Asheville transformed from a pioneer outpost into a resort city within a century of its founding in 1797. By the late 1800s, people flocked to this Western North Carolina destination to take in the fresh mountain air, go horseback riding, hiking, or picnicking, and enjoy the luxurious accommodations of the Grove Park Inn and the Battery Park Hotel. During this era of booming growth, one of the wealthiest and most famous Americans of his time, George Vanderbilt, constructed the palatial Biltmore Estate as a “summer home” in Asheville. It remains the largest – and among the most opulent – private residences in the United States to this day.
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Fall Foliage Primer | Local Flavor | Travel
Asheville
August 22, 20255 minute READ
Friends Day Returns Saturday, September 6
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin observed that the world is round so that friendship may encircle it. On Friends Day at Mast Store, we wrap our arms around organizations that raise the bar in our local communities by improving residents' quality of life, increasing economic vitality, and embracing landscapes and assets that make our communities unique. They bring out the best for all of us!
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At Home | Local Flavor | Mast Family Favorites
All
August 21, 202512 minute READ
Five Favorite Farm-Inspired Fall Pastimes
Fall is when the stories we’ll tell the rest of our lives arise from the joys we share with family and friends. It’s when our senses are invigorated by the crisp air and rich colors surrounding us. It’s respite from the heat of summer and peace of mind before the chill of winter. Fall is a season best lived in the moment so memories aren’t recorded but felt.
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Fall Foliage Primer | Adventure | Local Flavor | Travel
In the days after September 27, 2024, highway information signs were emblazoned with a message... Do Not Travel in Western North Carolina. That sounds ominous, but its message was not overstated. Because of the tireless work by state and federal employees, local folks, and thousands and thousands of volunteers, the mountains are OPEN – including two lanes of Interstate 40 – and we invite you to vacation... And volunteer!
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Inspiration | Local Flavor | Travel
All
November 30, 202310 minute READ
It Just Would Not Be the Holidays Without
... Our favorite foods! Food is universal because everybody’s got ta eat! And the last two months of the year are filled with more than their fair share of family meals, work gatherings, special outings to favorite restaurants, tins filled with homemade cookies and fudge, and the anticipation of food traditions handed down from generation to generation
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At Home | Recipes
All
May 26, 20237 minute READ
John and Faye Cooper: Why We Support Land Trusts
Even before we bought the Mast General Store, we were taken by the beauty of Valle Crucis. We’ve heard people describe the drive out Broadstone Road as traveling through a time portal. In the 1970s, fields in the river bottoms would be filled with tobacco, cabbage, or high with hay to feed cattle that were grazing in the summer pasture.
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