At Inn on Main Street, owners Dan and Nancy Ward bring folksy hospitality to a 100-year-old Victorian inn, furnished in turn-of-the-century antiques with a modern attitude.

This romantic air-conditioned bed and breakfast is located just 10 minutes north of Asheville, 15 minutes from the Biltmore Estate and a short, scenic drive below Bull Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Also nearby are whitewater rafting, skiing, golf, trail rides and the private mineral baths at Hot Springs. Quaint, quiet Weaverville is home of two pottery studios, the Milling Company restaurant, Sunnyside Cafe and Zebulon Vance Birthplace.

If your career keeps you running, try our alternatives:

• Run a mountain river in a raft, canoe or kayak.
• Let your imagination run as you shop for antiques, crafts or gourmet herbs for the kitchen.
• Run a golf ball down some of the most beautiful fairways in North Carolina.
• Take in the latest run of regional drama.
• Run - or hike - any of hundreds of nearby trails. Or let your horse do it for you.
• Run back in time as you tour the Biltmore Estate.
• Or just run your toes through the cool green grass, sip an iced tea and read a good book

Accommodations:

Inn on Main Street offers seven rooms with private baths, and most of them with gas fireplaces. King, queen, double and twin beds are available. In-season rates are in effect from March 30 to Jan. 1, and on the weekends surrounding Valentine's Day.

King/Twin Rooms:

The Ayers and Lee rooms, both located in the main house, are available in either king or twin bed configurations, to suit the needs of our guests. Both have new gas fireplaces in original mantels.

The Ayers room includes a huge private bath with tub and shower, and ample space to unpack and relax. Furnishings include an antique dresser, loveseat and maple desk.

The Lee, named for the Confederate general, is furnished with a loveseat and desk, and has a private bath with a shower. It is only steps from the front porch, making it popular with those who don't wish to climb stairs.

Queen Rooms:

The Kiser and Robinson rooms, both located in the main house, each come with queen beds and private baths with showers.

The Robinson bath also has an antique enamel tub and vanity created from an old medical instruments cabinet. The Robinson furnishings include a wicker rocking chair, settee and desk.

The Kiser Room is furnished in mahogany, with a pair of Napoleonic armchairs upholstered in red velvet and an Empire style dresser/desk. Both are popular with honeymooners and those celebrating anniversaries.

Cottage Rooms:

The Forest and Garden rooms each feature high-backed wooden queen beds, gas fireplaces, air conditioning, TVs, ample seating and plenty of room. Each room has a private bath.

The Forest has a shower, and the Garden room has a whirlpool tub for two. These rooms are especially popular with couples who want to come and go at odd hours, business travelers and long-term visitors who enjoy the privacy and independence of quarters away from the main house.

These rooms are separated from the main house by a garden path, but are connected by roofed porches.

Breakfast:

We hesitate to call our breakfasts gourmet, since that has become such a cliché among bed and breakfasts.

But our meals are indulgences, a full and satisfying experience you'd normally expect at a nice restaurant.

Each meal begins with our private roast coffee, tea, and juice, with fresh fruit and made from scratch muffins served family style.

Then we bring you homemade bread, made that morning or the night before, along with an individual serving of the day's entrée.

Our entrées range from frittatas, a sort of open face Italian omelet, to baked apple French toast, omelets, stuffed crepes, eggs Florentine, fancy pancakes, quiche and even some creations of our own. We serve bacon or sausage on request the night before, but otherwise don't serve red meat.

We gladly adapt the entrées and muffins to accommodate special diets, including vegetarian, vegan and diabetic. If the entrée doesn't suit you, we always have cereal available.

When the weather permits, and that's most of the year, we serve breakfast on the back porch, where you can watch the sun rise to the adoration of the birds and flowers.

Each Evening:

Each evening we serve a variety of beverages with an appetizer to prepare you for dinner out.

It's a great time to look over our collection of menus and share suggestions with other guests and your hosts about places to eat, sights to see and things to do.

Our Philosophy:

If there is an overriding theme at Inn on Main Street, it would be to embrace the healthy basics while focusing on your comfort.

