Asheville Cabin Rental Blog

Let’s not forget about Memorial Day.  Near Asheville Cabin Rental is this annual ceremony in Asheville next weekend.

ASHEVILLE NC - The City of Asheville Mayor’s Committee on Veterans Affairs will host the annual Memorial Day ceremony on the Roger McGuire Green of Pack Square Park at 3 p.m. on May 27, 2013.

Event highlights will include the Presentation of Colors by Enka High School ROTC and Recognition of Service by Buncombe County Commission Vice-Chair Holly Jones.  Mayor Terry Bellamy of the City of Asheville will be the keynote speaker.  A wreath will be laid by representatives of the Armed Forces and emergency responders in commemoration of those who have sacrificed their lives in service to their country.  The ceremony will include musical performances and a rifle volley by the Asheville Police Department Honor Guard.  Larry Blunt, news anchor for WLOS13, will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

The public is invited.  For more information on the event, please contact the City of Asheville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Department at (828) 259-5800.

For those mothers staying this weekend at Asheville Cabin Rental, this is a great mother’s day promotion by Biltmore Estate - FREE tickets for moms!  Happy Mother’s Day!

When George Vanderbilt brought his mother, Maria Kissam Vanderbilt, to the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina in the 1880s, it was to help restore her health. While she convalesced and took in the crisp Asheville air, George explored the countryside by horseback. It wasn’t long before the young man fell in love with the stunning views and began purchasing land that would become the Biltmore grounds and home to his 250-room chateau, Biltmore House.

Mother’s Day is May 12, 2013, and Biltmore honors mothers on their special day. Mothers will be admitted free with purchase of an adult or youth ticket. It’s an opportunity for mom to enjoy the beauty of Biltmore, and the fresh spring air, much like Maria Vanderbilt did.

A day with mom at Biltmore includes self-guided tours of Biltmore House, access to all of the estate’s blooming gardens, a visit to Biltmore’s award-winning Winery for complimentary wine tasting, and exploration of Antler Hill Village, Farm and Barnyard. Biltmore has miles of walking and hiking trails, and many spots for picnics. We offer specialty outdoor excursions such as horse-drawn carriage rides, horseback riding, land tours by Segway, fly fishing, kayaking and more (these are additional priced items). Click here for more about these specialty tours.

Savings: If you book your Mother’s Day visit seven or more days in advance, you’ll save $15 off the ticket price. Click here for more information.

The Inn on Biltmore Estate will serve a very special Mother’s Day Brunch, featuring a delectable selection of cooked-to-order omelets, Belgian waffles and elaborate buffet items. Click here for information on menu and how to book.

The Inn is also offering a “Stay Two Nights for the Price of One” deal. Arrive on Mother’s Day, May 12, or Sunday, May 19, and your second night is free (does not include admission to the estate or Biltmore House). Click here for more information and how to book. Or, call 866-336-1245 to make reservations.

Visit our website at www.biltmore.com.

This is going on tomorrow at Chimney Rock.  Pretty cool, for those staying at Asheville Cabin Rental this weekend, could be fun with kids.

ASHEVILLE NC – This past winter left beekeepers across Western North Carolina devastated since finding half or more of their honeybee populations dead or missing, and nobody knows for certain why. The phenomenon is known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

“Losses have been steady at 30 percent, but this year it looks really bad… like 50 percent or higher across North Carolina. I’ve talked to some beekeepers that have lost two-thirds of their hives. We’re creating as many new colonies as we can to replace the honeybees, but the beekeepers won’t make it more than a year or two at these levels,” says Carl Chesick, Executive Director at the Center for Honeybee Research.

Beekeepers from the Center for Honey Bee Research, Asheville’s Bee City USA and Rutherford County Beekeepers Association will gather at the 3^rd Annual Buzz on Bees on April 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park. They will educate the public on current problems facing honeybees, like CCD, and what people can do to get involved and help our area’s dying bees.

At Buzz on Bees, glass-enclosed observation hives will allow guests to study live honeybees up close and marvel at these hard-working insects. Local beekeepers will explain the art of beekeeping and honey production with their equipment on display. Bee City USA will lead pollinator hunts for kids and families, helping them understand how bees pollinate plants and how to attract them to your own backyard.

A professional storyteller will hold short bee programs for kids, and a children’s crafts area will offer fun facts on honeybees, coloring and an opportunity for kids to make their own bee costumes with antennae. Some local honey and beeswax products will be available for purchase. Buzz on Bees will be held at Park tents in the top parking lot. There is no additional cost with paid Park admission, which is currently $12 adult, $6 youth (ages 5-15) and free for 4 years and under. Event details are online at chimneyrockpark.com.

