The Biltmore

This fall we gave Cal, Cam and Meg several choices for our Fall Break destination including Nashville, St. Louis and Memphis.  In the end they unanimously chose The Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina.   We completely supported their choice as we had visited seven years ago and loved it. 

We had stayed in Tennessee last night so we could enjoy the Smoky Mountains in the daylight.  Although the leaves had not changed completely the view added quite a bit of enjoyment to our hour long drive to the Biltmore Estate.  We arrived about 45 minutes before our scheduled tour, so we had plenty of time to take pictures, walk around the grounds and shop.  It was absolutely beautiful.  

Our tour started on the main level.  We rented audio guides for everyone which gave us a lot of information on the mansion, it's owners and each room.  Everything was incredibly impressive, from the detail in the woodwork to the design of the decor.  There were early Renoir paintings, gorgeous views, beautiful decorations, an indoor pool, a bowling alley and so much.  As a bonus they were decorating for the holidays and almost every room on the main floor had a Christmas tree as well as several bedrooms on the second floor.  My favorite room was the library.  It was stacked from floor to ceiling with books and had a staircase to reach the top shelves.  I could have spent hours hanging out in that room alone.  HM had never visited the Biltmore and we had forgotten a lot of what we had seen years ago, so we all really enjoyed the two hour tour.  

               

           

Once our tour of the home was finished, we headed to the outdoor cafe for sandwiches and Biltmore beer and wine.  Cam and I both enjoyed a Caronlina dog topped with cole slaw and onions.  Once everyone had enough to eat we did a walking tour of the gardens.  The mountain views and variety of flowers were breathtaking.  In total we spent about four hours at the mansion before moving on to Antler Hill Village home to the Biltmore farms, winery and shops.  We got a bottle of Riesling to share and then the girls went shopping while the guys played corn hole.  Meg, HM and I found the best store on the property called Traditions.  It had jewelry, purses, blankets, soap, clocks and Christmas decorations.  Meg found a cute pair of earrings and she and I both purses that we liked.  Our last stop at the Biltmore was the farm area.  We saw the machinery from the turn of the century and played a few old fashioned outdoor games before checking out the petting farm.

         
We stayed in Fletcher, North Carolina tonight in a two room suite.  We made an awesome discovery nearby for dinner - the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.  It was by far the largest brewery that we had ever eaten in, and there was plenty to do while we waited for a table with beer tasting, shuffle board, fire pits and Zoltar.  We ordered plenty of shareable plates including pretzels and beer cheese, flat breads, a hamburger, eggs and hash, beet steak, and sausages.  We all enjoyed trying the different dishes and soon were full and ready to relax in the hotel.  It was the perfect way to end our time in western North Carolina.