Heading north from our last stop in Greenville, South Carolina, we added another new state to our travels: North Carolina. Asheville, an eclectic town in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, had long been on our list of places to visit.
Foiled In Our Hiking Adventures
We planned to do a lot of hiking during our week in Asheville. After all, the Blue Ridge Parkway is in Asheville’s backyard, and we had a list of hikes we wanted to tackle that our friends MonaLiza and Steve had enjoyed several years ago. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out too well. The third week in April, access to most trails was blocked by snow. And the trails that the visitor center recommended were bleak.
Got my passport stamped and ready to go hiking
As it turns out, the mountains in the east are made up mostly of deciduous trees. Which is why it is so beautiful in the fall. In early spring, not so much. We’re accustomed to the west, where the coniferous forests are green year-round. Hiking the trails near Asheville, our views were of barren, stick-covered mountains.
The trails and views aren’t too inspiring in early spring
After a day of hiking, we admitted we really weren’t having all that much fun. So we turned our attention to Asheville, which offered more than enough to keep us occupied for a few days.
The Biltmore Estate
On the outskirts of Asheville lies the Biltmore, probably the closest thing we have to a castle in this country. Built at the height of the Gilded Age, the fairytale mansion was the dream of George Washington Vanderbilt II (the grandson of industrialist and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt). Apparently, he burned through most of his inheritance manifesting his vision.
The Biltmore Mansion
With 135,000 square feet of living space, 250 rooms, 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, and a bowling alley, it’s the largest private home in America. In comparison, Hearst Castle, which we visited last year in California, is a paltry 68,500 square feet.
Visiting the Biltmore is expensive, at between $55-$65 a ticket. But our RV park offered us two-day passes for the price of a one-day ticket. Somehow, that made it seem like a bargain. (If you go, check around for similar deals.)
The Splendiferous Biltmore Gardens
We were really glad we sprung for the tickets. We spent most of one day exploring the beautiful gardens of the estate and the miles of trails, enjoying the riot of blooming flowers, shrubs, and trees.
The Biltmore conservatory surrounded by fields of tulips
The splendid gardens at Biltmore were designed by Vanderbilt’s friend Frederick Law Olmstead, the father of American landscape architecture best known for his role in creating Central Park. Olmstead regarded the Biltmore as his last great project.
Describing Olmstead’s work, a contemporary said, “He paints with lakes and wooded slopes; with lawns and banks and forest-covered hills; with mountainsides and ocean views….” It’s a perfect description.
The Italian Garden with classical statuary and reflecting ponds; in summer the ponds are filled with water lilies
Spring brings a sea of more than 50,000 blooming tulips in the walled garden
A painter captures spring in the walled garden
Inside the conservatory; live chamber music added to the ambiance
Enjoying the flowers in the conservatory
Paths lead organically from the formal gardens to miles of trails in the less formal areas
Creating A Dream
To build his French Renaissance style chateau, George hired his friend Richard Morris Hunt, the leading architect of the late 19th century. It took six years, 1,000 workers, and more than 11 million bricks. On Christmas Eve 1895, Vanderbilt threw a grand housewarming party for friends and family. He was 33 years old and a bachelor.
Winter Garden in the Biltmore Mansion
Just a few years later, George married Edith Stuyvesant Dresser. From all accounts, they were kind, well-liked, socially progressive and generous. The mansion is a visual feast, filled with furnishings gathered in their extensive European and Asian travels, along with an impressive art collection.
George Vanderbilt loved to read; his library contains 10,000 books
The banquet hall with a triple fireplace and 70-foot tall ceilings
For an additional $10, we could have rented an audio tour of the mansion. But I don’t like audio tours—I much prefer wandering at my own pace. We discovered well-informed guides in each room, all eager to share the history of the mansion and anecdotes of the Vanderbilts. I asked questions to my heart’s content. (I think the guides are bored if no one asks questions.)
Knowledgeable guides are happy to answer any and all questions
Family Fortunes And Tragedies
The Biltmore always has special exhibits. During our visit, costumes were on display from the film “Titanic.” The Vanderbilts were scheduled to sail on the Titanic’s doomed maiden voyage in April 1912 and changed their minds just days before.