Trouble for Bees. Carl Chesick reports losses up to 90 percent this year at his suburban farm in West Asheville, but his hives in more rural areas have fared better. He attributes the higher death rate in part to pesticides and herbicides used for lawn care, such as Roundup. Bees may fly up to three miles for nectar and pollen, and when they pollinate plants that have been sprayed, they may not survive or they may bring the poison back to the hive.

Chesik says since the EPA stopped doing their own testing of new pesticides a decade ago, use of these pesticides has increased more than ten-fold. In addition to deadly pesticides, fungi, mites and loss of habitat, a sudden mysterious decline in the bee population, known as Colony Collapse Disorder, has beekeepers and farmers baffled and concerned about honeybees dying off rapidly. It’s become a problem in the U.S. and parts of Europe affecting crop pollination, which is expected to shrink yields and drive up food prices.

“Part of the problem is our society has come to value weed and insect-free lawns and exotic decorative plants over a diversity of native plants that sustain thousands of native pollinator species and vice versa,” said Phyllis Stiles, Director of Bee City USA.

There are simple measures everyone can take to help, such as avoiding the use of pesticides on gardens and lawns and adding native flowering plants that are pollinator-friendly to their landscapes. BeeCityUSA.org offers an online resource to create a native, pollinator-friendly plant list specific for your yard anywhere in the U.S., and more information will be available at Buzz on Bees.

The Essential Honeybee. The USDA estimates 80 percent of insect-pollinated plants, such as fruits and vegetables, rely on pollination by honeybees. In the U.S. alone, honeybees contribute $15 billion annually to our agricultural economy. Many of our beekeepers, like those in Western North Carolina, are small-scale amateurs who have a large impact. According to the USDA, about 95 percent of the nation’s 150,000 to 200,000 beekeepers are hobbyists and, along with part-time beekeepers, produce about 40 percent of our honey.

Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park has been one of the Southeast’s most iconic and popular travel destinations for more than 100 years. Beyond its stunning 75-mile views of Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge, Chimney Rock offers scenic hiking, rock climbing, Grady’s Animal Discovery Den and educational events year-round. It’s the only state park in the Southeast with an elevator inside a mountain. The park was featured in The Last of the Mohicans, which will be shown on a large outdoor screen at the 2^nd Annual Movie on the Meadows June 15. Chimney Rock is located only 40 minutes southeast of Asheville on Highway 64/74A in Chimney Rock, N.C. Call (800) 277-9611 or visit chimneyrockpark.com.

About The Center for Honey Bee Research

Based in Asheville, N.C., the Center for Honey Bee Research promotes natural beekeeping without chemicals and antibiotics. Their mission is to serve as a world communications center for the exchange of beekeeping information and to promote conferences, schools and events to educate beekeepers and the general public on the importance of honeybees in our environment. They are a research-based organization working to establish a comprehensive laboratory to analyze everything affecting the health of bees and their environment. Learn more at www.honeybeeresearch.org.

About Bee City USA

On June 26, 2012, Asheville City Council voted unanimously to become the inaugural Bee City USA™. Bee City USA is a program of the Center for Honeybee Research. By engaging with municipal leaders, our goal is to promote healthy, sustainable habitats and communities not only for honeybees but also for thousands of species of native bees and other pollinators, one municipality at a time.  Now Bee City USA wants to share this message:  each time we plant a native species—one that thrived in our county (yes “county”, not “country”) for thousands of years, we are making the world safer for pollinators and fortifying the local, complex food web for man, plant, and animal. Phyllis Stiles is director of Bee City USA. For more information, visit www.beecityusa.org.

For visitors staying with us this weekend at Asheville Cabin Rental, this is an exciting event on Saturday!  Our first local food festival!

ASHEVILLE NC – Farmers are planting and starting to pick from their hoophouses and fields, tailgate markets and roadside farm stands are opening with garden starts and early produce, and Appalachian Grown™ partner restaurants are featuring local spring veggies on their menus. In other words, the harvest season has arrived in the Southern Appalachians. To celebrate, ASAP will host their first Local Food Fest Saturday, April 27, from 2 until 6 pm on Wall Street in downtown Asheville. The free family-friendly event also marks the release of ASAP’s 2013 Local Food Guide.

“In the past, we’ve hosted a Local Food Guide release party,” explains Scott Bunn, ASAP’s development director. “This year, we wanted to create an event where local food supporters of all ages could come together to celebrate not only the guide, but also this exciting time of bounty and many of the key players that make up our thriving food community.”

