Asheville or Wisconsin Dells?

Neither city is near the sea, but Wisconsin Dells has proper lake swimming. Devil's Lake has sandy beaches at both ends under quartzite bluffs, and the water reaches around 24°C in high summer. Mirror Lake and Lake Delton are closer to town, and the waterparks cover the rest.

In Asheville, swimming means cold mountain water: pools under waterfalls in Pisgah, the rock slide at Sliding Rock and tubing on the French Broad River. The small beach at Lake Lure is the nearest thing to sand. It is refreshing on a hot afternoon but never warm.

Asheville eats and drinks much better than its size suggests. Beer comes first, with taprooms across downtown, the South Slope and West Asheville. The kitchens use produce from Appalachian farms, such as trout, heirloom beans and foraged ramps, alongside serious barbecue.

Wisconsin Dells mostly feeds families between attractions, with steakhouses, pizza and buffets along the strips. Its appeal is in Wisconsin traditions: supper clubs serving brandy old fashioneds, the Friday fish fry and squeaky cheese curds. These are worth a meal or two, but not a reason to come.

The two are far apart here. Asheville has the Biltmore Estate, a Gilded Age château with Olmsted gardens that takes a full day to see. Its downtown, around City Hall and the Grove Arcade, is full of Art Deco and Beaux-Arts buildings, and there is enough in all to fill two or three days.

The main sight in Wisconsin Dells is the H.H. Bennett Studio, which shows how a photographer's pictures of the gorges first brought tourists here. There are also some exhibits on the Ho-Chunk Nation. The rest is upside-down houses and wax museums, which children enjoy but which are not real sightseeing.

Asheville's nightlife is easy-going but real. Taprooms, cocktail bars and dive bars sit within walking distance of each other downtown and on the South Slope. The bars on Haywood Road draw a more local crowd, and there is a small LGBTQ scene. Most places close around midnight.

Wisconsin Dells goes quiet once the waterparks close. A few taverns, sports bars and supper-club bars are fine for a drink after dinner, and the casino near Baraboo is the only place open late.

Both are good bases for the outdoors, but Asheville offers far more. The Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains are all close by. You can hike ridges over grassy balds, climb to Mount Mitchell at 2,037m, ride some of the country's best mountain-bike trails and go whitewater rafting.

Wisconsin Dells is lower and gentler. Its sandstone river canyons are best seen by boat or kayak, and the quartzite bluffs at Devil's Lake offer steep scrambles and good rock climbing. Both have fine autumn colour.

The two are about level here, but the outings are different. From Asheville most trips go into the landscape and to small mountain towns. Brevard leads to the waterfall country, Hendersonville is close by, and Cherokee's museum and Oconaluftee village show the history of the region's original people.

Wisconsin Dells has the better city nearby: Madison is about an hour away. Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin at Spring Green and the Circus World museum in Baraboo are also close, so trips from here are more about towns and buildings than scenery.

Wisconsin Dells is built for children in a way Asheville never tries to be. Huge indoor waterparks stay open all winter, and in summer America's largest outdoor waterpark opens too. Go-karts, rollercoasters and duck boats are only minutes apart. Teenagers may get bored of the water rides.

Asheville suits families who like the outdoors. The Nature Center has black bears and red wolves, and there are Sliding Rock, river tubing and zip lines. There is no zoo or theme park, and the sights are spread out, so children need to be happy with car journeys and trails.

You will want a car in both, but Asheville at least has a centre you can walk. Downtown and the South Slope are easy on foot, and the River Arts District is a short ride away. The Parkway, Biltmore and the trailheads still need a car, and the mountain roads are slow.

In Wisconsin Dells nearly everything lies along highways that are unpleasant to walk beside. The few blocks of Broadway are the only place to stroll, and the nearest airport with regular flights is in Madison.

Asheville is the place to buy something handmade. Pottery, glass, weaving and woodwork are sold in the River Arts District studios and at the Folk Art Center. Around the Grove Arcade and Lexington Avenue there are independent bookshops, vintage clothing and boutiques.

Wisconsin Dells sells fudge, cheese and T-shirts along Broadway. A large outlet centre carries the mainstream American brands and is handy on a wet afternoon.

Overall costs are much the same, but the money goes in different places. In Asheville the biggest cost is the hotel, especially on October weekends when the leaves turn, plus Biltmore admission and a hire car. The trails, waterfalls and the Parkway are free.

In Wisconsin Dells, rooms in the older motels on the strips can be reasonably priced. For a family on a summer weekend, the bill grows with ride tickets and resort extras. In both places, travelling off-peak and making use of the free forests and state parks keeps costs down.

Asheville has a strong music culture. Touring rock and Americana acts play the downtown venues, and pubs host bluegrass and old-time jams. Shindig on the Green fills summer evenings, and the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival has run since 1928. Theatre and classical music are modest.

Wisconsin Dells offers magic shows, dinner shows and tribute acts in Lake Delton. For serious theatre, visitors drive to the outdoor classical theatre at Spring Green.

Asheville has long been a place to rest. Nineteenth-century visitors came for the mountain air to recover their health, and today there are yoga studios, retreats and resort spas. The riverside mineral-water tubs at Hot Springs are under an hour away, and cool evenings on an inn porch help too.

Wisconsin Dells is noisier by design. Resort spas and an adults-only retreat in the woods give parents a break, and the river is calm early in the morning, but the slides and arcades set the pace.