Samantha Brown's Places to Love

Asheville, North Carolina

Samantha kicks off her visit with a drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains, then stops off at a Pop-Up Mini Fair and talks with local artists. At the Biltmore, Samantha takes a tour with Director of Horticulture Parker Andes and geeks out on Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed the grounds of this historic estate and is considered the father of American Landscape Architecture. From there, Samantha dives into a spirit tasting and learns firsthand how every small batch made at the Eda Rhyne Distillery incorporates the Asheville terroir into its one-of-a-kind Southern Appalachia spirits. Eagle and Market Streets, known as The Block, were the heart of the African American community in Asheville. Samantha tours this historic Block with Guide DeWayne Barton, who discusses the history, future and resilience of the African-American community in Asheville. Along their tour, Samantha visits Noir Collective and meets self-taught Artist Jenny Pickens, who is giving back to her community with her art and paying homage to her ancestors and heritage. At Chai Pani, Samantha learns about spice varieties from renowned self-taught Chef Meherwan Irani, while digging into his favorite Indian street food dishes. With music on her mind, Samantha meets Founder/Producer/Musician Gar Ragland at Citizen Vinyl, where he is laying down a music track for Asheville Artist, Alexa Rose. They then tour the historic space that houses not only a recording studio but also a record pressing facility, cafe, bar, analog art and record store.