I love getting recommendations from friends and family. Everyone that I discussed my trip with before I left said that I had to go to Asheville, NC as it is just a beautiful city, so after I left Gatlinburg, TN I headed east.
Well I am happy to report that everyone was absolutely correct in recommending Asheville….it is stunning.
Not only is the town beautiful, but the ride through the mountains with the trees with all their fall colors lining the highway was breathtaking.
Once I got to Asheville, I went to the The North Carolina Arboretum. There is only a fee for parking, which was $16.00, and then the grounds are free to visit. They have natural walking paths, as well as biking paths, a holly garden, a stream garden, and a wonderful a bonsai garden. If you get hungry after all your wanderings, there is a cafe with sandwiches, salads and quiches for sale, then you can enjoy the outdoor seating while you eat your meal.
After the Arboretum, I headed downtown, but wasn’t able to find a parking spot, so I headed out to Biltmore. I did not do any research on the estate, and really had no idea what to expect, so was surprised, to say the least, at the price of a day ticket. After a mental conversation with myself, and a view of the 4 minute video available in the guest area, I decided to go ahead and see the estate. I have toured the mansions in Newport, RI and knew the Vanderbilts homes are created with extraordinary craftsmanship, and create marvelous homes that need to be seen to be believed.
The Biltmore Estate is no exception. I was scheduled for the last tour of the day, so had 2 hours to wander the gardens and enjoy an ice cream cone created using the estates vanilla ice cream recipe and cream from the estates own cows.
The grounds are extensive. Mr Vanderbilt first purchased 125,000 acres to build his country home. Most of that land was sold off to the government by Mrs Vanderbilt after her husband’s death, with the stipulation that it can never be built on. The estate currently comprises of only 8000 of the original owned land.
The home is one you need to see and also tour. The tour consists of pre-recorded messages that coincide to numbers posted in the rooms as you wander through. I absolutely love this style of tour because you could wander the residence at your own pace, not by the pace set by a tour guide. There are guides throughout the home to answer any questions you may have, and to make sure you don’t use flash photography.
I learned that the formal dining room is 3000 sq feet, about the size of a large home these days.
I absolutely recommend seeing this incredible landmark if you are ever in the Ashville, NC area. Words can not describe the majestic, yet homey residence the family enjoyed for many, many years.
