Travel-related decision fatigue can catch up to even the most adventurous among us. After all, even a weekend trip comes with dozens of decisions, from where to stay to where to eat to where to hike to what to order at that sandwich shop that everyone’s talking about. Sometimes, parsing through the choices and doing all the research can feel a bit much, and can start to take some of the fun out of it (and need we remind you, the fun is the whole point).
A suggestion for those who could benefit from outsourcing their decision-making to a trusted digital friend: Only In Your State’s award-winning Dashboard AI planner, which uses our extensive library of highly-curated content and recommendations to help you plan a trip you’ll love, sans stressing about which brewery has the best vibes or whether that museum is really worth it.
I recently took the planner on a test run to see what it would cook up for a weekend trip to one of my favorite cities in my home state of North Carolina: Asheville. I picked a city I know well so I could see just how spot-on the tools’ recommendations are—and if it can suggest anything that I haven’t tried yet. Here’s the itinerary it made for me.
Where to stay
Though the travel planner asked when I’d be traveling, how long my stay would be, and what I’m interested in, it didn’t ask about my budget. Instead, it offered me two different options of where to stay—one luxury and one wallet-friendly, but equally unique experiences.
At the luxurious end of the spectrum, there’s the Omni Grove Park Inn, one of Asheville’s most opulent accommodations, featuring can’t-beat mountain views, a subterranean spa, and a fascinating history. For a budget option, I could opt for a glamping experience instead: The Dashboard recommended this hobbit-inspired Airbnb, which we love for its wraparound porch, outdoor shower, and daily gourmet breakfast.
What to do
Outdoor adventures are the activity of choice in beautiful mountainous Asheville, so it’s no surprise that the Dashboard gave me three options for exploring outdoors, one of which I’ve done and loved: The French Broad River Greenway, where you can walk, run, or bike four miles along the river to find yourself at one of Asheville’ biggest and best breweries, New Belgium. (Like many of Asheville’s trails, this one looks different post-Hurricane Helene, but it’s still open to the public.) I’ll also have my pick between two waterfalls that come recommended, Catawba Falls and Sunburst Falls.
To balance out all that hiking with a bit of history and art, I’ll check out Grovewood Village, a historic arts and crafts destination now home to the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum, the Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum (take note that this one is temporarily closed), and many artist studios. Sadly, the restaurant on the Grovewood property recently closed due to the impact of Hurricane Helene. (Instead, I can head less than a mile down the road and dine on the Grove Park Inn’s Sunset Terrace.)
Where to eat
As for restaurants, my itinerary has me checking out the Jerusalem Garden Cafe, an Asheville classic known for its high-quality Mediterranean food and its unique hidden “tent room” (and, if you go at the right time, bellydancers!). For something sweet, I’ll venture just south of Asheville to The Baked Pie Company, where I can once again avoid decision fatigue by ordering a flight of pies instead of choosing just one.
The verdict
Overall, this itinerary did a good job of suggesting a mix of better-known Asheville classics like the Grove Park Inn (where I’ve been many times), and lesser-known gems that I probably never would have discovered on my own (like The Baked Pie Company, which is in an unassuming strip mall slightly outside of the city). Next time I visit Asheville, I’ll have some new ideas up my sleeve—and more time to enjoy them rather than meticulously plotting where I should go next.
Whether you’re traveling to Western North Carolina or somewhere else, take the tool for a spin next time you’re hitting the road and see what you find.
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!