Figures dressed in costumes from the film “Titanic” in the Music Room
Edith Vanderbilt’s bedroom. She changed clothes four or five times a day to suit the occasion.
Copper pots in the Biltmore kitchen
In 1914, they weren’t so fortunate. George, only 52, died from complications of an appendectomy. In 1930, the family opened the Biltmore to tourists during the height of the Depression. The altruistic explanation is that they wanted to help bring tourism to the area, but they also needed the money from the one dollar entrance fee to preserve the estate.
The Biltmore is still owned by George Vanderbilt’s descendants, and they’ve expanded the estate to include lodging, restaurants, and a winery. Interestingly, George and Edith’s only child—Cornelia—didn’t stick around to help. In 1924, she married a British diplomat in a grand ceremony at the Biltmore, had two sons, and shortly thereafter, dyed her hair bright pink and moved to Paris, never to return. Had she lived about a century later, she could have just moved to Asheville and found plenty of bohemians.
View of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the Biltmore loggia
Exploring Asheville
Asheville reminded us a lot of our hometown of Ashland, Oregon. Drum circles, organic local food scene, craft breweries (Asheville has us beat there by a long shot), hippies (60’s vintage and newer), and a generally free-spirited vibe. We had fun.
The Grove Arcade, built in 1929 as an indoor shopping arcade
Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar in the Grove Arcade; an elegant and inviting used bookstore
Art Deco architecture in downtown Asheville; originally the S & W Cafeteria
The French Broad Chocolate Lounge offers a delicious array of everything chocolate
The River Arts District is home to artist studios and galleries in turn-of-the-century industrial buildings along the French Broad River
The Flat Iron Statue is one of many in downtown Asheville
Friday Drum Circle in downtown Asheville
Food And Brew In Asheville
The local food and brewery scene in Asheville is some of the best we’ve found anywhere in our travels. We loved the polenta crust pizza at All Soul’s Pizza; grits with seared scallops at The Market Place Restaurant; and beer flights at Brahmari Brewing. There’s so much more—it was really hard to choose.
All Souls Pizza
Tasting flight at Brahmari Brewery
The Market Place Restaurant
About The RV Park
We stayed just a few miles outside of Asheville at Mama Gertie’s Hideaway Campground, a delightful little park. It’s peaceful and pretty, with excellent management and amenities (good wifi and Verizon, immaculate laundry and bathhouse). We were happy with our pull-through site in the lower tier, but for a premium price, you can book a site on the top tier overlooking the mountains with your own deck and swing. If you stay six nights, the seventh is free.
Mama Gertie’s Hideaway
AHHH, have misssed you. Always enjoy your posting and especially the electric selection of photos. YOU two having a fun experience, wonderful food adventures and most of all a reminder of places we have yet to explore. We are ‘selectively’ packing up for Ecuador and Galapagos. Many SC cards ready and our last thing to order were hiking sticks that would fold up. Many on the market, but folding will get them packed in the bag and through TSA.
Hope you enjoy your summer and see you on the road hopefully in Nov. We will be in the Rio Grand (Harligen, TX) for the birding festival from the 7th-11th. check it out… the butterfly gathering is also about this time near Benson Birding Center.
How exciting to be preparing for Ecuador and the Galapagos! Can’t wait to see your photos and to hear stories of your adventures. Although we won’t make it to Texas by November, we would love to connect with you two somewhere this winter. Have fun, and safe travels.
Lucky you are to have experienced the beautiful gardens and architectural style of the
Vanderbilt Estate. Ever since I read about it, I have wanted to see it, well now that
you went no need to spend the hefty price of admission. The grounds are amazing, they
really do a wonderful job of keeping them stunning. Imagine a library with 10,000
books wonder if anyone has ever read all of them. And the champagne and book store
in downtown looks like fun. I think it is hard to grasp the huge undertaking of building
the Vanderbilt Estate and the cost of what that would mean in todays economy. They
sure did not believe in simplicity did they – Yikes.
Peggy, I thought of you when we were in that bookstore—you would love it! As far as George Vanderbilt’s passion for reading, at age 12 he began keeping a record of books he read, and at the time of his death, had read more than 3,000 books—about 80 books a year. I’ll bet you’ve read at least that many!
Interesting & good timing. We’re headed that way in October! Thanks for sharing! I learn so much from others blogs.
