I am fortunate to have been raised in one of the greatest cities in the world. Downtown has great restaurants, accessible shopfronts, unique cafes and coffee shops, and plenty of other destinations. Just outside the downtown area is the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Pisgah National Forest, and lots of hiking trails. The liberal culture of the city juxtaposes well with the traditional mountain culture 10 minutes away and provides a spectrum of experiences. We even have the nation's largest privately owned home; the Biltmore Estate, which can easily take an entire day to explore. There are many reasons the Vanderbilt family came here and constructed a huge Gothic mansion. 
Asheville is also Beer City USA for the fourth year now! Each year there is a poll administered by Charlie Papazian and Examiner.com in which anyone can log on and vote for their favorite beer culture. I'm personally pleased that so many cities have recently been stepping up their efforts and supporting their city's vote. 
On June 1st Asheville had its annual Beer City Festival which showcases its many breweries and some from surrounding states as well. It's one of the few festivals which only has one long 6-hour session as opposed to two or more 4-hour sessions. There are few experiences more like adult Christmas than this single afternoon in June. If you live far from Asheville, it is worth a pilgrimage. Buy tickets early and make it happen next year.I work the school years in Kentucky, but I've been back home in Asheville for the summers interning at various breweries and enjoying the culture. Over this summer I will be reporting on, among other topics, each of the breweries and a few of the more notable beer destinations. (If you are in Asheville, go to the Thirsty Monk Downtown. That's at the top of my list of beer bars.)
The culture for great brew has grown so much here that both Sierra Nevada and New Belgium are moving into the area over the next couple years. Get with it Sam.
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