On the Move: Zenning Out with the 2017 Buick LaCrosse at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville

I am sad to say I never drove from Atlanta to Asheville before the good team for the 2017 Buick LaCrosse Premium came calling. Yes I’d been to Asheville before. But by plane. And I had been in the 2017 Buick LaCrosse before. But only in Atlanta. So what a delight it was to discover yet another beautiful driving route from Atlanta. Before I thought it was only Nashville. Now I know there’s another ‘ville!!! And I also know there’s another side to the Buick LaCrosse.

My journey started a little earlier than the group I would race to Asheville with. The day before Buick spent a little time acquainting the Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association (GAAMA) with the LaCrosse and I got to retrieve my silver beauty then. The next morning was a Londonish one but I was just about 15 minutes away. After meeting my fellow LaCrosse roadtrippers and grabbing a quick bite at Lobby at Twelve in Atlantic Station that very recently became Allora, I hit the road.

Since the trip started out a little rainy, that Atlanta traffic thing just really did not help. Let’s just say it took a while for that scenic route to kick in. But when it did, boy, oh boy! We are talking winding roads and majestic hills with the sun shining ever so rightly. Having the “sun and shade package,” with the power sunroof and second row skylight, was truly a gift.

On top of that it was a quiet ride. See the LaCrosse has technology that cancels outside noise out. In fact, this journey was marked a holistic one. I even listened to health and wellness podcasts as I traveled thanks to the LaCrosse’s 4G LTE. There’s nothing like a wired car. I want more Internet, not less. But that calm literally hit a roadblock the closer I got. Thursday afternoon in the summer was quite a busy one. Navigation on any car is rarely good to me. But, truth be told, I can get directionally challenged. So let’s just say I didn’t help the situation and got in my own way. But I did arrive at Omni Grove Park Inn and in good time despite the traffic delay.

Now there’s a reason Asheville was selected for this holistic excursion. It’s long been a center of health and wellness in the South. And the Omni Grove Park Inn is one of its more recognized entities. Over a century old, the Omni Grove Park Inn literally sits at the mountains, the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains that is or Sunset Mountain to be specific. The resort is very elevated too and that makes it kind of weird. At least for me. I didn’t quite adjust to descending to my room from the main floor. I was always tempted to go up. And the spa, for which the AAA Four-Diamond property is known, is subterranean. It’s really cool. It’s like a throwback and futuristic all at the same time. They have these mineral baths that are renowned for their healing powers and, of course, there are treatments. Do know that it can get quite crowded. Locals are very fond of the experience, plus the Omni Grove Park Inn is kind of huge. It actually has 500 rooms. And, if mine was an indication, that’s not small rooms either.

The massiveness doesn’t take away from the awe. It actually enhances it. Everything is a bit larger than life. Enjoy lunch on the Sunset Terrace, for example, and the majestic mountain becomes great company like the sun, stars or moon. There are also many nature trails and they still have a fitness center and a pool. It can truly be overwhelming.

One exception is the food. I swear they have one of the best black bean burgers ever! Later that night dining at Edison Craft Ales + Kitchen packed another surprise. Who knew a kale soup could be so good! But before we got to dine, Buick treated us to a most unexpected experience. We got to create our very own scent with scent Sommelier Kelly Jones.

Just before dinner, I went to a private room and sniffed various scents, choosing my fave, for Kelly to blend for me. Because we were in the mountains, I opted for something so fresh and so clean, clean with some gardenia and lemongrass in it! After getting my scent and dining, I joined the crew in what was very wacky for me----the dueling piano showdown. Although this seems to be a thing, it’s not something I’d ever done. While it leans very much country and pop, one of the pianists surprised us with a couple of hip-hop-infused R&B tunes.

Our stay was just an overnight one so we were out by noon. It may have been short but it wasn’t uneventful. I must say that I loved my in-room gifts. North Carolina’s own French Broad chocolate is always a treat and, hey, I can never get enough lotion. The Spa at the Omni Grove Park Inn’s Regenerating Rosemary and Mint is a winning one for sure. There’s a reason that everybody from FDR and Eisenhower to Michael Jordan and Barack Obama have stayed there.

Just because I had to get out of the Grove Park Inn didn’t mean I had to get out of Asheville. So I stuck around a bit. Since I have a bit of a biscuit obsession, I checked out Biscuit Head in West Asheville, thanks to a recommendation by a Buick team member in Atlanta, and the biscuit was indeed outstanding. I also hit the Dillard’s Clearance Center where I found some unexpected hidden gems. After that, I got back into the Zen spirit at Lake Julian Park and just chilled by the water.

Before heading out of the Asheville area, I hit Greenlife Grocery, a very localized Whole Foods Market. I may not be a craft beer fanatic but I do know craft beer lovers heaven when I see it! It also had a charming café. With some healthy snacks on deck, I hit the road back to Atlanta. Since it was getting dark, the drive wasn’t as scenic as before. Then it rain too but the LaCrosse stayed steady. It didn’t quite hit the 31 mpg on the highway it is capable of for obvious reasons but it never lost its cool. You just can’t lose with noise cancelation and 4G! At just over $48K, the 2017 Buick LaCrosse is definitely a luxury contender.