Oh good! Glad this might be helpful for you. I’m sure Asheville will be gorgeous in October when the leaves are changing.
Once again beautiful pictures Laurel. Your restaurant shots always have me drooling!
Thanks, Sue. I’d like to have that polenta pizza right now. But I don’t think they’ll deliver to Lopez Island. :-)
You are right about the trees in the spring. We spent 3 months in Ashville in the spring and took a food tour to get lots of tastes in. That was a great deal with bogo. Love tbe flowers.
Would I ever love to do a food tour of Asheville! That’s going on our list for next time. And bogo? Even better! Thanks for the idea, Debbie.
I don’t care how many closets full of clothes I might have, or servants to wash them, I would still lay around my mansion in the same sweatpants for at least a week. I can’t imagine so many changes of clothes each day! But then, what else you gonna do, right?
I am sorry to say that we have completely bypassed Ashville in our travels. It’s still on the list, though!
LOL, I almost live in yoga pants, so I know exactly what you mean! But I don’t believe they had any comfy clothing back then. I think it would be a huge pain to have to get dressed several times a day—they had servants to help them, but that would annoy me to no end.
Next time you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to visit Asheville. You guys will like it and you can wear whatever you want, haha!
Lovely to see photos from the Biltmore. When we were in Asheville, we were on the way to Florida, and opted out for that price. I would have loved the gardens. We also had one of our few WalMart nights there in Asheville. It was actually quite nice, and we even had a grassy spot next to the motorhome to sit on that evening. Like you, we found Asheville to be incredibly charming and full of art and fun things to do. Such a pretty city. We were there during “stick season” as well, in December, and found the Blue Ridge lovely with views but definitely devoid of green. I would love to see it during rhodie season with new green leaves on all those hardwoods.
Sue, I would love to see the Blue Ridge Mountains during rhodie season, too. The good thing about being there in early spring is that Asheville is gorgeous—the redbuds and dogwoods were in bloom, and of course, the Biltmore spring gardens were fantastic.
So you were there in December? Wow, I always think of that as being too late to drive through the mountains—but apparently not! That gives us more options.
Polenta crust pizza and scallops in anything!!! Want to just ride along for the food! Scrambling to get work done to meet you both up north. Lovely gardens especially welcome here and now with little blooming so can I say “good for you” in being behind in this post…just what my smoke filled eyeballs needed today!
Thank you for sharing your adventures including those insiders tips like the two for one pass!!!
Oh goodie, so glad to know that you’re getting everything done in preparation to come to see us on Lopez! We’ll make some yummy food, maybe not polenta pizza and scallops, but how about local salmon? The skies are clear here, and we’re waiting for you! oxoxo
We’ve only visited Ashville on a motorcycle trip. We were too cheap to pay to see the Biltmore:) I love that photo of Eric on the Conservatory. What a great smile! You two always find the neatest places to eat. Your photos make me want to eat:)
Pam, we enjoyed Asheville so much that we’re planning to return—hopefully next time we can do more hiking. The Biltmore was worth the cost! I like that photo of Eric in the conservatory, too. :-) And yeah, you know me…I love great food! There are some really outstanding restaurants in Asheville.
Wowza, that Biltmore estate is amazing! You know Colonel Mustard did it in the conservatory with the candlestick. Ha!
Hahaha…I love Clue!! Eric hates it (don’t know why, probably because he always used to lose when we played with Amanda). So let’s play sometime together. :-))
The Biltmore really is amazing—you would love those gardens, especially because you wouldn’t have to design the irrigation system.
One of my favorites at the Biltmore is the part of the basement with the hand painted walls — story goes that they had a wild Halloween party and the guests started painting the walls and they left it! Can you imagine, given how finished the rest of the estate is. We spent an Oct there a few years ago and the trees, well yes everything we imagined!
Leah, that Halloween room was fascinating, and kind of eerie! I think they had some wild and fun parties at the Biltmore. Apparently, costume parties were a big thing, for any occasion. I would love to visit Asheville in the fall—I can only imagine how gorgeous it must be.
Beautiful photo of you, Laurel! We did not visit The Biltmore. Thanks for the terrific tour. The garden is outstanding. From the back, I thought that painter was you. The RV park sounds really nice. I like the tier parking.
