As mentioned, we spent last week (Mon thru Fri, at least) at Briar Rose Farm, which is NW of Asheville about 40-ish miles. The closest town is actually Hot Springs, NC to the north but we didn't get up that way. We were thinking of going up that way on Wed. but that was the day it poured straight thru. Anyway, it was a different sort of vacation for us. No cell service, no internets, no TV (they had satellite but it wasn't working). And the drive back over the mountain was imposing enough that we only did afternoons the days we went down to Asheville so we wouldn't be driving back in the dark. But it was just blissful to have nothing to do for days. Reading, listening to music, sitting in the hot tub... just doing nothing.
You can read Sarah's account (and see her pics) here and/or click on this one to see some more of my shots at flickr.