Spring Break is an annual migration ritual in the midwest that clogs the I-75 corridor from Dayton, Ohio to Atlanta and all the way, I think, to Cuba, though I’ve never followed it that far. We simply can’t handle that last fifteen minutes of winter, a season of cold mud for us, and plenty of folks spend a full day of their vacation driving to southeastern resorts dense with other midwesterners on a busy interstate for blanket-congested beaches.

So we veer east to Asheville. The drive is shorter, your neighbors didn’t beat you there, and they somehow fit more outdoors into North Carolina than any three midwestern states combined. And now, before all of the mini-van and Airbnb rentals have been claimed, is the time to start planning and dreaming for this trip.

I should warn you: Asheville has already been discovered. It is possible, in fact, that you have already heard of it. Still, it is nice to pretend that you are not the typical tourist, that you have a special status somewhere between pottery-shilling local and carpet-bagging northerner. So here is how we create this fantasy for ourselves:

It helps to go with an Airbnb rental in a leafy neighborhood somewhat removed from downtown. Our favorite by far is in West Asheville, a marginally gentrified neighborhood where we moved last spring into a home designed by two globe-trotting architects. When a fellow customer at the West End Bakery referred to Asheville proper as “Disneyland,” we were able to respond with knowing nods that communicated our solidarity: Yes, here in West Asheville, we alone have found what the old Asheville used to be. (Something about aging hippies?)

Or don’t stay in Asheville at all; try Brevard. This is where the mountain biking paradise really starts, after all. We like to rent at The Hub and ride in nearby Dupont State Forest. The single-track is fun, the climbs are not punishing, and you get to frolic in waterfalls that were featured in The Hunger Games. We love to stay at The Red House Inn in Brevard for its full English breakfasts and the local cycling knowledge of owners Daniel and Tracie Trusler.

Eat at the same restaurant more than once. It is the familiarity of repeated visits that make you feel at home and less like a tourist anxious to fit in as many different experiences as possible. Destinations worthy of return trips for us have been The Square Root in Brevard, and in Asheville, places like The Laughing Seed (vegetarian), and All Souls Pizza. But in a foodie place like this, it is difficult to go wrong.

Cultivate a relationship with a local guide. We love the spirit and professionalism of the folks at Fox Mountain Guides, who are great with kids and for the past few years have revealed to us the hidden joys of just-off-the-path rock-climbing in the area.

Try to stay for a full week. When you have been there long enough to have chance encounters with waitstaff from last night’s dinner while browsing the stacks at Malaprop’s Bookstore, it makes the world feel a little bit smaller.

One last trick: try applying for jobs. You may like your job back home, but there is something about throwing your hat in the ring that makes the fantasy feel real. And who knows, you might get lucky.