When we finally reached the Catawba Falls, they were really breathtaking. I loved listening to the sound of the water and found it incredibly peaceful. The hike back was a much easier, downhill trek. We say people of all ages along the trail, so I would say it is family friendly for sure. The weather was nice, so there were people, but nothing too crazy. Many of our fellow hikers also wore masks on the trail, but it was also wide enough that we could all give each other space when passing on the way.
• Hooker Falls, Triple Falls and High Falls Hike: Following the trail guide brought us to the parking lot where you can access all three trails; but the weather had other plans for us. It was pouring when we got there. We waited for the rain to let up a bit and did the Hooker Falls hike first, which was short and relatively easy. Hooker Falls impressed me with its power, but it is a smaller waterfall in terms of height. It started pouring again on our way back to the parking area, and we got in the car in hopes of getting another break in the rain. After nearly 40 minutes, we decided to just go for it and do the Triple Falls trail and I am so glad we did. The rain let up just as we got to the falls, which I recognized because they were used in The Hunger Games. Triple Falls was gorgeous and we spent a good 30 minutes just relaxing and taking it all in. We ended our hike there and did not continue on to High Falls, but you can also continue on to that one, which is not too far away.
• Moore Cove Falls Trail: Even though we didn’t actually get to do this hike, the trail guide looked like it would be super fun. If we come back to this area one day, I would really like to take this one on. Plus it is super family friendly!

We really loved our time in Asheville! The Covid precautions were handled really well and we saw nearly everyone properly masking. The city itself was progressive and had a ton to do. We could absolutely see coming here again not during a pandemic and having a great time.

On a more personal note, as a black, mixed race couple, we always have to think about whether or not we will be safe in a place that we are traveling to. In this regard, Asheville impressed us a lot. We saw signs of inclusion, including Black Lives Matter, in many of the businesses we went into or walked by. We never felt out of place or like we were being watched or judged.

In terms of the pandemic, we felt much more comfortable overall here than we do on a daily basis in South Florida. Being as strict as we are with pandemic safety made the idea of traveling seem tough, but Asheville taking the pandemic seriously really helped so much in that regard (a Whole Foods employee actually thanked us for being so safe in our double masks and face shields, because she said many people come up from Florida and don’t take it seriously). We brought plenty of masks, face shields, hand sanitizer, and Clorox wipes with us. We chose what we did and didn’t do carefully, and we enjoyed ourselves a ton. I would highly recommend this amazing place!