We arrived at Biltmore Estate at Ashville, NC, early in the cold winter morning. We drove up to the gate to pay the entrance fee and was told "the estate is about 2 miles up the road". I remember thinking, just how big is this place, really? The drive up the parking lot is 2 miles long? Turned out, the guard even underestimated the drive, as 2 miles of driving only took us to the parking lot. We had to take a shuttle or walk for another 1/4 mile in order to reach the front lawn of the Biltmore Estate.
As we waited in line to get in to Biltmore, we noted its distinct design and the grand staircase that led up to the second and third floor on the left side. Since we were visiting in winter, the place looked more solitary then inviting. After 30 minutes of wait, it was finally our turn. We stepped into the lobby and were instantly amazed by the grand hallway and the large, and highly ornamented living room in front of us. There was even an indoor garden located to the right, lush with plants and flowers. We took some time taking in the site. Then we proceeded to follow the designated route, going up and down the grand hallways visiting one room after the next. On the walls, there were full of portraits and paintings of the Vanderbilt family. And all around us, there were carefully restored and maintained original furniture the Vanderbilt family had used. As it was close to Christmas time, the grand dining room had also been decorated in such a manner--very impressive. The entire tour took us about 1.5 hours to complete.
After the tour, we proceeded to the gift shop/cafe that flanked the building for a quick snack and browsed the gift shop for souvenirs to bring home.
AS we walked around the property, we found out that the Biltmore Estate was also surrounded by a garden and a lake. We decided to take a walk down the slope to the back side of the estate to visit the garden. Afterward, we walked alongside the lake on a little trail that encircled the pond. This little side trip was a pleasant 30- to 40-minute walk.
Our next stop was at the Biltmore Winery (yes, the estate contained a self-sufficient winery), where my friend sampled some of the locally brewed Biltmore Wine. And since it was lunch, we headed over to the restaurant to the side of the winery and enjoyed a meal there in the late afternoon. My friend bought a wine to bring home.
Since we had to drive back to Winston-Salem, a 2-hour drive, and the sky was getting dark, we decided to forgo visiting the Equestrian Park. As we drove out of the vast Biltmore Estate, we also passed by the Biltmore Resort. Back then, it was still under construction, but it looked like a 5-star resort without a doubt. The drive out of the estate took us nearly 15 minutes.
As we left Biltmore, we could appreciate how the Biltmores enjoyed such a reputation in North Carolina. We had visited it right after Thanksgiving but would have visited it on Christmas had we known that there is actually a special Christmas package one can purchase where you can enjoy a candlelight dinner on the Biltmore estate.