Casey Wohl Featured in Woman's Day Magazine

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be featured in the May issue of Woman's Day Magazine. To read the article "How to Have A Great Girls Night In," visit http://tinyurl.com/d6vj5p.

Let me know what you think of the article and how you and your girlfriends have fun while staying in.

Girls Getaway to Asheville Highlights

Biltmore Village (http://www.biltmorevillage.com/) was built in the late 1890s at the entrance to the Biltmore Estate and designed to emulate a quaint English community. This area was co-designed by the architect and landscape architect who designed the Biltmore. Today, Biltmore Village boasts more than 30 shops and 10 eateries, all of which are housed in historic buildings with brick sidewalks connecting the area. Here you will find art galleries (complete with paintings, jewelry and crafts), clothing stores and gift shops. We had a delicious lunch at Rezaz Restaurant and Enotecca (Italian Wine Bar) of Turkey Panini, Specialty Pizza and French Fries with Tomato Jam. In the Village, you’ll also find the most expensive McDonalds ever built, complete with gold inlay, a grand piano, fireplace and wall tapestry.

In downtown Asheville, we dined at Zambra Wine & Tapas (http://www.zambratappas.com/) for dinner. With the restaurant’s Mediterranean flair, our table was full of BBQ shrimp, pork spring rolls, steak and arugula salad all prepared in unique and special ways with local produce and meat. It was all wonderful. After dinner, we stopped at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge (www.FrenchBroadChocolates.com). Who could resist stopping at a chocolate lounge? I had to try their highly-recommended sippable, organic milk chocolate truffles. Absolutely delish and a great way to top off a lovely tapas meal! Casey loved her delectable brownie, and we watched an eclectic group of people relax and socialize in this great “loungy” and comfortable space.

French Broad Brewing Company (http://www.frenchbroadbrewery.com/) was another stop during our getaway. Thanks to Aaron (the assistant to the assistant brewer) for showing me how the beer making process works and providing samplings (my favorite was the Gateway Kölsch). This place is popular among the locals as a great evening hang out with friends, dogs and a bluegrass band (check website for music schedule). Asheville has lots of local breweries and is very dog friendly.

As we rode the Historic Trolley Tour (http://www.ashevilletrolleytours.com/), author Kenneth Richards narrated the 90-minute tour and showed us some of the historical and comical highlights of Asheville. Trolley guests can depart and re-board the trolley at several city destinations, including River Arts District (http://www.riverartsdistrict.com/) and the Grove Arcade (www.GroveArcade.com). Both areas are great for browsing and shopping.

Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa (http://www.groveparkinn.com/) was built from granite boulders from Sunset Mountain and opened in 1913. This historic hotel and property was highly recommended as a “place to see” during our visit to Asheville. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Inn was modeled after the old railway hotels of the west. The lobby is known as The Great Hall as it measures 120 feet across, features 24-foot ceilings and two gigantic 14-foot stone fireplaces. The Inn’s elevators are cleverly hidden in the chimneys of the stone fireplaces. Famous guests have included F. Scott Fitzgerald, Eleanor Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, George Bush and Will Rogers. We toured the unique Spa at Grove Park Inn, which is ranked 5th in the U.S. and 13th in the world for spas by Travel & Leisure. This underground, cavernous area of indulgence makes you feel like you are in the grotto area at the Playboy Mansion (at least that’s what I envision it to be like). With mineral pools, treatment rooms, massaging hot tubs, and a lap pool, you could spend an entire day here.

While at Grove Park, we dined at the hotel’s upscale Horizon’s Restaurant. Kenneth made our experience wonderful with fabulous meal recommendations, although I doubt you could go wrong with any of your choices here. After Casey’s five martinis and my Mint Julips (specially made by Kenneth himself), we loved our Cedar River Filet of Beef, Sous Vide North Carolina Poulet Rouget Chicken for our main meals and the Vidalia Onion Bisque, Horizons Signature Lobster Bisque, and Fried Green Tomatoes with Blue Crab for the pre-course. Dessert was impeccable with a Dark Chocolate Lava Cake (but can you really go wrong with chocolate?). After dinner, we crashed the wedding reception of some unknowing bride and groom at Elaine’s Piano Bar located at the Grove Park Inn. After several SEC football theme song battles, we called it a night and headed back to our hotel.

Thank you to Dodie Stephens with the Asheville CVB (www.ExploreAsheville.com) for her guidance and great recommendations of things to see and do during our Girlfriends Getaway to Asheville.

PHOTO: Casey Wohl makes beer at French Broad Brewery in Asheville, NC.

