As you begin to start planning your summer vacation in Asheville, North Carolina, you can already see how much fun you can have, how many adventures you will enjoy, and you can guess just how wonderful the food is going to taste during your exploration of our mountain town. But how much thought have you given to your vacation rental, a place that we at Mighty Tree Properties believe should be more than just a place to rest your head, that it should be an important part of your vacation experience. And because we believe in that so fervently, we equip our homes with a large number of essential amenities, all designed to ensure your Asheville Summer Vacation will be one that you will compare all others against for years to come and this guide will show them all!
An Interior Designer’s Worst Enemy
If you have ever spent much time watching home design shows on television, have you ever noticed how many ceiling fans are sacrificed in the name of design? Interior designers have a hate/hate relationship with ceiling fans, but in the South, they are necessary for the success of your summer vacation experience. It’s going to be warm, temperatures tend to nudge the mid-80s, and although that doesn’t sound like so much, the humidity will definitely make you sweat. Ceiling fans, however, circulate the air inside and out, creating a softer kind of chill, especially when combined with the next ESSENTIAL amenity, one we will discuss in the next paragraph. Just know that as you lie on the sofa watching television, don’t be surprised if you drift off into the most refreshing of naps as the fan whirs, the television plays softly, and the comfort of the couch makes you feel as if you are floating on a cloud.
Keeping Chill
This next amenity will be one no summer vacation in North Carolina should be without, and for that, we would like to send a shout out to Mr. Carrier, the inventor of the first modern air conditioning system. If you can imagine, this didn’t happen until 1902, but our town was first established in 1797, and frankly, we don’t want to think about what it would have been like all those years ago. Fortunately, that isn’t something you will have to worry about, as every home we offer provides an air conditioning system, ensuring that you will stay cool every minute of your stay.
The Magic of Summer Reflected at Home
Now that we have covered the basics, it is time to take a moment and remember the carefree days of your childhood. Summer days stretched out before you in an endless array of possibilities, and the simplest of activities were the most magical ones. We can’t make you young again, but we can make you feel as if you are, with many of our amenities presenting the perfect opportunity to play as if you were that young child once again. Game rooms may be furnished with a variety of game tables, arcade games, even gaming consoles or, the property you choose may just offer a pool or ping pong table encouraging guests to spend some time at home, relaxing, playing, and forgetting that you ever had any adult responsibilities during this summer of wow.
Rainy Nights and Summer Movies
You’re in the South, and even in the mountains you have to expect some rain to fall, but for once in your life you won’t care because there is nothing better than a rainy night spent watching summer movies as you eat popcorn, sip wine, and maybe cuddle under a blanket with a fire burning in our fireplaces. Summer days may be warm, but nights can get chilly so there won’t be any need to turn the ac down to enjoy the fire. Some spaces may offer private theater rooms, furnished with leather recliners, cozy and colorful throws, and of course, that screen that will bring the movie you are watching to life. If the retreat you rented doesn’t offer a private theater room, you can still enjoy the magic of the movies on state of the art televisions found in a variety of locations throughout the sanctuary. Living rooms, bedrooms, even family rooms that offer a second location where the family to get together and enjoy some Disney movies. Smart TVs will make it easy to stream your favorite channels, but in the properties with cable access televisions, you may also find DVDs lined up on bookshelves just waiting to be watched.
Living the Unplugged Life On Your Asheville Summer Vacation
We spend so much of our time in front of screens in real life, you may find that nights in Asheville will offer an extra special charm when you unplug and relax with a board game or puzzle that you have dumped out all the pieces on the dining room tables, putting them together at odd times throughout the trip. (We have faith that you will complete yours before the end of your stay!) These moments will be raucous ones, filled with laughter and dad jokes, music streaming in the background and when real life begins to intrude again, the memories of the moments you spent enjoying family and board games will be the ones you cherish the most.
The Asheville Countryside
Asheville is a city of contrasts, offering a cosmopolitan city life that would please any urban enthusiast and a landscape that is obviously one of Mother Nature’s greatest masterpieces. Lush and verdant in the summer months, the canopies of mature trees provide great shade on a warm day and the mountains, standing guard in the background, provide a majestic beauty that the photos you take will never quite manage to capture. Hiking along the many trails that traverse the area is a popular outdoor activity, but for many of our Mighty Tree guests, a quiet walk around the neighborhood at sunset brings the greatest joy. And because you will want to spend as much time outside as you do inside while experiencing comfortable adventures in our seasonal sanctuaries, the backyard of your retreat will offer an oasis of fun, beauty, and charm. Step through the French doors that lead to this oasis and discover for yourself more reasons you will be glad you chose our escapes for your vacation accommodations!
