A Weekend in Asheville, NC: Downtown, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and a Lensbaby Detour
This past October, eight of us packed up for a trip to Asheville, North Carolina, a city that’s just as weird and wonderful as everyone says.
Downtown Asheville
We stayed in an awesome loft right downtown, close enough to walk everywhere. Asheville has a "let’s stay weird" spirit that’s impossible not to love, so for most of our downtown shots I reached for my lensbaby — or as my friends call it, "the toilet plunger lens that takes weird photos." It’s a lens built for soft focus and swirled distortion, and it matched the city’s mood perfectly.
Blue Ridge Parkway
No trip to Asheville is complete without time on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so we spent a good chunk of our visit driving and hiking sections of it, chasing overlooks, mountain layers, and that particular blue haze the parkway is named for.
Behind the lens
Between the historic downtown streets and the sweeping parkway views, this trip ended up being one of my favorite mixes of city and mountain travel photography. I even put together a short video from footage shot on my iPhone, if you want to see the trip in motion.
If a mountain town with an artsy, offbeat streak sounds like your kind of trip too, Asheville comes highly recommended, and if you’re headed there and want it documented, I’d love to come along.
Frequently asked questions
What is Asheville, NC known for?
Asheville is known for its quirky downtown arts scene, craft breweries, and easy access to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains.
Is the Blue Ridge Parkway worth visiting?
Yes, it’s one of the most scenic drives in the country, with countless overlooks, hiking trailheads, and mountain views along the way.
What is a lensbaby lens used for?
A lensbaby is a selective-focus lens that creates a soft, swirled, or distorted look around a sharp focal point, a fun creative tool for travel and portrait photography.
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