Each of the dinners will provide a unique chance to experience the wonderful local dining scene (to learn more about that or a particular restaurant, be sure to see the local tourism office’s where to eat in Asheville page, or their Foodtopian Society site). If you aren’t already aware, Asheville has a killer local food scene with 60-plus independent restaurants and 45-plus farm to table restaurants.

Each dinner has extremely limited seating, so I would not delay booking or you might not get to eat with the speakers you choose (or attend a dinner at all). Your tickets will include shuttle provided by Accents on Asheville from Crowne Plaza to the restaurants to vibrant downtown Asheville. That night, there will be much to do around downtown, including the weekly drum circle (weather permitting).

To book, you must be an attendee of the conference (and attendees can bring a spouse or significant other). If you haven’t already done so, register now.

Book your tickets now via secure form.

_{Photo of Asheville City Market cheese, © Kelby Carr}

I am very excited to announce the tours will have an extensive itinerary at Biltmore both days, as well as stops at two of my favorite local attractions: North Carolina Arboretum on Thursday and The Health Adventure on Sunday.

The Biltmore part of the tours was designed especially for Type-A Mom Conference attendees. It will highlight the New Rooms that opened in Biltmore House this year. Perhaps the true heart of Biltmore, this suite of rooms, known as the Louis XV Suite, is where two generations of the Vanderbilt family were born.

The rooms are the most grand in Biltmore House, and were lovingly and authentically restored during an extensive three-year project by our Museum Services team. Your day with us begins with a short presentation by one of our Museum Services team members, followed by guided tours through the Louis XV Suite and the Grand Ground Floor of Biltmore House.

After a lunch break, your tour continues at River Bend Farm and Barnyard. Here you’ll discover what it was like to live and work on the estate in the 1890s. You’ll see craft demonstrations, farmyard animals, antique farm equipment, a kitchen garden, and more.

Here is the itinerary for the Thursday:

• 8 a.m. Depart Crowne Plaza
• 8:30 a.m. Arrive in front of Biltmore House for special “Type-A Moms” House Tour
• 8:40 a.m. Stable Café Loft – Overview of New Rooms with Museum Services staff member
• 9:15- 11 a.m. Louis XV and Grand Ground Floor Tour
• Break for shopping, restroom stops (Stable Shops) and front of house photos, etc.
• 11:45 a.m. Box Lunch at Deerpark
• 12:45 p.m. River Bend Farm and Barnyard
• 1:30 p.m. Depart for North Carolina Arboretum
• 2:45 p.m. Return to Crowne Plaza

Here is the itinerary for Sunday:

• 8 a.m. Depart Crowne Plaza
• 8:30 a.m. Arrive in front of Biltmore House for special “Type-A Moms” House Tour
• 8:40 a.m. Stable Café Loft – Overview of New Rooms with Museum Services staff member
• 9:15- 11 a.m. Louis XV and Grand Ground Floor Tour
• Break for shopping, restroom stops (Stable Shops) and front of house photos, etc.
• 11:45 a.m. Box Lunch at Deerpark
• 12:45 p.m. River Bend Farm and Barnyard
• 1:30 p.m. Depart for North Carolina Arboretum
• 2:45 p.m. Return to Crowne Plaza

If you’d like a little taste of what to expect, here is what Biltmore House looks like. It is America’s largest home:

Here is one of the new rooms. This is the Louis XV Room featuring Cornelia’s crib. Edith Vanderbilt chose this room in which to deliver Cornelia, in 1900. Years later, when Cornelia was a young wife, this is where she gave birth to her two sons, George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil and William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil.

Here are kids learning pottery at River Bend Farm at Biltmore.

Thursday we also visit North Carolina Arboretum. I have a Flickr set of pictures I have taken both in spring and fall at the Arboretum. This will give you an idea of how lovely it is there (and I am hoping some of the bonsais will begin showing off their fall foliage in miniature… it’s way cool):

Last but of course not least, on Sunday afternoon we will hit The Health Adventure. It is a wonderful local children’s museum, and the new Grossology exhibit is openings just a couple days before the tour.

Register for a tour

The best part? Participation is completely free. In order to participate as an attendee, there are a limited number of slots, however. Be sure to register just as soon as it opens publicly (subscribe to the feed to the right to find out immediately). We will select the moms who get a Mom Market table in order of date/time of registration.