Explore Asheville

Nov 7, 2024 | gardenandgun.com | Madeline Houlihan |Explore Asheville

The gumption, grit, and resilience of Western North Carolina is on full display following the impact of Hurricane Helene. The region, known for its vibrant arts, food, and outdoors scenes, is currently in the process of reopening, and though the road will be long, signs of hope are appearing: Asheville and Black Mountain, among other communities, have been designated safe to begin planning a visit, and the iconic Biltmore welcomes the public back, just in time for the holiday season.

Sep 18, 2024 | gardenandgun.com | Lindsey Liles |Liv Reilly |Explore Asheville

Since G&G’s Good Dog Photo Contest opened a few weeks ago, we’ve gotten thousands—2,142 so far to be exact—of submissions. We do look at every entry, so we noticed when a photo of a cheeky raccoon named Dory popped up, and we saw that she was racking up votes. Sadly, we had to disqualify Dory; imagine the mayhem if we allowed any non-dogs to compete.

Sep 18, 2024 | gardenandgun.com | T. Edward Nickens |Gabriela Gomez-Misserian |Explore Asheville

The Wild SouthFrom redfish to wild hog, the avid hunter and fisherman’s new series showcases game-cooking outdoors and the region’s bounty It’s no coincidence that six of the ten episodes of Andrew Zimmern’s new cooking show take place in Texas and South Carolina. For the premiere season of Field to Fire, which debuts September 23 on the Outdoor Channel and streaming on Tastemade, the globetrotting chef and host displays a definite affinity for the South.

Sep 17, 2024 | gardenandgun.com | Latria Graham |Gabriela Gomez-Misserian |Explore Asheville

Murry Burgess and Lauren D. Pharr first bonded over birds. The pair had met during graduate school at North Carolina State University but became fast friends while on a trip to Pennsylvania’s Powdermill Nature Reserve to train in avian banding and tracking. “Every time I do this work there’s wonder,” Burgess says of collecting data in the field. “Often there’s this tiny powerful bird in my palm—so fragile, so soft, with this hard rapid heartbeat that shows it’s capable of flying across the country.

Sep 17, 2024 | gardenandgun.com | Lindsey Liles |Gabriela Gomez-Misserian |Explore Asheville

In the offices of Southern Highlands Reserve (SHR), a botanical garden and research center perched at 4,500 feet atop North Carolina’s Toxaway Mountain, a huge brown paper bag filled with red spruce cones overflows on a desk. A freezer drawer brims with packages of neatly labeled red spruce seeds. Trays divided into little squares of dirt line a back room, each harboring a future red spruce, almost ready to germinate.