A farmers market at the event will feature farmers and artisan food producers who sell to Wall Street restaurants, including Sunburst Trout Farms, Rise Up Rooted Farm, Looking Glass Creamery, Farm & Sparrow, Imladris Farm, and Hickory Nut Gap Farm. Wall Street restaurants—all Appalachian Grown partners: Early Girl Eatery, The Market Place, MG Road, Cucina 24, and Laughing Seed Cafe—will whip up delicious local specials during their regular hours on April 27. Early Girl and Laughing Seed are open throughout the fest. The Market Place will open early for the event, offering a special local taco from 2 to 5 pm; they will serve their regular menu with local specials beginning at 5 pm. Cucina 24 and MG Road open at 5 pm; MG Road will also offer goodies outside of their restaurant throughout the event. A percentage of the day’s sales at these eateries will benefit ASAP.

The fest will also feature live music by Galen Kipar of Galen Kipar Project from 2:30 to 4:30 pm; a children’s area with a local food tasting, face painting, and story time once an hour from Malaprop’s, Spellbound, and Buncombe County Library; a countertop chopping block demonstration from local artist Steven Tengelsen; and the opportunity to enter raffles with prizes ranging from a free pass to ASAP’s Farm Tour to a free night’s stay at Hawk & Ivy B&B, and gift certificates to Asheville City Market and Livi’s Pantry to a gift box of salsa and hot sauce from Smoking J’s Fiery Foods.

Of course, the fest is also a chance to grab ASAP’s 2013 Local Food Guide hot off the press, as well as an opportunity to talk with the organization about their work and learn how to get involved. The twelfth edition of the Local Food Guide contains 800+ listings of farmers markets, CSAs, u-pick farms, restaurants, groceries, and more—the most to date—along with articles from area food and farming experts. Those unable to make it to the event can browse the 2013 guide online at appalachiangrown.org. Print copies are also distributed to 400+ locations around the region; find these locations at asapconnections.org.

ABOUT ASAP (APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT)

ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. To learn more about ASAP’s work, visit asapconnections.org, or call (828) 236-1282.

For those staying at Asheville Cabin Rental this spring and summer season, an exciting part of being in this area are our farmers markets.

ASHEVILLE NC – Yes, it is spring. One way to know for sure, even with the confusing cold and snow? Tailgate tents are going up, and area farmers markets are opening outdoors for the harvest season. At spring tailgates, expect fresh greens, spring onions and asparagus; meats, cheeses, baked goods, value-added farm items like preserves, and a wide selection of plant starts. Produce offerings will differ from market to market based on the location of vendor farms—microclimates vary greatly in the region. Last winter was also much warmer, so early April markets won’t have the exact same offerings as they did in 2012.

Find a list of spring tailgate opening days below. Markets listed are all members of the Mountain Tailgate Market Association (MTMA), a collaborative group of farmer- and vendor-only area markets. For a complete list of the 90+ tailgates in the region, including their season start dates (a new feature for 2013!), visit ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org. The 2013 print guide hits stands in late April.

MTMA Opening Dates

Visiting the Asheville area?  Joining us at Asheville Cabin Rental?  Asheville has an abundance of things to do, including performances and art openings at many nearby colleges and universities.  Western Carolina University is one of these universities, and with their recent approval of beer and wine sales in their arts center, many are finding a patronage of WCU that much more inviting.

Visitors to the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University soon will be able to enjoy a glass of wine or mug of beer along with the venue’s arts and entertainment offerings.

The WCU Board of Trustees, as part of its quarterly meeting Friday, March 1, approved an amendment to the campus alcohol policy allowing the sale of beer and wine for selected events in the Bardo Arts Center.

The new policy is made possible by the approval of countywide alcohol sales by the voters of Jackson County in a referendum last spring. The trustees had previously approved a similar amendment in 2006 to allow sale of beer and wine in the arts building, but Jackson County’s designation as a “dry county” rendered moot the university policy change.

The campus policy change is based on an amendment made in 2005 to state alcoholic beverage laws by the N.C. General Assembly that allows constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina system to sell beer and wine at performing arts centers. The law specifically defines a performing arts center as a venue of 2,000 seats or fewer built or used primarily for performances in the arts – including music, theater, film, performance art and recitation.

Under the new policy approved by WCU’s board, the university’s food service contractor will be authorized to sell beer and wine at selected events in the Bardo Arts Center and will be required to adhere to all rules and regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages. No food or drink is permitted in the performance hall.

Aramark, WCU’s food service partner, is in the process of obtaining appropriate ABC permits, said George Little, a member of WCU’s Board of Trustees and chair of the board’s administration, governance and trusteeship committee, which recommended the policy amendment.

The production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” in April is expected to be the first event in the Bardo Arts Center at which beer and wine will be sold, Little said.

