An actor from The Montford Park Players

A Bed of Roses has joined with the members of the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association and the Montford Park Players to offer a one of a kind theater experience. The longest running Shakespearean theater company in North Carolina is right here in the historic Montford District of Asheville, performing outdoors in the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre in Montford Park during the summer months and in the historic Masonic Temple Theater during the winter months. Well known and beloved in the area for bringing “free Shakespeare to the Park”, the Montford Park Players are a hidden treasure not often experienced by visitors to Asheville.

Now you can not only see a Montford Park Players production, but you can get the full VIP treatment! The VIP pass includes special reserved seating, a signed play script and a souvenir “Free Shakespeare” T-shirt, irony included! In addition you will get a complementary beverage and a dining discount card for a participating area restaurant. But the best part is you will have the opportunity to “dress up” and take a costumed walk-on roll in a scene of the production!

The Season Begins May 10th-26th with the 20th anniversary performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). June 1-23 will bring us Much Ado About Nothing, and June 29-July 21st they will be performing my favorite, A Midsummer Night’s Dream!

Performances are Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30PM. For performance schedules click here www.montfordparkplayers.org.

Advanced booking is required.

VIP tickets are $18.00 for adults.

Book this Package with your room reservation>>

ABBA's new logo

On May 8^th The Asheville Bed & Breakfast Association (ABBA) is unveiling a brand new look with a Ribbon Cutting to celebrate our exciting new Interactive Kiosk at the Asheville Visitor’s Center. A Bed of Roses is a proud member of ABBA and we’re excited about this event! Now you can walk up to a beautiful touch screen animation of our new logo and request information on any of our member inns, search for inns by location or amenities and even book a room right there! We’ve been busy creating a brand new website with a new logo that we’re unveiling at the same time and we at A Bed of Roses are so proud of all the people in this great organization that have worked hard to get this project off the ground.

The Asheville Bed & Breakfast Association consists of 16 member inns that come together to encourage visitors to experience Asheville from the welcoming home base of a B&B. It’s truly a “better way to stay” as the Professional Association of Innkeepers International has been saying with their campaign to educated the public to the exceptional experience that staying at a B&B affords.

Each and every inn in our organization has something different and exceptional to offer. An ABBA Inn may be a Queen Anne Victorian like ours, or an Arts & Crafts style home or a cabin nestled in the mountains. You can totally tailor your visit to Asheville to fit your style, your budget and your imagination by choosing an ABBA inn. You can call any of our inns or the ABBA main number and be assured that if they don’t have what you’re looking for they will help find an inn that does. We, as an organization make sure that all of our inns are of the highest quality so we can feel good about referring our guests to them.

ABBA, by operating as a group, can also offer special experiences and discounts for Asheville area activities. When you go to our new website you can visit our “Specials” page for opportunities available to ABBA inn guests only.

ABBA Ribbon Cutting Invitation

If you can’t join us at the Asheville Visitors Center, be sure to check out all the changes on our new website at http://ashevillebba.com!

Eggs and spicy chiles are a great combo

Start Cinco de Mayo off right with a delicious Breakfast Casserole with a Mexican flair! Just about every B&B has some version of this crust-less Mexican quiche and it’s easy to see why. It’s easy to make, easy to adapt to more or fewer guests, and it’s sure to please everyone. It starts out mild but you can spice it up to taste or add a spicy salsa on the side. I serve mine with a spicy apple salsa that combines sweet and spicy flavors for an unusual twist.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 10 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 2 small cans of chopped green chiles
• 1 diced jalapeno (optional)
• 8 Tbs melted butter

Spicy Salsa:

• 3 Granny Smith Apples
• 1 red apple
• 1 diced jalapeno
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1 Tbs jalapeno jelly or to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine the first 9 ingredients, eggs through butter, in a large bowl.
3. Pour into a greased 9”x12” glass baking dish and sprinkle with paprika.
4. Bake 40 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes and cut into 8 pieces.
5. Combine salsa ingredients and serve alongside the eggs

Tulips at the Biltmore Festival of Flowers

The Festival of Flowers at the historic Biltmore Estate and Gardens runs from April 7^th until May 20^th so this is the time to enjoy the Estate in full bloom! During the Festival the Biltmore will have live music, complimentary gardening seminars and even an “Ask the Gardener” station manned with the Biltmore’s horticulture experts. Be sure to visit the Legacy exhibition in Antler Village while you’re there! A new exhibit, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad opens April 7^th. This package includes 2 tickets to the Biltmore that are good for two consecutive days as well as a bottle of Biltmore wine and a bouquet of spring flowers in your room. This package can be added to any of our rooms for $130. Please specify red or white wine when ordering this package. Good from April 7^th until May 20^th.

