I lived in Asheville 3 years. Here are some of my favorite places, to make it easier to share with folks.

Entertainment

• driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway during the Fall. There are stunning views, plenty of vistas, and great hikes. Black Balsam Knob is an awesome and short hike, if you get early enough to find parking. Caney Fork Overlook is great for watching the sunsets.
• Mountain Biking. Bent Creek is a mountain bikers paradise. Don't break any bones!
• Going to an apple orchard for apple picking. We went to Jeter Mountain, which was a bit overpriced but great fun. We brought our European friend with us and it was a great Americana experience, riding tractors etc. I was told by a local that Sky Top Orchard is better but I can't confirm.
• Hiking a segment of the Appalachian Trail. It's so beautiful. I like the segment around Newfound Gap.
• Driving the Tail of the Dragon. One of the best roads in the country. Cheoah Lake and Lake Fontana area also stunning. Tsali Campground is great and there's nice mountain biking trails there.

Food

• Corner Grill on Brevard Road. I think the food is actually quite mediocre. But I still recommend people visit at least once, for the cultural experience. It is a real local's joint and feels like going into a time machine. The food is also very cheap. The staff are unbelievably nice.
• Mother Ocean Seafood market. Some of the best seafood in town imo.
• Luella's BBQ. Great ribs and everything really.
• Nine Mile. Really interesting Caribbean food.
• Mamacita's Taqueria. Unpretentious, well priced, and delicious.
• Ukiah Japanese. It's pricey but really great.
• Curate and Zambra. Both great Spanish restaurants. I think Curate is slightly better.
• Neng Jr's. Mind-blowing Pilipino food. Very expensive. You will need a reservation.

Wine and Beer

There are surprisingly good vineyards in the area.

• Biltmore Estate Winery. If you have a friend who is a member, they get to sample wines daily and they are allowed to bring along 1 guest. Well worth the visit and the wines are fantastic.
• Point Lookout Vineyards. My favorite winery. It's up at the continental divide and has stunning views, plus live music. And great wines! They also have meads, which I am not usually a big fan of, but their mead aged in gin barrels with gin botanicals is really good. There's also an orange-citris mead which was even better.
• New Belgium. It's a giant brewery but it's very nice and great for walking down the French Broad greenway after.
• Sierra Nevada. It's kinda the Disneyworld of breweries, but it's super nice. They serve some beers which you can only get at the brewery. Great for bringing out of town friends.
• Forestry Camp. Probably my favorite brewery. It's a great ambiance and the beers are really delicious.
• Crow & Quill. Great little cocktail bar with really quirky Poe-esque decorations. It used to be member's-only locals spot that was hidden on purpose but it's now open to the public. They have some awesome live bands there sometimes.