The Biltmore

Brandon and I just returned from our weekend get-away, and it was one of the best weekends we've had in a while!  After I decided to come to Kingsport for a rotation, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to head over to Asheville, NC to see the Biltmore Estate.

We started out with an audio tour of the inside of the house, and learned all about the Vanderbilt family, their traditions, and their extravagant, fabulous lifestyle.

One of our favorite parts of the house was the Winter Garden, which is a huge, open area filled with lush plants and greenery, covered with natural sunlight beaming in through the glass ceiling.  We also lusted over the gigantic well-stocked library, the kitchen with the gorgeous view of the mountains, and the dining room with a 7-story ceiling that houses a 40 foot Christmas tree during the holidays!

That night, we attended the Flower Carpet Event, where we enjoyed an amazing picnic basket filled with gourmet cheese and breads, plus a colorful array of fruits, a bottle of Biltmore wine, and two-souvenir Biltmore wine glasses. We were able to explore the gardens as the sun set over the mountains, with torches and candles lighting the walkways. It was so romantic!

We enjoyed ourselves so much the first day, we went back the next day for some more tours and history. Brandon's favorite was the Rooftop Tour, where we learned more about the architecture of the house. The views were breathtaking, to say the least!  One of my favorite parts was the Friends and Family Tour, where I swooned over 11 extra rooms and guest bedrooms that make Pottery Barn catalogs look like JCPenny. We learned more about the guests at the Biltmore during it's prime, all of which made me fall even more in love with the old days.

The house looks very similar to Pemberly, doesn't it? It's all so "Pride and Prejudice", where Brandon is Mr. Darcy, and I am, of course, Elizabeth Bennet. And we'll live happily ever after, although vacations can't last forever, unfortunately.