Wondering where to take your next vacation or considering a great place perhaps for retirement? Well, Asheville is a lovely mountain resort area not too far from the Smoky Mts filled with culture,art, history, outdoor adventure, and grand vista scenic views. It’s where a blend of mountaintops,vibrant streets, amazing architecture,creative energy, bohemian culture, craft artisans, micro breweries, outdoor recreation, and the pristine wilderness of the Blue Ridge Mountains engage your curiosity and challenge your sense of discovery all come together. It definitely rocks as a place to find renewed passion for life in the every day world. The Grove Park Inn is one of the town's two biggest tourist attractions. Built in 1913 it has several fine restaurants, boutiques,a wonderful resort spa, and incredible views from atop its hillside setting.
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| Grand Bohemian Hotel |
Where else can you travel around the World in one amazing location? Such a place indeed is the Biltmore Estate nestled in a beautiful 8,000-acres Blue Ridge Mountain backyard.
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| Grove Park Inn |
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| A view of Asheville's downtown from the Grove Park Inn Resort patio |
We were inspired by the relaxed elegance of George and Edith Vanderbilt's 250-room family home and country retreat in Asheville.
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| The Biltmore House |
The Biltmore House and Gardens took six years to complete in 1898. It was inspired by French chateaux, built by Old World craftsmen, and adorned with masterpieces from Europe, Japan, and China.
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| Biltmore House overlooks the 8,000 acres Vanderbilt owned to a mile beyond the mountain peaks |
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View from the Biltmore House
The self-guided tour on the estate infuse stories about the Vanderbilts, plus displays of vintage clothing, storytelling, and period pieces that showed what it was like to live in or visit America’s largest home in the early 1900s. |
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| Walled Garden |
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| Conservatory |
Of course, we couldn’t help but enjoy original art from masters such as Renoir, magnificent 16th–century tapestries, Napoleon's chess set, a library with 10,000 leather bound volumes, a Banquet Hall with a 70–foot ceiling, 65 fireplaces, an indoor pool, bowling alley, gymnasium, priceless antiques and the lovely gardens.
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| Garden Pond with water lilies and koi |
Great fun was had on several behind the scenes guided tours. The Butler Tour allowed us to see all the doings under foot for running the household’s enormous staff.
The Architecture Tour lead us into the Biltmore attic space to climb out on one of the roof top dome areas and along a catwalk ledge to see the grand views from high atop the chateau.
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| Gargoyles, Griffins, and Grotesques were carved by old world stone cutters working off scaffold |
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| Stepping out along the ledge with the gargoyles |
Legacy of the Land Tour provided us a wonderful drive into the estate’s private countryside to learn about George Vanderbilt’s role starting the first scientific forestry conservation project in America. He donated most of his 8,000-acre backyard land to the government for establishing the first national forest. To be filthy rich and wealthy enough to zealously support a worthy cause is certainly a defining legacy for one man’s character.
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| Carriage house clock tower and copolas |
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| Toasting to family, friends, and the good life at the Biltmore Estate Winery |
Great fun was had on several behind the scenes guided tours. The Butler Tour allowed us to see all the doings under foot for running the household’s enormous staff.
