Ingles Open Road: Mars Hill, NC

I’m Chris Bainbridge, and I love the Carolinas. This is an amazing place to find adventure in all shapes and sizes – even in our changing world. Ingles sent me on a mission to bring you the very best of what our beautiful home has to offer – food, fun, nature, music, and more… all affordable, and all out of the ordinary.

One of our favorite things to do here on The Ingles Open Road is to take you to small towns across Ingles Country that make up the fabric of this beautiful land we call home. Today, we have another chance to do just that as we take a tour of eclectic and adorable Mars Hill, North Carolina.

Located 18 miles north of Asheville, Mars Hill is probably best known for Mars Hill University – home of the world famous (and 30-time national champion) Bailey Mountain Cloggers. The beautiful campus cozies right up to downtown. Fantastic restaurants, breweries, and theatres all call this town home. Today, we’re checking out three local hot spots to visit as you meander through Mars Hill.

We’re starting our day off getting properly caffeinated here at Camden’s Coffee House. This downtown staple has a great selection of yummy items to give you that boost of energy as you explore Mars Hill.

The gorgeous beverages and mouth-watering pastries are only part of the story here in this “library lounge”. It’s named in honor of Camden Bohager who brightened the day for all who visited here. His legacy of kindness lives on with the friendly staff at the coffee house that bears his name.

Now that we’ve got our cup of Joe to go, we’re heading on over to The Quill and Honey to trade the delightful aroma of the coffee house for the scintillating scents of this new Mars Hill business.

This artisan soap shop and local mercantile has great gifts, and everyday staples to keep you feeling and smelling fresh as a daisy. And many of the items on offer are hand-crafted right here. You don’t get much more local than that.

And speaking of local, our final stop takes us to Rachel Elise Studio. This is a working art studio, screen-printing and sewing bags, purses, and backpacks. Again, almost everything you find in the shop is made in the shop, and I promise you’ll find some great things to take home.

Ingles is all about supporting local. Small towns and small businesses are what it’s all about. Your weekend is waiting on the Ingles Open Road.