Road Trip: Greenville to Asheville to Knoxville

In late October 2025, I set out on what I called my ‘ville to ‘ville to ‘ville road trip—connecting the cities of Greenville, South Carolina; Asheville, North Carolina; and Knoxville, Tennessee. The 180-mile, one-week journey offered myriad spirited adventures and carried me along winding mountain roads with vistas awash in fiery reds and golds.

One inspiration behind my trip was supporting communities affected by Hurricane Helene. In September 2024, this region was walloped by torrential rain and record winds that felled trees, downed power lines and flooded neighborhoods. Major roadways were closed for months. But by the time I visited just over one year later, the cities had bounced back and were ready for visitors.

Greenville: BMWs and Michelin Stars

Part of a much larger metro area, Greenville is a city of 75,000 with a walkable downtown of streets shaded by a canopy of mature oak and poplar trees. Hurricane Helene caused widespread power outages and major damage to hundreds of homes and businesses in the region, but visitors today see no signs of the disaster. Victorian homes and Craftsman cottages are set among high rises and former warehouses now reinvigorated by breweries and coffee shops. The temperate climate keeps Greenville green most of the year.

My homebase was the Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville, with its round-rock fireplace and artwork inspired by the region’s Cherokee heritage. Just outside the hotel I could hear the hum of water tumbling over Reedy River Falls, a natural waterfall in the heart of the city. The falls are the centerpiece of Greenville’s treasured oasis, Falls Park on the Reedy, a 32-acre park with scenic overlooks and gardens. Crossing the 90-foot-high Liberty Bridge over the falls, I reached Main Street, lined with high-end boutiques, eateries and whimsical street art.

In the 1970s, when Southern textile mills began to lose business to overseas factories, Greenville set about revitalizing its downtown with wide sidewalks and piazzas. “Now, there are 230 restaurants within our 19-by-12 block downtown, and 80% are independently owned,” says John Nolan, owner of Greenville History Tours.

One minute I was racing a 2026 BMW, the next cruising around in a Model T.

One day, I toured a BMW plant in nearby Greer that produces more than 1,500 BMW X models daily in its largest facility outside of Germany. Then, taking road tripping to a new level, I drove an 85-mph “hot lap” in a BMW X Series car at the BMW Performance Center.

I enjoyed several memorable meals in the city, including at Scoundrel, which earned Greenville its first Michelin star, and at White Wine & Butter, where Chef Michael Sibert served his signature fried chicken brined in sweet tea. Sibert is committed to sourcing local ingredients, especially since the hurricane. “It’s my opportunity to uplift local farmers who don’t get the recognition they deserve for the beautiful work they do here,” he says.

Asheville: An Arts District and a Mansion

I drove some 60 miles from Greenville to Asheville, much of it along scenic US 25, my ears popping as the road ascended 2,000 feet into the Saluda Mountains near the North Carolina border. 

Once I’d reached Asheville, I headed to the River Arts District (RAD), a neighborhood with 250 artist studios and galleries. Hurricane Helene had caused significant damage to RAD’s buildings and artwork. “Volunteers traveled from all over the world to help us rebuild,” says Jeffrey Burroughs, president of RAD’s board of directors. The displaced artists were able to host a soft reopening one month later. To celebrate, Burroughs arranged RADfest 1.0. “Ten thousand people came to the two-day event,” he says. “It was the lifeline people needed to get us through the winter.”

Though repairs were ongoing when I visited, the RAD was humming with visitors who were shopping, having lunch and gathering at The Radical Asheville, a funky boutique hotel with a rooftop bar. Today, nearly every building has reopened, and Burroughs says the one-year-old RAD Welcome Center is part of a long-term expansion called RAD Creative Campus, a permanent flood-safe home for artists and live music.

Although I’ve been a regular visitor to Asheville for years, I never tire of seeing the small city’s main attraction, Biltmore Estate. George Vanderbilt was a visionary who spared no expense in building his 250-room Gilded Age mansion, including commissioning architect Richard Morris Hunt to incorporate state-of-the-art amenities such as an indoor pool and electric lighting. 

Visitors today see no signs of the disaster—the cities have bounced back and are ready to welcome travelers once again.

The Inn on Biltmore Estate was an ideal location to bed down. The hotel’s ornate chandeliers and sweeping staircase channel Hunt’s French-chateau-style decor. Yet most impressive is the view. From my window, I could see the Blue Ridge Mountains cloaked in a cobweb of mist. That evening I met local friends at Table, owned by Asheville culinary royalty Jacob and Alicia Sessoms. The Michelin-recommended restaurant was abuzz with diners savoring modern Southern cuisine. On my final morning, I visited the Asheville Art Museum, featuring contemporary Appalachian and Cherokee art, and toured downtown in a Ford Model-T with Mountaineer Motor Tours. What a joy to see Asheville’s revival going strong.

Knoxville: Market Square and the Sunsphere

Record flooding from Hurricane Helene washed out a 4-mile stretch of Interstate 40 between Asheville and Knoxville, closing it for six months and isolating nearby towns. Some areas of East Tennessee were designated disaster zones. When I was there, construction crews were still clearing away old sections of I-40 that had fallen into the Pigeon River. My 116-mile drive on the sometimes one-lane road was slow, but the brilliant foliage in Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests was a lovely distraction.

Two and a half hours later, I pulled into Knoxville, which was mostly spared from hurricane damage. Checking into the mid-century modern Oliver Hotel, I heard jazz notes behind a sliding door. When I questioned the front desk manager, he shared the “secret code” for the Peter Kern Library speakeasy. Nestled among bookshelves that night, I became a Prohibition time-traveler sipping an espresso martini.

The next morning, I explored Knoxville’s downtown, centered around Gay Street. The vibrant entertainment corridor of this city of 200,000 has architecture spanning four centuries and dozens of buildings listed on the National Historic Register. In the center is Market Square, a pedestrian-only thoroughfare where a farmers market was in full swing. Vendors sold produce of every color, and smoky barbeque scented the air. Returning to The Oliver and its restaurant Oliver Royale, I enjoyed a bountiful plate of winter harvest vegetables prepared by Chef Darin Hoagland, who’d also spent the morning at the farmers market.

Independent shops, bars and eateries occupy the industrial buildings of the nearby Old City neighborhood, my afternoon destination. I joined a craft-making class at Glitterville Studios, the renowned holiday- and home-décor brand founded by Stephen Brown. Afterward, I visited Pretentious Glass, a unique combination of brewery and glass-art studio, where I sipped a beer and watched as owner Matthew Cummings taught a customer to blow a glass ornament.

I ended my Knoxville adventure on a high note with a ride to the top of the Sunsphere, a 266-foot-tall tower created for the 1982 “World’s Fair,” officially an international energy expo. The observation deck at the top resembles a golden disco ball. From this lofty vantage point, downtown Knoxville spread before me, along with the hazy contours of the Smoky Mountains in the distance. 

Boarding my plane at the Knoxville airport, I said farewell to the three ’villes. Each city felt distinctly different, with a blend of experiences that were fresh and fun. One minute I was racing a 2026 BMW, the next cruising around in a Model T. I crossed an urban waterfall and viewed the scenery from inside a towering sphere. But above all, seeing the region’s recovery was what made this journey truly memorable.