Day 7 - Majestic Biltmore

Today was a quick trip into Asheville, NC for breakfast at Moose Cafe at the West Asheville Farmers Market. The blueberry pancake I had was bigger than the dish. Food was pretty good and a nice start to my day.

It was a foggy morning and the arrival at the Biltmore allowed for some pretty hauntingly good shots straight out of an old horror movie.

I wandered around outside waiting for my tour. Met a cherub, a lion and some other stuff.

If you have never been to the Biltmore I highly suggest it. It is crazy inside. I took a zillion pictures of every stop. I am not going to post all of them. It is stunning piece of architecture of someone with tons of money that I can never dream of. Once upon a time someone in the family made a smart decision and generations of the family thank them. The room has some amazing items from so many places. It is just remarkable. Like all other trips there will be tons of pictures uploaded later. But here is a handful for now.

The pool room with custom made tables. Custom was a big word in the audio guide.

This table... I don't even have this many friends.

Just let me loose in this room for a month, okay a year, two... I can't even imagine the rarities that are hiding in here.

If I recall, correctly, only version of this tapestry in the world.

It is called the Halloween Room which was designed for a New Years Eve Themed Party in December 1925. The murals draw inspiration from a traveling theatrical troupe called La Chauve-Souris and the images seem to be directly inspired by a theatrical program. This was all part of a gypsy themed party.

Of course they had a bowling alley.

And an indoor pool... It would feel odd swimming inside like this.

After the house it was off to the Gardens for a really amazing little gem. First though in the middle of a southern summer many of the gardens are not in full bloom but lets take a peek at what was.

But inside the conservatory. What was waiting were 7 train sets and a miniature of the estate in such detail. Just wow.

So after all that wandering it was time for the real deal. Lets hit the bike trails of the Biltmore Estate. Yeah that's right we are not done yet. I would jet around what would feel like a little island. 13 miles later I was beat and ready to hit the road to my final stop on this trip.