Those Porches
Southerners have a love affair with the wrap-around porch, perhaps dating back to the days before air conditioning when, in addition to being spaces to relax, sit with a sweet iced tea in hand and watch the neighborhood activities, or dine on a beautiful night, they were also places to sleep. Today, of course, air conditioning enables us to sleep comfortably, but our porches are still where a great many activities will take place. Snuggle with your “beau” on a beautiful summer evening, watching the sky turn to fire from a cozy swing built for two. Lounge in the sun, feeling the sun’s rays warm you as you lounge on cushioned lounge chairs, even reading and relaxing in a hammock tied between two trees, feeling summer breezes kiss your cheeks and hearing the sounds of children laughing in the distance and birds calling out their joy in the day. The patio tables surrounded by chairs may be your favorite place to dine and the well cushioned outdoor sectionals may become your favorite place to nap. And maybe you will find yourself indulging in the greatest of all summer traditions, sitting on the front porch (veranda, for all you Scarlett O’Hara fans!), sipping iced beverages and watching the world go by.
Time for a Barbecue
The all-American tradition of a family barbecue is one we North Carolinians can get behind, and our properties are fully equipped for you and your family to engage in the tradition. We have already mentioned the patio tables on which you will be able to devour the feast, but now it is time to discuss the top of the line barbecues you will find in the outdoor oasis. Propane grills are the preferred equipment, making it easy to char your favorite meats, perhaps including your catch of the day, caught during your fishing expedition on the French Broad River (another popular summer activity). Whole house speaker systems may include speakers on the porch, and we have it on great authority that Yacht Rock streaming channels offer the best musical accompaniment to your outside family adventures.
Hot Days, Cool Waters
And now it is time to dive into the ultimate of essential summer amenities (literally!) as we begin to explore the cool, crystal-clear waters of the private pools that can be found in the backyards of our summer retreats. Don’t be surprised when your children beg to stay home and splash instead of heading out for a day of Asheville adventures, and you should probably expect to entertain the idea even more than you normally would. Surrounded by lounge chairs that offer the perfect place to wrap in a towel and warm up for a few minutes on cooler days, or to sit and savor the warmth of another beautiful and sunny North Carolina day, properly slathered in sunscreen, of course. Your kids will engage in all manner of pool activities, including underwater tea parties and the ever popular Cannonball! as they jump into the water, trying to make the biggest splash area. Diving boards, basketball hoops, and the occasional wacky raft or two will make pool day in Asheville your favorite day of your vacation.
Ways to Stay Warm on the Coolest of Nights
Temperatures drop fast in the mountains, and although days will be steamy and sultry, nights can be wonderfully crisp and cool, making hot tubs and firepits two more of our most popular summer amenities. Hikers especially will love the bubbling waters of the hot tub, often placed out in the open so as to enjoy unobstructed views of the stars as you soak and savor, maybe with a glass of wine or mug of beer in hand. The firepits are always a crowd pleaser, enticing guests to turn off the television, grab a bag of marshmallows, some chocolate bars, and a package of graham crackers, for the best family night ever. S’mores, dad jokes, and the sounds of great horned owls hooting away in the distance as they protect their territory make these moments memorable ones!
All the Ways a Summer Vacation in Asheville Will Be Your Dream Come True
We’ve spent quite a bit of time discussing the essential summer amenities of our Mighty Tree seasonal escapes and haven’t even begun to discuss the standard amenities that will make your vacation dreams come true. Offering everything you will need to ensure a summer vacation experience you will never forget, your times spent in our homes will bring you the memories you cherish. Gourmet kitchens will make you forget your aversion to cooking on vacation, featuring high-end appliances, stone countertops, and large center islands or breakfast bars where your kids will feel comfortable sitting and chatting with the cook of the day. Even if you don’t want to cook, and yes, there are many excellent restaurants in the area, the kitchens will still be the place you gather, offering wine refrigerators for your wine, blenders for the margaritas you will enjoy while sitting poolside, and of course, coffee makers or Keurigs in every space. Some may offer wet bars that encourage guests to stock the shelves with their favorite adult beverages, others may offer coffee bars filled with a variety of delicious, caffeinated flavors, and all will become your favorite spot in the home.
Reserve your favorite Mighty Tree Properties summer sanctuary today!