Book this package with your room reservation >>

Tulips and a Wisteria Tree at the Biltmore Gardens

The mountains are alive with spring flowers everywhere and the gardens here in the Montford Historic District are bursting with color. Come soak up the spirit of spring on our cozy front porch and stroll through the gardens at the Biltmore Estate. The Festival of flowers runs from April 7^th until May 20^th and it is glorious! Start off with a fresh bouquet of flowers, chocolate truffles and a sparkling beverage waiting for you in your room. Then enjoy dinner at your choice of outstanding local restaurants. Two tickets to the Biltmore Estate and Gardens as well as Antler Village and the Biltmore Winery are included and they are good for two consecutive days, so you will have lots of time to tour the mansion and enjoy the beautiful gardens. This package can be added to a two night stay at any of our rooms for $215.  Good from April 1^st until May 31^th.

Book this package with your room reservation >>

Montford Arts & Music Festival

A Bed of Roses is located in a wonderful historic neighborhood called the Montford Historic District. We feel so lucky to belong to this vibrant, friendly, and quirky as well as beautiful neighborhood. There is a rich diversity of architectural styles as well as people here, from Queen Anne Victorian to Colonial Revival and Arts and Crafts. The streets are tree lined and filled with B&Bs as well as family homes and businesses. Even though it is a National Register Historic District, the residents of Montford express themselves through their homes. Porches may be adorned with paintings or a giant polar bear and you’ll see more vibrant colors than you might expect in a staid historic district. So it’s not surprising that our wonderful neighbors and the Montford Neighborhood Association put on one of the best and most unique Spring Festivals in Western North Carolina.

A folk art doll by artist Cindy Riccardelli

For the 9^th Annual Music & Arts Festival there will be 2 sound stages, one on Montford Avenue and one for acoustic music only on Soco Street behind Nine Mile Restaurant (our favorite local haunt!) This is the largest one day music and arts festival in Western North Carolina, with over 20 bands performing and over 100 vendors displaying art, crafts, plants, food and children’s activities. The flavor of the community is retained by keeping the art, the food and the entertainment local. Artists lined up so far offer fine and unique jewelry, fiber art, pottery, paintings and wood etchings as well as mixed media.  Browsing the booths you will find hand crafted bags and clothing as well as glass art and stunning paintings and photography by local artists.

David Holt and the Lightning Bolts

David Holt the the Lightning Bolts are scheduled to return this year on the Montford Stage. David was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of fame and hosted The Folkways shows on PBS. If last year is any indication you will see a diverse sampling of music and art. The festival takes place on May 19^th from 10AM to 7PM. You’ll be sure to see us there!

Bon Appetit!

Add this package to any of our rooms for $125.

Book this package with your room reservation >>

The Hunger Games Logo

Shot entirely in North Carolina, The Hunger Games premiers in theaters this Friday, March 23^rd and the local buzz about this blockbuster movie has reached a roar! It’s a little overwhelming as everybody tries to get in on the huge publicity surrounding this movie. So with all this frenzy I’m asking myself “What does a Victorian B&B have to do with a futuristic tale based on a best selling trilogy of young adult books that takes place after the destruction of North America and features teenagers fighting each other for survival?” Absolutely nothing!

What does interest me, though, is the stunning terrain and natural beauty that attracts movie-makers and fans alike to the mountains of Western North Carolina and the Asheville area. Long before Hunger Games actor Josh Hutcherson discovered the thrill of Navitat Canopy Adventures ziplines or Woody Harrelson enjoyed the vegetarian fare at The Laughing Seed downtown, the Asheville area has been the perfect setting for movies as well as for visitors.

The Movie Poster for Being There

Beginning in the 1920s with Conquest of Canaan filmed where Pack Square now sits in downtown Asheville, 55 movies (see list below) have been shot in Western North Carolina. Some are pretty obscure but others you may know well, like Forest Gump or Last of the Mohicans. Dirty Dancing was shot at Lake Lure, a quick and scenic drive from here. Dupont Forest was a natural draw to the Hunger Games cameras as Chimney Rock was to Last of the Mohicans. The Biltmore Estate, of course, offers a one of a kind setting. My favorite movie shot in the area was shot at the Biltmore Estate and released in 1979. Being There starred Peter Sellers as a sheltered and simple-minded gardener for a wealthy benefactor who is mistaken for a great thinker and economic guru. This hilarious comedy/drama was based on a novella written by Jerzy Kosinski and Sellers was nominated for Best Actor in A Leading Role for his work in the film, his last to be released while he was alive.

Jennifer Lawrence, star of The Hunger Games

The Capitol scenes in The Hunger Games were shot in Charlotte, but scenes of Katniss’ home in District 12 were shot in the ghost town of Henry River located in Hildebran, about an hour east of Asheville. Other scenes were shot in Barnardsville, Black Mountain, Cedar Mountain, Concord and Shelby. Forest scenes were shot at beautiful DuPont State Forest and Pisgah National Forest. There are even fan tours being offered to see where the scenes shot at Dupont State Forest were filmed!

