Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Vacation Part 1: The Biltmore

Every other summer I travel with Stevie and Amy to the beach...usually the same beach and the same house.  If Amy will hurry up and turn 40, for a few years we will be 3 decades traveling together - 40s 50s 60s!  We have learned how to travel well together and everyone knows their jobs and we have fun.

This year, we added a stop in Asheville on the way down.  I wanted to see the Biltmore - America's Castle.  It was beautiful.  It was hot.  I couldn't take pictures inside and all in all, I think I like Monticello better.  But here are a few pictures from out and about.
Pretty impressive first view, right?

Look at the detail.  It all got even more impressive
 when we got to see some of the construction photos...amazing.

My little husband told me that Mr. Vanderbilt could stand at the top of his house and all that he could see was his.  My little husband knows lots of useful stuff like that.
Regardless, the views were spectacular.


OLD wisteria vines that formed a shady arbor to walk under on the way to the gardens and it was HOT, so the shade was welcome.  
That fishy fountain above was on the wall side of this arbor.

The gardens.

This hibiscus bloom was the size of a dinner plate!

Another vista...can you see the rain off in the distance?
It never got to us.

Toddy, on the left, joined us for this part of our trip and 
she added the 70s decade.  Stevie is the 60s.  Not bad for a
couple of old farts, huh?

From here we drove to Raleigh to stay with Toddy for a couple of days.  Vacation Part 2.

9 comments:

K said...

Holy cats - that's a flipping French Chateau! What kind of person needs to live in a place like that? I love the space around it, but honestly - I suppose I'm a little Bolshevik about things like this. How many rooms does one family need? And how much money? Goodness. But how fun for the three of you to have your traveling sisterhood. The trip was hot, I know, but you seem to have had tons o fun. And then to end up peacefully at the beach -

sighing.

Donna said...

Oh, I get that Bolshevik thing for sure. I don't even like to use the AC in my car because I don't want someone in their clunker car driving to their minimum wage job to think I am better than them...
Yeah, the Biltmore has like 40 guest rooms! A hotel for friends. And me, I'm not even putting in a single spare bedroom at La Ti Da. They must have just had more friends than me....and more money!

Rachel said...

You two are better than me. I have no problems what so ever using my AC and blasting it full blast.

And my yard. I want it to look like that. I want my boys to cut those lines in my grass. INCREDIBLE!

As for the house, the only way I'll live there is if I'm married to Darcy and we live there together. That is the ONLY way I'll live there.........

Rachel said...

That would be "MR"!!! Darcy by the way.......

Donna said...

Teehee! So, I guess the SM is safe and the Biltmore will remain a tourist attraction.

Rachel said...

For now.......... ;)

Donna said...

Ha!

W-S Wanderings said...

Yep, I'm all about the car AC myself, but the car itself IS a clunker. A clunker that has served me well. Now the minivan, though, it is a clunker WITHOUT AC. Traveling with 5 children in the heat of summer with no AC? Well. Not even gonna go there.

As for the grass, kinda put me in mind of the rotary cutter lines in our fields. Which kinda made me giggle.

The architecture of this chateau is incredible. But my favourite here are the vines. Such vines!

Donna said...

WSW! Hi. I have been having hot flashes that are about to push me over the AC edge!