Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa - Asheville, North Carolina While on the campaign trail, then Sen. Barack Obama visited Asheville, the sophisticated mountain hamlet tucked between the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains. He was so impressed he vowed to return, and so he did — as President Obama, with the first lady in tow. His home base for both visits was this 512-room inn, dating from 1913 and fashioned from rough-hewn granite boulders. Follow in the prez's footsteps by booking your own room...