I have struggled with how to begin this blog post – mostly because of how hard it is to describe the pain I feel and have felt for our North Carolina neighbors to the west since Hurricane Helene caused such complete and total devastation five months ago. I was here in Moore County, where our community 4 hours away mobilized overnight to collect and transport supplies, to house displaced people and pets, and to raise money and awareness for those who were impacted by this unprecedented storm – but I hadn’t physically been back to see the damage for myself – until now.
Pre-COVID, when we lived in North Carolina without kids, we visited Asheville and the surrounding area often. We spent time in Black Mountain and Brevard, and before that, on the Biltmore Estate itself. We love this part of North Carolina, and when Hurricane Helene came through and caused so much damage and loss of life, it broke our hearts. This trip was our first time back since the storm, and it’s hard to write about because honestly, I don’t want to inaccurately describe how the recovery is going – because truthfully, it is ongoing. I will do my best to describe what we saw and experienced, but I am aware that outside of the bustling downtown – much of the community is still coping with loss, rebuilding, and trying to find a way forward. As national news always does – it moves on – but the damage and the loss persists.
Before we dive into some of the fun we had as a family over the long-weekend, allow me to share some resources for those who are looking to support Western NC.
Lastly, I wanted to share a brief update on where we stayed, and specifically the impact Hurricane Helene had on this home and it’s owners. If you are lucky enough to stay in this beautiful mountain escape, I encourage you to read the guest log book – the night Hurricane Helene barraged Elk Mountain, there was a bachelorette party group staying at the home – they recounted their harrowing experience, and eventual trek to town, in the log book.
Direct from Jonathan, the owner of the property, “driving up to the cabin afterwards was staggering. (It) looked like a war zone from all the trees that were down.”
You can still see the downed trees, and the clean-up and road repair on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway was ongoing when we were there (five months later). While the home sustained damage to the roof from a downed tree, that has since been repaired and the home is happily welcoming guests.
Elk Mountain Modern Cabin
Oh my – talk about the dreamiest mountain cabin – I cannot recommend staying at this stunning cabin enough. First of all, the home itself is absolutely beautiful, with 2 king-suites and 2 additional bedrooms, this 4 bed / 3.5 bath home is perfect for families looking to explore Asheville and the surrounding area. The cabin is actually built with a unique material – insulated concrete forms (ICFs), which provide continuous insulation, enhance the home’s structural integrity, and ensure the cabin is more durable and sustainable than others.
It is entirely kid and pet-friendly, with built-in, retractable safety gates on every floor, a high chair, pack and play, dog bed and food bowls, and games for the kids already set up in the home.
The home features a large deck overlooking the mountains – what a view – given the cabin is perfectly perched at the top of the long and winding Elk Mountain Scenic Highway you can ensure stunning views both at the cabin and on the drive up. The porch has cozy seating and a grill for those low-key evenings at home.
The firepit outside was perfect for s’mores and the upstairs fireplace made for very cozy snuggles with our kids upon waking in the morning. There are rumors of a mama bear and her cubs living nearby, but unfortunately we were unlucky and she didn’t pay us a visit.
The home is perfect for families, but also for a group looking to have a great time (ahem, I understand why the bachelorette group chose this home) – the downstairs has a pool table, TV and direct access to the firepit.
As I mentioned, the location of the home is perhaps the top reason you should stay here. Not only is the drive up and the neighborhood incredible, but it is literally 10 minutes to downtown Asheville. Minutes from Trader Joe’s (oh, heck yes), and access to the Blue Ridge Parkway (currently closed), and Rattlesnake Lodge Trail!
Ok perhaps an even better reason to stay here – the hosts were the best. A family-venture to build, furnish and rent the home – Jonathan, his twin brother and their father were involved in every step of the process. From procuring the land, to designing and physically building the home (yes, their father was the General Contractor for the job). They have had their own special family memories at the home, celebrating Jonathan’s daughter’s 1st birthday there before putting it up for rent in April, 2024. Oh – special, special reasons to keep this mountain home and family close to your heart.
Thank you to Jonathan and family for hosting us.
What we did during our stay
Other than stare out at the mountain view, sit by the fireplace, cook lots of food, and dance around the game room to the Bluey theme song, we explored the local area a bit!
First, we had to try to find some snow to do a little sledding – it’s so late in the season and we happened to catch them in their last opening weekend but we made it out to Zip N Slip in Mars Hill to do some tubing! The owner, Andy, gave us the warmest welcome, shared lots of great information about the local area, wrote down a list of must-visit places, and had marshmallows ready for the kids to roast when we were done tubing. We were literally the only family there for the whole hour – so I have not a single complaint and we had the time of our lives.
We spent our afternoons visiting different breweries around Asheville, a favorite past-time of ours. We were so pleased with how kid-friendly both New Belgium Brewing Company and Highland Brewing Company were. I highly recommend both with kids during those warmer afternoons – especially post-hike!
New Belgium Brewing Company is located right along the river, with a large field and food truck(s) on location. Sabora was on location when we were there and their burgers were so yummy. We both got their Voodoo Ranger IPA – 10/10!
Highland Brewing Company was really neat, with a huge indoor space and acres and acres of land outside. Their outdoor space featured a stage for performances, beach volleyball courts, a ton of seating, and a big outdoor place space for kids. I think it also has a disc-golf course, if I remember correctly there were warning signs when we were parking, haha. We both got the AVL IPA – also 10/10!
Highland Brewing didn’t have food, so we actually placed a pick up order from Chai Pani (came highly, highly recommended to us by some friends we made at New Belgium the day before), and wow – it was so good. 10/10 recommend – but go in person because the ambiance is very cool. I was told it is very kid-friendly as well.
We also did a little hiking, close to the Airbnb. First we hiked Rattlesnake Lodge Trail, a really pretty scenic trail easy with kids and dogs just a few miles down Elk Mountain Scenic Highway from our Airbnb. We also saw others were parking and walking the closed off Blue Ridge Parkway, so we parked and took the kids and dogs and did a 5k down the parkway and it was so beautiful.
Thank you for reading and learning more about our Asheville adventures. I encourage you to keep Western NC in your thoughts, but also to continue to advocate for more resources and funding to support their rebuilding efforts.
If you stay at the cabin, give a hello to Jonathan and family from The Novaks!
A Blonde Escapes 