For those looking to experience Asheville in a new light, or those who know the wonders that Asheville has to offer, this looks like a great day for learning!  Staying at Asheville Cabin Rental?  Experience more of the alternative side of Asheville.

ASHEVILLE NC – Most people who live in urban areas like downtown West Asheville have no idea that they are surrounded by edible and medicinal plants. Examples of this include the garden ornamental forsythia, which is used in for fevers and infected sores, and violet, the common lawn weed, which is both edible and useful for treating red, swollen eyes. Even non-native invasive species like honeysuckle, kudzu, and Japanese knowtweed are both edible and medicinal. “In the years that I have been doing these plant walks I have catalogued over 60 medicinal and edible plants in the block immediately surrounding the Center and I am sure that there are more,” says Nancy Hyton, Licensed Acupuncturist, Certified Herbalist, and founder of the Center for Holistic Medicine in downtown West Asheville. Nancy says that edible and medicinal plants can easily be found in abundance in formal gardens and abandoned lots, even in the cracks in the sidewalk.

This May 18th with be the sixth West Asheville Urban Plant Walk, an event that Nancy hosts every spring and fall. “It is so amazing,” says Nancy, “without fail every time I do a plant walk I have between fifteen and twenty people show up. The general public definitely has a strong desire to learn about plants.” People are interested in attending the walks for a multitude of reasons. Some want to learn what plants they can harvest for food, some are interested in making their own medicine, and some just want to feel more connected to nature. “Going on a plant walk is an excellent way to open your eyes to the bounty that the plant world has to offer us and can change the way you think about weeds forever.”

Nancy collaborates on the walks with different people each year. This May’s walk will be co-hosted by Nancy and Ceara Foley, director of the Appalachia School of Holistic Herbal Medicine. This school, also located in West Asheville, has been opened for over twenty years and is the oldest school of its kind in the southeast. Collaborating on the walks with different people each year helps keep it fresh. “We also try to cover a different route each time,” says Nancy. “Last fall we spent an hour just in the parking lot!” Having Nancy, who is trained in Chinese herbal medicine, and Ceara, who is trained more in western herbal medicine, host the walk gives participants two different perspectives. “Its amazing how the same plant will used so differently in different traditions,” says Nancy.

The 6th West Asheville Urban Plant Walk be happening Saturday, May 18th from 10:30 to 12:00, rain or shine. It will start at the Center for Holistic Medicine, which is located at 779 Haywood Road in the heart of downtown West Asheville. The cost for the walk is $5 for adults (kids are free!) and includes a free handout of local plants. Sign up in advance at the Center or just come by on the day of the event. You can also call 505-3174 or email nancy@centerholistic.com to reserve a spot. The walk does sell out each time so reservations are recommended. For more information about the walk go to the “Events” page of the Center’s website, www.centerholistic.com. For a list of plants that have been covered in the past see their “Urban Herbs” page.

About the Center for Holistic Medicine

The Center for Holistic Medicine is located at 779 Haywood Road in downtown West Asheville, 28806. It was founded in 2008 and will be open five years this April. The Center has been voted best of WNC four years in a row in the mountain Xpress reader’s poll in three different categories: Best Alternative Healing Center, Best Acupuncturist, and best Massage Therapist. The Center was founded by Nancy Hyton, a Licensed Acupuncturist and Certified Herbalist, who has a special interest in collaborating and working with health care practitioners from other fields. The Center’s website is www.centerholistic.com and the phone number is (828) 505-3174.

This might be interesting for people staying at Asheville Cabin Rental for help with things to do in Asheville, events, and more.

ASHEVILLE NC - The City of Asheville is proud to announce today that the U.S.  Cellular Center (Formally known as the Asheville Civic Center) has launched a new website:  www.USCellularCenterAsheville.com The site provides prospective clients and guests with all of the information they need prior to attending or hosting an event at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Exhibition Hall or one of our many meeting rooms.

Guests looking for information on upcoming events can find information on ticketing, parking, venue FAQs and more with just a click of the mouse.  The new website offers the opportunity to view seating charts prior to purchasing tickets and provides a direct link to purchase tickets for events.  Guests can also instantly share anything on the U.S. Cellular Center’s website with their friends and family via any of the over 100 social media plug-ins made available.

Looking to host an event in Asheville?  The U.S. Cellular Center has space for all sizes of events, from a meeting of 15 people, to a conference for thousands, to a sold out concert of over 7,000 patrons.  Explore the ‘Promoter Info’ tab for great resources and information on hosting an event here at the U.S. Cellular Center Asheville.

Web design by Cape Fear Webmasters, www.CFWebmasters.com. Questions, comments and inquiries may be directed to General Manager Chris Corl at ccorl@ashevillenc.gov