Adventure Time: Biltmore Estate

 The travel bug has struck again! Recently, my cousin and I headed up to the lovely Asheville, North Carolina to visit the Biltmore Estate. It was my first visit to Biltmore and it was well worth it! Right from the beginning, we were blown away! I felt like I had taken a trip back in time. 

This gorgeous mansion is surrounded by gardens and hiking trails. To begin our day, we started with the house tour (it was a bit chilly that morning). We were fortunate to time our visit with the special exhibit that displayed costumes from Titanic. (Yes, they were the costumes. I just had to ask if Kate Winslet really wore THAT dress.)

Spring 2018- Titanic Exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. 

Titanic Costumes. 

This elegant house was filled with surprise after surprise. I can't wait to go back!

Now, let's talk about  THE LIBRARY! I could have happily spent the rest of my life in that beautiful library. It was like being in the library in the castle from Beauty and the Beast. It even had a spiral staircase! My cousin is a fellow bookworm, so we were absolutely in heaven! 
There are over 10,000 volumes in the library. The oldest volume was printed in the 1600's and is written in Italian. Mr. Vanderbuilt had all the books custom-bound so they would match. A booklover's dream indeed!  

The Library at Biltmore

The Library at Biltmore

After we toured the house, we drove to Antler Hill and had a wonderful lunch at Cedric's Tavern. I adore British-style pubs, and this one was just perfect! Antler Hill also had a winery (which we toured) and even more shops! My favorite was the Farm, where we got to watch a blacksmith make horseshoes and a woodworker make Christmas ornaments with a lathe. They also had a great play area for those with kids. 

We could easily have spent an entire day just in Antler Hill, between the shops, museum, and outdoor activities. 

Shepherds Pie at Cedric's Tavern

Our last stop was heading back to the gardens. Since it was a little chilly earlier that morning, we put the outdoorsy part of our trip off until last. The gardens are endless! After visiting the Italian Garden and the Tulip Garden, we were on our way to the Conservatory when we noticed that the other guests were leaving. We had accidentally stayed forty-five minutes after closing!!! 

The Conservatory at Biltmore

Tulip Garden

I had absolutely no idea that Biltmore offered so much to do! My only regret is that we could not have stayed longer. We could easily have spent two or three entire days there. If you are looking for a relaxing getaway, plan a trip to Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC! 

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