Where can you tour the largest home in the United States, visit lavish formal gardens, hike miles of forested trails, do a wine tasting, and choose from more than a dozen restaurants, all on the same property? Of course, it’s none other than George Washington Vanderbilt II’s Biltmore Estate, where I spent the entire day today.
I arrived in Asheville, North Carolina around 10:00 last night and after a short sleep, I was ready to see how the other half lives today. Clearly, an indulgent breakfast was in order. But let’s be honest… when is an indulgent breakfast not in order? Early Girl Eatery currently has two outposts in Asheville, with more on the way. Let me tell you, cinnamon biscuit French toast definitely fit the bill for indulgence! The two biscuits were piled high, covered in homemade whipped cream, and surrounded by homemade apple butter. Yum!
After breakfast, it was off to the day’s main attraction: the Biltmore Estate. Built by Richard Morris Hunt for George Washington Vanderbilt II in the late 1800’s, the estate encompasses nearly 8,000 acres and includes the house itself along with the adjacent gardens, as well as Antler Village, a shopping and dining area. I arrived just after 9AM and headed straight for the house and gardens. Since I had a few hours until my reserved tour time for the house, I started in the gardens. The gardens include a shrub garden, rose garden, walled garden, conservatory, and many others. I’m glad I left myself so much time to explore!
Beyond the gardens are a series of trails leading to Bass Pond. The trails meander through the azalea garden and follow a small babbling brook down to the pond. Once there, I decided to follow the trail encircling the pond with a stop at Bass Pond Waterfall before heading back to the house. The sun was shining and the temperatures were warm (albeit a bit humid); it was a glorious morning for wandering the grounds.
My tour time for the Biltmore House itself was at 12:30PM. The line to get in resembled a cattle call, and I found myself wondering if I would be fighting the masses during the whole tour rather than enjoying the visit. It turned out to be a combination of both. In some spaces there was a bottleneck to get through, while other rooms had plenty of space to spread out. An audio tour was included in my visit, and I found it helpful to hear about what I was seeing. The audio guide was well-timed in that there was just enough commentary for me to appreciate my surroundings without wondering when it would end. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite room, though the formal dining room and the loggia both stand out as highlights.
After touring the house, I was wiped out. I headed back to the car and drove the three miles to Antler Hill Village, home to the Biltmore Estate Winery, where I had a reservation for a 3:20PM wine tasting. If you know me, you know wine isn’t really my thing. I tolerate it, but that’s about it. However, the tasting was included in my $113 ticket for the day, and I was bound and determined to get my money’s worth. I sampled a couple of special Christmas wines, a rosé, and two other whites.
I don’t like wine, and I won’t even drink beer, but you know what I do like? Hard cider. I was in luck tonight because the Asheville Brewing Company had Bold Rock cider on tap, and it was the perfect complement to my pizza with chicken, ham, and gorgonzola.
Needless to say, I finally hit my wall after dinner. A quick stop to pick up some soda and a candy bar and I am happily ensconced in my hotel room editing pictures and live-streaming the concert at home that I would have been part of had I been home this weekend. I’ll need my rest tonight because tomorrow I am off to explore the Blue Ridge Mountains!
Traveling with Laura 