Asheville, North Carolina

January 2016

Biltmore House

   105 years old.  250 rooms.  America's largest private home.   8000 acres includes 250 acres of gardens.

   Conservatory is brick and lead-glass. Crysanthemums in the fall. Roses peak in June, and again in the fall.

   Ask about the guided 75-minute Rooftop Tour to see the turrets and gargoyles, a panoramic view of the gardens, the French Broad River, and Mount Pigsah.

 I had to use up some vacation days before I lost them, so we went to Ashville the last week in January, 2016.  They were just digging out of a huge snow storm so we timed it perfectly.  It was cold, but not freezing.  Biltmore was empty!  Very few tourists. Free audio tour.  Walked right up to the wine tasting. 

 We stayed at Country Inn, 199 Tunnel Road. Newly renovated.  Great breakfast included.

Parked at Rankin Garage, and walked around downtown.  Nice art museums, coffee shop was a wonderful stop on that chilly day.

1974 Our house parked in front of their house

2016 (42 years later) Suzanna's car parked in front

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1974 - T, Suzanna in the middle, and Paul

2016 - Suzanna 42 years later

Suzanna and Gary visit Biltmore

Snowy outside the conservatory

Look!  flowers popping everywhere inside!

	Are we having fun, or what?

Goodbye Biltmore, Goodbye Asheville! 

Additional Links to fun stuff, etc

http://www.ashevillenc.gov/

http://www.ashevillenc.gov/Visiting/TouristResources.aspx

Canopy adventures http://www.navitat.com/

Train adventures http://www.raileventsinc.com/

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad http://www.gsmr.com/

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN http://www.grandfather.com/

Chimney Rock http://www.chimneyrockpark.com/

Adventure Center of Asheville http://ashevilletreetopsadventurepark.com/

Rolling Thunder River Company http://www.rollingthunderriverco.com/

Waterfall tours that begin in Asheville http://www.tumblestonetours.com/

Southern Highlands Attractions http://southernhighlands.org/