Biltmore Estate

While in North Carolina we traveled to Asheville to visit the Biltmore Estate. I've wanted to go there for years but never had the opportunity. I even lived in North Carolina for three years and never got a chance to visit. I was excited to finally go.

The Biltmore House is huge. It's grandiose. I've often wondered why someone would need a house that large. I still wonder. So I was very pleased to learn that George Vanderbilt intended for the estate to be sefl-sufficient and it was with a working farm, dairy, and plant nursery. The Vanderbilts also went to great lengths to support and enrich the local community.

I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked for two reasons. First, photography isn't allowed inside the house. I was disappointed. Second, I felt awful that day. For some reason my asthma was really bad. My chest hurt and my fingernails were blue. The only thing that got me through the day was sheer determination.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable day... really. We ate lunch in the former stables and visited the winery in the former dairy. The gardens were my favorite. I'd like to go back there every blooming season!




View of the house from the Italian Garden. Look at that spiral staircase!


There many stone carvings all over the house including plenty of gargoyles.




This is my favorite gargoyle.




Kiss the monkey!


Beautiful views but you can see how hazy it was. A bad air quality day.






The wisteria had already finished blooming but I was able to find one lone bunch hanging from the pergola.


As we alked through the gardens, I named all the trees I recognized. Mr. A was amazed that I knew so many species. I then exlained to him that we had many of them in the yard in Pines Lake. Dogwood, red oak, all kinds of maples, birch, weeping cherry, wepping willow, etc...