Hendersonville is the softer, quieter Blue Ridge town south of Asheville. It has a long brick Main Street, old courthouse square, orchards on the surrounding hills, and enough mountain scenery to make a slow day feel well spent.
The town's best use is not as a checklist stop. Start with a walk through historic downtown Hendersonville, then head out to Jump Off Rock for a wide view over the Blue Ridge and Pisgah ranges. In apple season, the farm stands around town make it clear why Henderson County is one of North Carolina's apple centres.
Flat Rock, just south of town, gives Hendersonville more depth than a normal mountain main street. Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site preserves the writer's last home and farm, while Flat Rock Playhouse keeps a summer-theatre tradition alive. Hendersonville is still a small place, but for travellers already in western North Carolina it earns its day.