The film is being premiered at several local movie theaters and ZaPow, a downtown gallery, is hosting a Hunger Games premier party, that extras in the movie are sure to attend. Survival Workshops are being offered at Chimney Rock in conjuction with the movie. There’s no end to The Hunger Games Frenzy!

It’s all in good fun, though. You won’t see us here at A Bed of Roses hawking free Hunger Games t-shirts or giving away Peeta tote bags, but you will find a great home base for exploring Western North Carolina’s gorgeous mountains, waterfalls and trails as well as friendly guides to the best Asheville has to offer.

See the Trailer for The Hunger Games.

Films Shot in Western North Carolina:

• 28 Days
• A Good Baby
• All the Real Girls
• Alone Yet Not Alone
• Anywhere USA
• Being There
• Bull Durham
• Cold Mountain
• Conquest of Canaan
• Coupe deVille
• D.A.R.Y.L.
• Digging to China
• Dirty Dancing
• Don’t Fade Away
• Firestarter
• Fluke
• Forces of Nature
• Forest Gump
• Hannibal
• Happy Campers
• Heavy Weights
• In Dreams
• King Kong Lives
• Last of the Mohicans
• Loggerheads
• Loose Cannons
• Mating Season
• Moving On
• Mr. Destiny
• My Fellow Americans
• Nell
• Paradise Falls
• Patch Adams
• Private Eyes
• Raven Fork
• Red Dirt Rising
• Richie Rich
• Road to Nowhere
• Side by Side
• Simple Things
• SongCatcher
• Southern Belles
• Tainted
• The Boneyard
• The Clearing
• The Fugitive
• The Green Mile
• The Healer
• The Hunger Games
• The Hunt for Red October
• The Journey of August King
• The Swan
• Trapper County
• Waffles
• Winter People

From the Western North Carolina Film Commission

Famous residents of Asheville:

• Harry Anderson
• Steve Martin
• Andie MacDowell

Factoid:

NC has more sound stages and production houses than any other state outside of California

I love watching the cream swirl into the sauce like marbling paint.

This simple, luscious caramel sauce is easy to make and adds a rich decadent touch to breakfast waffles or any dessert.

• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Tbs Water
• 2 Tbs Butter
• 1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/2 tsp real vanilla extract

1. Mix the brown sugar and water in a small saucepan
2. Bring to a low boil and simmer 5 minutes
3. Add butter and continue to simmer just until it dissolves
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and cream.
5. Cool slightly.

Serve over waffles topped with apples sautéed in butter, cinnamon and brown sugar for a special weekend breakfast treat!

Downtown Black Mountain nestled in the mountains

Just 15 miles from Asheville is the quaint town of Black Mountain, nestled in the mountains and overflowing with charm. That small town feeling makes for a relaxing day trip of hiking, shopping or enjoying a leisurely lunch at one of their restaurants or cafés. We did just that the other day and took in the beautiful mountain views on the quick drive into town. With a history steeped in the arts, Black Mountain has lots of art & craft galleries to browse through as well as artists studios and unique gift stores. From the 1930s until the 1950s Black Mountain College brought the focus of American culture and arts to the mountains of North Carolina with a dazzling array of artists and thinkers associated with the college. John Cage and Buckminster Fuller taught there and Albert Einstein served on the board of directors to mention just a few. Fuller’s Geodesic Dome was created there.

Instruction on the Mountain Dulcimer at Song of the Wood

Black Mountain is still a hub of creativity in a peaceful, slow paced way. I could have stayed all afternoon in the dulcimer showroom and workshop where Terry Read Smith crafts beautiful instruments. I particularly loved his richly toned and intricately carved hammered dulcimers. His sister was demonstrating and instructing a customer on a mountain dulcimer at the time and I couldn’t leave without buying one of Terry’s own CDs. Their shop is aptly called Song of the Wood.

Antique stores and gift shops drew us in as well, and we couldn’t miss the old fashioned general store. It was almost warm enough to eat on the lovely patio at the Black Mountain Bistro. Instead we lingered over lunch within a glassed-in area of the restaurant that gave us the views and feel of the patio.

The Fountain at Lake Tomahawk

After lunch we explored the neighborhoods, admiring some of the older homes, (our weakness!). We’ve always been hooked on Victorian and Arts & Crafts architecture. We took a lovely stroll around Lake Tomahawk before heading home. All in all, a relaxing getaway for a few hours.

If you go, don’t forget the Black Mountain Music Scene as well. In addition to outdoor festivals such as the Lake Eden Arts Festival, Groovin on Grovemont, Park Rythyms at Lake Tomahawk, the local clubs offer a wide range of live music drawing fans from around the area.

You can find more photos of Black Mountain in our photo gallery.