Oh how we loved our visit to Asheville. When we visited downtown, we did what they call the Urban Trail/Public Art Walking Tour. It was so much fun. We also hiked Chimney Rock. It was in the fall, and the colors were gorgeous. And of course, we couldn’t go to Asheville without driving the Blue Ridge Parkway. No where better than Asheville in the fall to see God’s color palette at work.
Thank you, Marsha. I’m glad you enjoyed our tour of the Biltmore. :-) Ha, I wish I could paint like that!
We did the Urban Trail/Public Art Tour, too, but that map from the visitor center was confusing! We gave up and just wandered and eventually saw everything. We were hoping to hike Chimney Rock, but most of the Blue Ridge Parkway was closed while we were there because of snow and ice. I want to return to see those gorgeous fall colors!
I know I would love Asheville! I believe Chihuly has a showing at the Biltmore right now…can you imagine his sculptures displayed in those gorgeous gardens?!
Lisa, you would definitely enjoy Asheville! Especially if you go when the hiking trails are open. You’re right, there’s a Chihuly showing in the gardens at the Biltmore through October. Would I ever love to see that! In all our travels, we’ve never managed to be in the right place at the right time for one of those special Chihuly exhibits. One of these days…
Thanks for sharing your adventures in Asheville. We love that little melting pot of people, music, food and brew. Hope to make it back thru the NC hills next spring. There is a great Americana music festival (with camping) a little south of there called the Albino Skunk festival that you might enjoy on your next trek thru.
Happy Trails!
Yes, Asheville is definitely a melting pot and so much fun. It reminds us a lot of our hometown in southern Oregon. We’re planning to visit again next spring, and that music festival sounds like something we would enjoy. I remember you writing about it on your blog, so thanks for the reminder!
Laurel Thank you for the tour of Asheville. What a beautiful place! It’s on our list for someday in the future. Right now the waning days of summer in Portland are too enjoyable to miss, especially since the smoke has cleared and it’s a bit cooler. Looking forward to the fall! See you then! – Tom & Georgina
Asheville is so beautiful, and there’s so much art, music, and great food—it’s a place you two will enjoy, for sure. So glad to hear that the smoke has cleared in Portland and that you’re getting cooler temps. We’re looking forward to seeing you mid-October! Hugs to you both!
Hi Laurel – been following you and Eric for years reading your blogs. By the way, did the Raven mend fully from his heart thingy a few years ago?? Thank you for the magnificent photos. You should self-publish a book – Roaming the USA in a Toyota & Trailer. Yes, you should!!
So good to hear from you, Rick! Thanks for your very kind comment, and yes, Eric (AKA Raven) has fully recovered from his surgery. We’re back to all of our usual adventures. :-) Hope you’re doing well!
That opening shot is a stunner!! How I’d love to explore that garden with the two of you. Love the tulips :-) 45 bathrooms?! There must have been a fulltime plumber on staff! This is such a pretty town with the kind of vibe we appreciate so much. It’s further west than we are planning this time, but I’ve added it to the list.
Jodee, that opening photo is of the beautiful Art Deco Asheville City Hall—the town has so many gorgeous historic buildings. Springtime is a great time to visit the Biltmore—the tulips and other spring blooms were fantastic. Wish we could all be there for the Chihuly exhibit in the gardens this fall! :-)
The interesting thing about all those bathrooms (besides the sheer number!) is that indoor plumbing wasn’t common at the time. I know you and Bill will enjoy both Asheville and the Biltmore when you head that direction.
I’m really surprised that you had no gorgeous wildflowers in April. Or maybe you were there in March. Craggy Gardens and Crabtree Meadows are wonderful but of course the real jewel is Great Smoky Mountain National Park which is a bit far to drive from Asheville. Two day pass is a must at the Biltmore. You can’t possibly see it all in one day. Boy do I love tulips. You were there at just the right time in my opinion. Gorgeous pictures, thank you SO much. Love the story of Cornelia. I had no idea. What would George think? Great description of Asheville. But don’t get a parking ticket. It’ll cost more than the price of tickets to the Biltmore. Are you wearing BLUE at the flight tasting or is it a camera malfunction? I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’m pretty much from the south but grits with scallops? Aside: You have got the comments.
