This post will wrap up our stay in Asheville, NC. found it to be a very pretty city with beautiful old homes in one section, some fantastic mountain scenery, more breweries than you can imagine, and the largest arts district that we have seen in any town on our US tours so far.
The only downsides were the physical layout of the streets made navigation a little difficult, even with the GPS. It seems that it would auto-correct a couple of times on most routes. Also, parking along many streets was a little tight due to the narrow roads. But, we were driving the 1-ton dually.
The crowds in town were not bad at all. We were probably a little early for their peak tourist season, although it was the local school systems spring break.
Biltmore Estate
The other main focus of the town is the Biltmore Estate. If you have never visited, it is a must see on the old bucket list for sure. It is an incredible mansion and grounds. It is hard to imagine that kind of money invested in a house in those days. It is one of those places where you have to see it to believe it. Hard to describe in words and photos.
The short history is that George Vanderbilt (son of the railroad magnate) opened the Biltmore House in 1895 after six years of construction. It was the family home for George, his wife Edith, and daughter Cornelia. In 1924, Cornelia married John Cecil and they also lived and entertained at the mansion.
They open the home to the public for tours in 1930 during the depression to generate income to preserve the estate. Today, it is still a family owned business and they employ 2,000 employees. A definite boost to the local economy.
This is the largest privately owned home in the US at 179,000 square feet of floor space. Kind of hard to conceptualize. It is designed in the French Renaissance style and includes a total of 250 rooms in the house including 35 bedrooms for family and guests, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, three kitchens and 19th-century novelties such as electric elevators, forced-air heating, centrally controlled clocks, a call-bell system, and electricity from the time it was built.
Overall, the home and grounds were incredible to see and tour. The tickets for both of us were a total of $141 including a 10% discount, so they are pricey. Is it worth it? Yeah, I think so. This is a one of a kind estate and includes a lot of history. Not something you see in every town. What a country we have!
The Biltmore Gardens
We also walked through the other farm displays and went to the winery for a free wine tasting. They have some very good wines, but we did not buy any. We have found that box wines travel much better in the RV and are really very good.
Thanks for riding along with us! Leave a comment if you wish and be sure to sign up for updates. Take care and God Bless.
Randy, the size of the house is truly amazing. The first thing that went through my mind, is that it is four acres of floor space. Also, I have cared for some football fields in my day, and I know they are about 57000 sq.ft. — including the end zones, so that would be a little over three football fields!! Safe travels, and maybe I will see you soon.
Hey Alan! Great comparison to the football fields!
Great pictures of a beautiful place! As a kid, I thought the swimming pool was the best part. So unique. Now I want the dumb waiter. LOL
Thanks Margie! Looking forward to our visit back to the NRV in early May.
I loved reliving our time at the Biltmore through your pictures! We certainly want to get back there as we begin our full time journey!
Hi Julie! Thanks for the note. When do you begin full-timing? That’s exciting!
Looks likes like a place to visit. Nicely written.
Add it to your bucket list after you return from the desert ranch.
You took some good pictures! I love the library.
Thanks Aaron! Yes, the library was amazing. It even included a private entrance for the upstairs guests to sneak in for a book to read.