Incredible Biltmore Estate Is A "Must See" In Asheville

While in Asheville, we toured the famous Biltmore Estate (http://www.biltlmore.com/). Built in 1895 by George W. Vanderbilt, this 250-room mansion is modeled after 16th century French estates and chateaus. Originally encompassing 125,000 acres, the estate now rests on 8,000 acres in Asheville, NC. The magnificent home is the largest private residence in North America. After six years, the home was finally opened that Christmas Eve 1895. It boasts 43 bathrooms, an indoor swimming pool, bowling alley, private gym, formal dining room (with three fireplaces and seven-story ceilings and Fleming tapestries from the 1500s), winter garden, observatory, tapestry gallery, walk in refrigerators, two laundry rooms…and the list goes on

We opted for the audio tour, which provided interesting stories and great information about the estate, its owners, staff and the guests who visited the Vanderbilt family. The tour also highlighted the current upkeep and renovations involved in maintaining this unbelievable property, which includes a staff today of 1,800 employees. If you have never visited Biltmore, I highly recommend it. In addition to the house, visitors may browse the gardens, winery, stables and dine at one of the many restaurants on the property.

PHOTO: Biltmore's formal dining room, complete with three fireplaces, seven-story ceilings and Fleming tapestries from the 1500s.

Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville is Kessler's Newest Masterpiece

Our jaws dropped open as we walked into our hotel. The Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville (http://www.bohemianhotelasheville.com/) just opened on April 1, but there’s “No Foolin” about this fabulous English Tudor-style lodge located adjacent to the main entrance of the Biltmore Estate, the largest private residence in North America.

With its beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this 104-room boutique hotel is located in the Biltmore Village. The hotel, which is a Kessler property, is full of Mr. Kessler’s incredible antiques and art, including paintings, sculptures, bronzes, and wood carvings. Upon entering the lobby, guests are greeted by a warm fireplace in the center of the room and two desks that serve as an unconventional front desk/reception area. The furniture and décor in the lobby make you feel as though you walked into a swanky Canadian (or European) hunting lodge complete with rustic furniture and an elegant Old World feel. As we made our way to the elevators (which are lined with deerskin and antique mirrors), we saw even more beautiful works of art and evidence of the Grand Bohemian’s signature flair. The art continues on each floor in the hallways, as well as in the guest rooms. For a complete viewing of local, national and international art (jewelry, ceramics, paintings, sculptures and more), guests and hotel visitors can visit the art gallery located on the first floor.

In addition to the wonderful accommodations, décor and art, the hotel boasts a wonderful bar (Red Stag Lounge) and restaurant (Red Stag Grill), as well as the Poseidon Spa. Casey and I enjoyed a couples massage complete with hot stone therapy…just what we needed after a long day of sightseeing and shopping. The Red Stag area boasts more of the exquisite art and décor and is a great place to dine or have cocktails before dinner.

I highly recommend this fantastic new hotel (perfect for a Girls Getaway to Asheville), which is conveniently located at the entrance to Biltmore and in the heart of Biltmore Village. Mr. Kessler deserves kudos for another great property. Thank you to Kessler staff members Amanda Kleigl for the invitation to see the property, General Manager John Luckett for making us feel so welcome, Richard for a great tour of the property, Reggie for making sure we had spa reservations, and Assistant Gallery Director Laura for sharing her wisdom about the unique artwork found at the hotel.

PHOTO: It was hard to find our "favorite" piece at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville, but we both finally agreed that these leather chairs with a floral background inside, which faced the fireplace, are our fave!

Girls Getaway to Asheville, NC!

Asheville here we come! Casey and I (yes there are two of us) cannot wait to arrive in Asheville, NC for our Girls Getaway.

We are excited to see the brand new Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville (http://www.bohemianhotelasheville.com/), take a ride on the Asheville Historic Trolley, visit the incredible Biltmore Estate (pictured) and see all of the great things this fantastic destination has to offer. Be sure to follow our travels on this blog, Facebook (Girls Getaway Guide) and on Twitter (GetawayGirl). Stay tuned!

Study: American Women Need More Vacations

I thought this was an interesting article by Robert Roy Britt, LiveScience Managing Editor

Britt reports that women who take frequent vacations sleep better, are more satisfied in marriage, and are less likely to be tense or depressed. Problem is, most of them aren't even getting one vacation a year.

A new survey of working women found they got away from it all ...
*Twice a year (23.4%)
*Once a year (34%)
*Once every two to five years (23.2%)
*Once every six years (19.4%)

"It's shocking to me that nearly one in five women we studied reported taking a vacation only once in six years," said study leader Cathy McCarty of the Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wis.
The odds of depression and tension are higher among women who get away only once in two years compared with women who leave it all behind twice or more per year, the study found.

That was no surprise. "Vacations provide a break from everyday stressors," McCarty said. "They allow us time away from work or home and help us release built-up tension."
The results, announced today, are based on surveys of 1,500 working women done in 1996-2001. The details were published recently in the Wisconsin Medical Journal.

While many working Americans get just two weeks of paid vacation a year, the standard is a month or more in many countries. Perhaps employers in the United States should rethink the situation, McCarty figures.

"This study proves vacations are good for your mental health and may help you do a better job at work," McCarty said. "Employers should be supportive of time off because they benefit from having relaxed, happy employees."

OK girls....who needs a Girlfriend Getaway now???

Casey Wohl Helps Parenting Magazine Readers Getaway

I am thrilled to be quoted in the May 2009 issue of Parenting Magazine. To read the article, "Go Away, Girlfriends," visit http://tinyurl.com/ccqxcn. The article provides tips for moms to plan and have a fabulous girlfriend getaway.