We make all our foods from scratch, including our muffins and breads.

We avoid using cleaning chemicals, deodorizers, fertilizers and pesticides, choosing instead to clean with natural and biodegradable cleaners like vinegar, citrus oils and baking soda.

We've adopted the Green Hotels philosophy, which means we'll forgo changing towels and linens as often if that is your choice, thus saving water and reducing wastewater.

We cook with our own organically grown herbs and vegetables whenever possible, and buy from local organic farmers when we can.

Our home is smoke free, though we keep ash trays on the porch to accommodate smokers.

In consideration to guests who are sensitive to allergens, our greeter dog, Tasha, stays outside and we do not accept pets. We do not even use potpourri. We will remove down pillows from your room on request.

Specials:

Inn on Main Street offers these special packages to save you money and time. Please ask for current rates.

Biltmore and More:

Two nights in a room with twins, queen or full size bed, two daytime tickets to the Biltmore Estate and dinner for two at a Weaverville restaurant. Extra charge for Garden, Ayers or Lee room.

Valentines Anytime:

Celebrate your love year round. Two nights in a room with queen or full size bed, two daytime tickets to the Biltmore Estate and a dozen red roses in an arrangement. Extra charge for Garden, Ayers or Lee room.

Midweek Special:

Stay three nights Sunday through Thursday and get your fourth weeknight free or two free tickets to the Biltmore Estate. Not valid October through December or holidays.

Extended Stay Specials:

Get 25% off the cost of any stay four nights or longer Sunday through Thursday. Get 10% off the cost of any stay four nights or longer that includes a weekend. Not valid in October or on holiday weekends.

Raft & Relax:

Two nights in a room with a queen, full or twin beds, half day whitewater raft trip on the French Broad River, one hour in a private Jacuzzi at Hot Springs Spa. Extra charge for Garden, Ayers or Lee room.

Ladies' Night Out:

Two nights in a shared room with a king, queen or twin beds, daytime ticket to the Biltmore Estate, plus one hour in-room massage. Available to men as well.

Business Travel Special:

Get a gift certificate for a free night for every three one-night stays Sunday through Thursday.

Other Discounts:

Ask about special rates for workshops and retreats. Golf and Chimney Rock discounts available.

Activities:

Biltmore Estate:

No trip to Asheville is complete without a visit to the Biltmore Estate. George Vanderbilt's 250 room home is a monument to America's gilded era. When it was completed in 1896, the French chateau-styled mansion was a summer escape for Vanderbilt family and friends.

Chimney Rock:

Chimney Rock Park, located 25 miles southeast of Asheville, offers spectacular 75 mile views, numerous hiking trails and a 404- oot waterfall featured in the movie Last of the Mohicans.

The rock for which the park is named rises straight above the limits of the Piedmont, giving an aerial view of Lake Lure and points east. Visitors have the choice of hiking challenging trails or taking an elevator to the observation area. Admission is charged to the park. Ask Dan and Nancy for discount coupons.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad:

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers round trip excursions through some of the most spectacular scenery in western North Carolina, including views of the Great Smoky Mountains and Fontana Lake. Steam and diesel powered trains carry visitors along 53 miles of track, through two tunnels and over 15 bridges.

Excursions include half day to full day round trips, dinner trains, mystery theatre dinner trains, and raft/train combos. We can help arrange your trip.

Cherokee:

Cherokee is not so much an attraction as home to a collection of attractions worth a day trip. It is the westernmost point on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and easternmost edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Foremost, Cherokee is home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and their reservation.

One attraction is Oconaluftee Indian Village, a re-created Cherokee Village of the 1750's. Regular tours by Cherokee guides present history, crafts, early homes and mountain forest demonstrations of beadwork, pottery, blowguns, and much more in a beautiful forest setting.

Another cultural attraction is the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, which details the advanced culture of the tribe. At the time before the tribe was split and marched on the Trail of Tears, its members excelled in weaving, pottery and agriculture, and had their own written language. Their story is told in an outdoor drama, Unto These Hills.

Harrah's Cherokee Casino provides yet a different attraction for those who feel lucky.