Rent One Of Our Adventure Vans
We do a lot of exploring in our Class B Winnebago vans. These are the perfect vans for exploring because they are small (21 feet to 23 feet in length), sleep 2 (our 2020.5 Winnebago 59G can sleep two adults and two kids – or three adults). Each van has its own bathroom with shower, galley and can operate off the grid.
We rent our vans through our partner Melody King, who runs Urban Escape Vehicles. Her website is a good starting point if you’re interested in van rentals to explore the 828 region and beyond.
On my828life.com, you’ll find information about our favorite campgrounds, including Lake Powhatan Campground. Download our free guide to Asheville Campgrounds using Apple Books or download the PDF.
You may want to read 6 Key Reasons Why the Winnebago Travato is a Great RV for exploring Western North Carolina. Get out and enjoy the best of the 828!
Davidson River camping 🏕️. Love the campsite, even at 22F overnight. Good hikes, good mountain bike rides, great beer! Cradle of Forestry, waterfalls, local products like Pisgah Coffee Roasters and a greenway to Noblebrau where the Spruce Tip IPA was recommended by the always dependable folks at Sycamore Cycles. #pisgahnationalforest #cradleoforestry #craftbeer #brevard
Euonymus americanus, also known as Hearts A`busting and Strawberry Bush. Beautiful to admire, but poisonous if consumed by us two-legged creatures. Safe, however, for wildlife. Its European cousin, Euonymus europaeus, is known as spindletree, characterized by hard wood that was used to make the sharp, pointed spindles on spinning wheels. In the folktale Sleeping Beauty, a princess pricks her finger on a spindle made from Euonymus europaeus. She falls into a long, deep sleep only to be awakened by the kiss of a prince.
Love ❤️ it and leave it? Or churn it and burn 🔥 it? I’ve been picking flowers today, Carolina Horsenettle flowers. I am actually pulling up the whole plant when I can. I’m a new and experimental farmer. I know very little of what I’m doing, but I enjoy learning, and I learn by doing. This plant is considered a weed because of its aggressive growth, nudging out other native plants and because of its toxicity, but some sources say that Carolina Horsenettle can provide habitat and food sources for insects and birds and particularly for the Carolina Spider Sphinx moth. So I’m confused. Do I let the Carolina Horsenettle proliferate on my land or do I get rid of it ?
#carolinahorsenettle #weedsareflowerstoo #weeds #my828life #bearwallowmoon #reemscreeknursery #sowtrueseed
Mushrooms 🍄 were today’s project at Bearwallow Moon. For starters, we picked up a mushroom log at Fifth Season Gardening, basically a log plugged with mushroom spores. We chose Pleurotus ostreatus or oyster mushrooms, which we were told would produce ‘fruit’ in 6-9 months. We’ll see! #bearwallowmoon #my828life #mushrooms #oystermushrooms
Bearwallow Moon
Camp in your camper van (or ours) or in our vintage trailer. Enjoy views of Bearwallow and Little Pisgah on our old farmland near Asheville. Situated in beautiful Cane Creek Valley.
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cades Cove is on the Tennessee side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in the northwest of the park. From Asheville, it’s about a 3- to 4-hour drive, especially in winter when you have to drive around the park. Route 441 through the park between Cherokee and Gatlinburg is often closed in winter due to snow and ice.
Smokemont, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Smokemont has a lot of great hikes right from your site. Bradley fork joins the Oconaluftee River here. Sometimes in winter, the main road through the park, as well as the adjoining southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway, is closed due to snow and ice. This is a great opportunity to road bike or run without any vehicle traffic. For technical mountain biking, check out Cherokee’s Fire Mountain.
Winter Camping In Western North Carolina
Nature turns ice into fascinating sculptures. Waterfalls are brimming. Bluebird days illuminate the forests and mountain summits. Sunsets seem even more rich and colorful. The golden hour casts its magic and hypnotizes, putting the observer in a trance of gratitude.
Davidson River Campground
Located right on the Davidson River at the entrance of Pisgah National Forest Ranger District in Brevard. Situated in Transylvania County (known as the “Land of the Water Falls”), this campground is a 15 minute drive from Brevard, 45 minutes from Asheville or 30 minutes from Hendersonville. Weather permitting you can ride your bike on the Greenway to and from downtown Brevard. The Greenway passes Oscar Blues Brewery and Taproom, where you’ll also find a food truck. In Brevard, you’ll also find Ecusta Brewing Co, Brevard Brewing and Upcountry Brewing.
Curtis Creek Campground
Curtis Creek campground is in Pisgah National Forest at the base of the Blue Ridge Parkway below Snooks Nose and Green Knob. It is just outside Old Fort along Curtis Creek. This is Bear Sanctuary in NC Game-lands. This historic area, is the first tract of National Forest land in America.