Top 10 Kid Friendly Things To Do and Attractions in Blue Ridge Mountains

"Sunshine Sammies brings Asheville delectable cookie and ice cream sandwich combos to residents and visitors, alike, 7 days a week. Yes, you can build your own sandwich, and they also have some classic combos like cookie dough ice cream between chocolate chip cookies and salted carmel ice cream between chocolate cookies. Seasonally, Sunshine Sammies will mix up their small-batch ice cream flavors so that you can try flavors like Blueberry Basil, Key Lime, or get a little wild with “Corn Dog.” Gluten or dairy allergies?"

"Summer hours: Sunday-Thursday 12pm-10pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm-11pm. Known for their handmade (huge!) ice cream sandwiches, Sunshine Sammies started out as a solar powered pushcart in the summer of 2013. Now with a physical location, they also have pushcarts and a vintage ice cream truck named Sunny that can be seen around town."

"With three locations around Asheville, The Hop Ice Cream Cafe is an excellent place to get not just regular ice cream, but some of the best vegan ice cream we’ve ever had!. In addition to dairy options, they have hemp milk ice cream, coconut ice cream, almond milk ice cream, as well as a rotating cast of other intriguing non-dairy alternatives. Here, you can try vegan twists on classic ice cream flavors, like Cookies n’ Coconut Cream or Local Blueberry ice cream made with pepita milk."

"For a frozen treat, pop into The Hop Ice Cream Cafe on Merrimon Avenue, and check out its vegan selections, which can include berry-rich sorbets but also decadent ice creams crafted from their own housemade almond and other milks. Other vegan flavors have included chocolate banana creme, a lemon basil sorbet, a smoked vanilla with a cashew foundation, a kombucha sorbet, and an Earl Grey concoction including a hemp milk base. Vegan whipped cream and gluten-free cones are available."

"The Hop Ice Cream Cafe has been proudly serving Asheville since 1978 with an imaginative yet classy array of homemade 16% butterfat dairy ice cream, completely from-scratch vegan ice cream and sorbet, fair-trade/organic coffee and espresso, unique specialty desserts and more. In addition, The Hop hosts a variety of birthday parties, weekly free family-friendly entertainment, and whimsical special events at each of its three Asheville locations."

"Formerly the Asheville Zoo, WNC Nature Center has evolved into a habitat for more than 60 wild and domestic animals as well as native plants that represent the rich biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians. A big part of their mission focuses on species survival in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department, with a focus on the North American river otter, cougar, and red wolf."

"The Western North Carolina Nature Center is a zoological park that opened in May 1973. It is about 42 acres big."

"Although the situation is starting to improve, a lot of the discussion about Greenways in Asheville has thus far been about dreams and politics. However, the city has begun a multi-year, multi-million dollar project under the Asheville Greenways Master Plan which, if it gets funding and community support, will eventually offer a minimum of 29 miles of multi-use trails through 14 corridors. The greenways will connect to parks, rivers, and even long distance regional trails such as North Carolina's Mountains to Sea Trail and planned Buncombe County greenways."

"Already one of the best patio spots in town- the outdoor space on Lexington Avenue got even better with the opening of new Aux Bar. Finally we have a restaurant as enamored with the space as we are- making use of it with fun events like outdoor movies and rotating wood-fired street food pop-ups."

"Chef Jay Medford has created a destination restaurant, Storm Rhum Bar, loved by diners in the know to a young local crowd who love the 1 a.m. closing time (late-night dining menu beginning at 10 p.m.). I was lucky to get a reservation thanks to the awesome Brittany."

"Rum-based cocktails are of course the specialty of Storm Rhum Bar and Bistro. But its top-notch cuisine and hip-yet-inviting indoor-outdoor venue are major draws as well."

"A post shared by Riverside Rhapsody Beer (@riversiderhapsody). About ten minutes north of Asheville is the Riverside Rhapsody Brewery. The idea behind Riverside Rhapsody came from the two owners, Mike and Joey."

"A post shared by Bruisin' Ales (@bruisinales) on Sep 7, 2017 at 2:40pm PDT. A place that calls itself “Beer City U.S.A.” better have the brews to prove it. Citizen Times once called the selection at this local beer shop, which boasts over 1,000 different brews from around town and the country “mind-blowing.” Best of all?"