Sherry, we were in Asheville the third week in April. We went in search of wildflowers, and there were a few on the trails we hiked, but not vast numbers. Craggy Gardens was on our list, but we couldn’t get to many hikes because most of the parkway was closed. Maybe next year there won’t be snow and ice in April!
As it turns out, we were happy to be there in April for the spring blooms at the Biltmore.
Haha, my vest and top are a deep periwinkle, still in the purple family! I’ve had that vest forever—I think the light makes it look darker.
One more thing—yes, I loved the story about Cornelia! They don’t talk much about her at the Biltmore…I had to dig for that. :-)
For years, I’ve been intrigued by the idea of visiting the Biltmore, but the price of entry has always been hard for me to justify. When places like that start opening wineries and hotels, it all becomes a bit “Disney,” but, given your experiences with the knowledgeable guides and the miles of included walking paths, we’ll likely give it a shot. It’s always fun to peer in on the lives of ridiculous people being ridiculous. :)
Also, I so understand your comment about hiking in the spring on the east coast. I could never get excited about going for a hike when everything was so brown and dead. It’s one of many reasons we tend to agree: ‘the west is best.’ Luckily there’s plenty to keep you busy in a cool town like Asheville. We haven’t been yet, but I’m pretty sure we’ll love it. With food like that, and tons of live music and fun street art, what’s not to love??
Thanks for the tour!!
Laura, you guys will love Asheville! Although we balked at the ticket prices for the Biltmore, we’re happy we went. We split our visit into two days and figured we got our money’s worth. There’s plenty to do for a couple of days!
The Biltmore and the gardens are several miles away from Antler Hill Village, which is where the shops, restaurants, and winery are, so there’s no Disney feeling at all. Antler Hill Village is actually lovely—it’s on the site of the Biltmore’s original dairy and farm. We had a very good lunch at the Bistro there and enjoyed wine tasting in the beautiful winery.
We love reading your excellent blog! thanks for sharing, enjoy South America!!
Thanks, Tim. We really enjoyed our travels in the South and Southeast—so much beauty and so many interesting things everywhere!
Tulips! my all time favorite flower. And you came at the perfect time for their peak bloom at the Biltmore. We too enjoyed our tour of the big house. Those rich people really know how to spend their money! Thank you for the mention, but was bummed that snow stopped you from taking those wonderful trails at the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Your route this year is taking me back to our east coast adventures. Your vivid captures really bring great memories.
We also thought of Asheville as a place to live but crossed it off, for it is in the east :)
MonaLiza, we were disappointed that the snow kept us from hiking those gorgeous trails, but then we found plenty to do in Asheville. The Biltmore kept us busy for two days. :-) You would have loved those tulips!
Asheville is a place we could happily live, too.
I love to see artist out in the open. The salads you were eating looked so good.
Christine, I always love seeing artists painting plein air. It makes me want to do the same. Not that I could do it. :-))
I have had regrets at not getting to Asheville when we were back east, even more so now that I see this post and your lovely photos. When I read the price of admission to the Biltmore, I thought ‘ouch’ but seeing your photos and those fabulous gardens, I think the price might just be worth it.
LuAnn, if you make it back east, I’m sure you would enjoy Asheville. And although we balked at the price of the Biltmore, it was worth it!
I’m thinking it was the early 90’s when we did a quickie trip from Virginia to the Smokeys and Asheville. I remember thoroughly enjoying the tour of the house and recollect having to buy postcards because they did not allow photography. Or maybe I wasn’t a camera-carrier back then. The admission was nowhere near what they charge now, but expensive for the time … yet the place was definitely well attended. The lifestyle the Vanderbilts led is hard for me to wrap my head around … this whole changing outfits 4-5 times a day to suit the occasion would not have been my cup of tea 😉
One of the places we visited in the vicinity was Chimney Rock SP where they filmed parts of The Last of the Mohicans. I recall enjoying the expansive views from the top and the waterfall there. Hopefully you got to visit while you were in Asheville.
Erin, we had planned to visit Chimney Rock but weren’t able to because of snow and ice on the roads. Most of the parkway was closed while we were there. So all of the great hiking is on our list for our next visit to Asheville.
I think there was a time that photography wasn’t allowed inside of the Biltmore—I’m glad they allow it now!