After a good night's rest (I slept almost 12 hours...) and a quick breakfast at the hotel, we were off to visit the Biltmore Estate on Wednesday.
This is America's largest home with almost 179,000 sq.ft (16,600 m2), which was built by George Vanderbilt between 1889 and 1895 and sits on an 8,000 acres grand estate. The finished home contains over 4 acres of floor space, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. Impressive!
What was fascinating was that the house had already central heating as well as a heated indoor swimming pool with lights in the basement, a bowling alley, a bachelor's wing and an elevator (picture: pool and party room).
Intending that the estate could be self-supporting, Vanderbilt set up a scientific forestry programs, poultry, cattle, and hog farms as well as a dairy. Vanderbilt also wanted a park-like setting for his home; thus, several gardens as well an arboretum were built. Today, there is still a farm on the property as well as a winery, a hotel, restaurants and hiking and horse riding trails. Here is a look at the outside of the house and the view from the balconies:
The gardens were beautiful, especially with all the fall flowers planted.
In the arboretum:
After a delicious late lunch at Cantina Biltmore in the historic Biltmore Village (fresh Tex Mex and a nice bottle of Biltmore Riesling), we went back to the Estate to do our complimentary wine tasting tour.
After sampling some wines, and purchasing a few bottles, we finished off the day by relaxing on the estate, enjoying some ice cream and a beer while listening to some live music.
Despite the steep entrance fee to the Biltmore, it was definitely worth a visit, especially if you have no kids with you. We really enjoyed the estate and what it had to offer. Next up, our scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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