The size of the Vanderbilt's palace and grounds is beyond belief. George Vanderbilt officially opened the Biltmore House on Christmas Eve, 1895, after six years of construction.
The family lived there until it was opened to the public in 1930. The property has gardens and trails, two hotels, a farm and a winery. The gardens are something to see:
We took a long walk through the gardens and open spaces, following the creek to the bass pond.
On our way, we encountered this interesting tree. It's an Upright Japanese Plum Yew. What??
The Conservatory is a greenhouse that contains the most fabulous collection of plants you'll ever see!
And then, the house itself. Now, that's what we call a HOUSE! In addition to the family living quarters, the home includes a a library...
A tapestry gallery, a music room, a salon, a breakfast room, and a banquet hall with a 1916 full-size pipe organ. In addition, 33 guest bedrooms housed visiting family and friends and this started to look more like a cruise than a house. Guests could begin their day with breakfast in their rooms before enjoying a variety of indoor and outdoor amusements, including reading, letter writing, lawn tennis, croquet, hiking, hunting, and fishing. Oh, and there's an indoor swimming pool and a bowling alley. Here's the billiards room...
And up to 30 servants to care for every need. The servants, by the way, were very well housed, each having private quarters that looked pretty good by early 1900's standards and were well fed in their own dining room. If you need assistance, please ring the maid's room or the butler's pantry:
OK, we were impressed. We'd recommend visiting the Biltmore if you get a chance. It's amazing. If we get the chance to go back, we think we'd stay over at one of the hotels on the property so we could get out onto the many hiking trails that cover the estate. And, there are plenty of Chik-fil-A's in the Asheville area.
