For Christmas last year Jeremy and I were surprised to receive a weekend getaway to the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. I saw something on TV about Biltmore years ago and have always wanted to go. Jeremy was on the other end of the spectrum, having heard of it, but not so interested in checking it out. Well, Honey… we can’t let the nice people down who gave us the gift, right? LOL… yay! We got to go!!!
The weekend was a package deal that included tickets to see the house and also one night at the Biltmore Inn. It was beautiful! There were wine and roses in our room upon arrival. We ate lunch in the Stable Cafe (I had an incredible turkey sandwich!) and dinner at the Inn. There were lots of shops and wine tasting at the winery. We sampled a few wines that we enjoyed but found ourselves going back for seconds, thirds, and fourths, etc for none other than the Wassail. That stuff was SO GOOD!!!
Another bonus was that I got to see snow. It’s been a couple years since we’ve had any in Georgia, so when I woke up Sunday morning to some flurries and a frozen fountain… well… my weekend was complete!
No trip to the Biltmore would be complete without a tour of the house. We went on the regular tour and then, at his dad’s advice, also took the back stage tour. That place is simply stunning. On the one hand, it’s hard not to be impressed with something of that magnitude, built in the late 1800’s. I mean, even with today’s modern conveniences, building a home of that size would be an amazing feat. But on the other hand, I couldn’t help but walk the enormous halls, most of which stood empty unless they were entertaining, and think “what a waste”. A waste of time, talent, and money. To give you an idea, his bedroom (not he and his wife’s…only his… she had her own room) is the same square footage of my first house. Excessive??? I think so.
George Vanderbilt is known for being a philanthropist, but sadly, when he died young at age 51, no one was able to sustain the home. His wife and daughter moved over to the smaller section of the home and eventually, had to leave. Some time later his grandsons decided to fix it up and open it to the public.
I don’t mean to end this post negatively. The home is beautiful and the family is a genuine American success story. But it made me reevaluate my wants and needs. Clearly, George felt he needed this home. Why, I don’t know. Who was he trying to impress? Who am I trying to impress with the things in my life? It just left me with food for thought and I usually take that as a good thing.
