It was drizzling when we arrived at the Biltmore but the rain slowed no one down. The tour busses picked us up from the parking lot and drove us to the estate’s entrance.
The Biltmore is the largest privately owned home in the United States with 250 rooms (35 of which are bedrooms), 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, a full sized bowling alley and an indoor swimming pool.
We took a self-guided tour with audio recordings and made our way through as many rooms as the tour allowed.
No photography was allowed inside the house but I took this one at the entrance before we walked in. The architecture was impressive, both inside and out.
The gargoyles were plentiful.
We popped outside on the loggia and took in the expanse of the Deer Park, the 250 acres of wooded land seen in the background.
After we toured the house, we had lunch in the courtyard. What was most important to Mason, though, was the dessert. He said it sounded irresistible in the book and he couldn’t wait to try it. From both the book and the tour, we learned that The Biltmore Estate had its own dairy farm of Jersey cows that were reputed to produce superior milk. Rich and creamy milk makes rich and creamy ice cream. The sundaes did not disappoint.
Later in the gift shop, Mason found the chess set. Mason told me this wasn’t the famous chess set mentioned in the book but they did sell good looking chess sets in the gift shop. He shared with me that the chess set was part of the mystery in the story.
Of course, there was a formidable lion standing guard.
From the side doors of the estate, we followed the path to the Library and South Terraces. The structure on the right is the Tea House and there was fountain in the far center.
Behind the boys is a side view of the house. The picture above was taken from the landing right before walking down the stairs.
We followed the path out to the Conservatory. This walkway of busts was protected under a wonderful pergola. My dad would have been proud of its construction.
The seasonal difference between North Carolina and Indiana was obvious in the number of flowers and budding trees.
I took a zillion photos of the flora which I’ll include in a future post. In this picture above, the boys are playing in the gardens. Click the photo to enlarge it and see them frolicking.
Walking back to the front of the house afterwards, I got a few more pictures of the grounds to share.
Mason was not kidding about all of the gargoyles. They were plentiful.
We drove from the house to the Biltmore Winery, also on the grounds and part of the entrance admission. There we found a petting zoo and a interactive colonial village.
The horse is a Belgian Draft. It was majestic.
The chickens were laying plenty of eggs and there was a goat that was due to bear a kid any minute. Literally.
Fun faces from the farm summed up our adventures at the Biltmore.
But wait, our day is not over. We had a few more hours of daylight. Bill did some research and found St. Lawrence Basilica which had a 5:00 PM Saturday vigil Mass and a nearby restaurant for dinner. We had about 45 minutes before Mass began so we popped into Asheville Pinball Museum. For a flat admission, we could play all the games we wanted.
Note the current obsession with Monopoly plays out here.
After playing a number of games and going on a scavenger hunt to find the images pictured above on the pinball machines, we walked over for Mass and then to the Early Girl Eatery, a farm to table restaurant. It was tasty.
Right next door to Early Girl was Purl’s Yarn Emporium but unfortunately, it was closed.
We walked a few blocks from where we had dinner to get a cup of coffee, hot chocolate and hot tea at the Double D’s.
Finally, it was time to call it a night and head back to the hotel. The boys stopped at this bench in honor of Elizabeth Blackwell, MD., the first woman to be awarded a medical degree. According to the plaque in front of the bench, she began her studies in Asheville. Doesn’t Mason look innocent despite the fact he has his hands resting on his brother’s head?
After the trek back to the car, we returned to the hotel for a quick dip in the hot tub and to call it a day.
After playing a number of games and going on a scavenger hunt to find the images pictured above on the pinball machines, we walked over for Mass and then to the Early Girl Eatery, a farm to table restaurant. It was tasty.
What an awesome day!!
That looks so fun! Frankie liked the ceiling picture. It looks like a cute town. We miss you
Amazing house. Does someone still live in it?
It is still a privately owned home but I don’t think anyone lives in it. There are some areas that are not public so I bet they could reside there if they wished.
Love that a book could come to life in this way!