Asheville North Carolina

 

We took the short (85 mile) drive over to Asheville North Carolina on Sunday and spent three days in Asheville. The main attraction was the Biltmore Estate but there is so much more to the town than just that.

I'll start at the Biltmore since that's the main reason we stopped.




This is the mansion as you walk from the parking lot. It's majestic to say the least.  The construction started in 1898 and took 1000 workers 6 years to complete.




The house is over 175,000 square feet with 250 rooms and 43 bathrooms. George Vanderbilt started the project when he was still single and completed it after he was married. He and his wife Edith lived here till his death in 1924.

This is the family dining room which was used for just the family when no guests were present.

The formal dining room was used when they entertained which they did often.







This is one of the many rooms used for gatherings. The guests would come here before dinner for cocktails and conversation.





This is Edith's bedroom. She and George had separate bedrooms since they changed clothes several times a day and were assisted by either a maid or a butler.



If you were a guest of the Vanderbilt's you might have used this guest bedroom. Not your basic motel 6!




If you were a servant you were given a salary, board and room. You might have lived in this servants room.

We walked the gardens and the conservatory in the background. A staff of 2000 employees maintain the grounds and provide guest services. It is the largest privately owned and operated historical monument in the U.S.

We took two guided tours, the rooftop tour and the upstairs downstairs tour. These added immensely to our understanding of the time and culture.

Wednesday we spent downtown and were amazed at the houses and buildings dating back to the early 1900's.

Now it's off to Lexington Ky for some horse viewing. More from there.