Biltmore Estate

During our Summer trip to Asheville we had not planned to visit Biltmore Estate, but I wish that we did.   Since we didnt get to go in June, I decided that September would be a nice time of year to visit.  The temps should be cooler and maybe the crowds wold not be as large.  It was worth the wait.  We had a beautiful weekend to tour the house and surrounding area.

FACT:  Biltmore House is a Châteauesque-styled mansion in Asheville, North Carolina, built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. It is the largest privately-owned home in the United States, at 135,000 square feet.

The large home and surrounding land is the vision of the bachelor, Vanderbilt.  This was by far an ultimate bachelor pad designed to host various parties and other events.  In addition to the house, there are stables, winery, lodging facilities and several areas for outdoor activities.

When I purchased admission tickets, I took advantage of additional offers for the winery and reservations at Biltmore Deerpark Restaurant.  When we arrived to pickup tickets, the lines were already very long.  It appeared that my attempt to miss large crowds didn't work and I was concerned about parking.  Visiting the home and gardens with enough time to make it back to the van and to deerpark in time for our reservations was going to be a challenge.  Fortunately, the CSR at the ticket counter offered valet parking.   I can happily say that this was the best $15 spent all day.   We parked in front of the house, took our time visiting an shooting pics (when allowed) and the van was returned to the home for us to arrive at Deerpark in time for our reservation.. 

  Copyright - Jimmy McDonald Photography

Colorful Asheville North Carolina

Our second trip to Asheville, N.C. this year was planned with extra time to enjoy downtown Asheville to witness the colorful cultural entertainment and enjoy some good food.

I enjoy walking around downtown Asheville to experience the artists and street musicians that line the streets.  There are many locations that we attempt to visit when in Asheville.  The Grove Arcade is a beautiful building built in 1929 as one of the first malls in the United States. Ownership of the building has changed a few times with the Federal Government several developers and currently the  Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation.  The building is currently home to many shops featuring local crafts, boutiques, fresh food and several restaurants.

Mast General Store is another highlight of our visit with over 500 old-fashioned candies available, we usually leave with a bag or two of goodies.   There are old fashioned toys, jams and jellies, real maple syrup, stone ground cornmeal, comfortable rocking chairs, hiking boots, clothing, and more. They stock a little bit of anything.

Pritchard Park is a great location downtown to rest in the shade and enjoy live music at the mini-amphitheater.  There also are several restaurants located in the area.

A couple of other Asheville areas that are worth visiting are the The North Carolina Arboretum
and the The Western North Carolina Farmers Market.

 

 Copyright - Jimmy McDonald Photography

Taking the long route to Cherokee

 For  the past two years my family has traveled to over 70 counties of North Carolina to visit and take a picture of the current and previous courthouse buildings.   Most of the remaining counties are in the western part of the state.  We planned a trip for June to locate courthouses for the south western section.  I mapped out that we could drive to approx 11 different counties in one day with our final destination just south of Cherokee in Dillsboro.    A point "A" to point "B" trip would  have been appox 4 hours.  The modified route had us on the road for 11 hours.  With prints outs of each county seat and iPhone GPS we took a very scenic route through the Blue Ridge Mountains.  We made stops in Murphy, Brevard, Hayesville and several other towns.   It's interesting to see how many small towns have been  though or in the process of revitalization.

The route took is up and down winding roads past steep cliffs and waterfalls.  We all slept well after the long day of riding.

The following day was spent site seeing the area including tubing down the Oconaluftee river, indoor putt putt and Paula Deans Kitchen at Cherokee Casino.   Site seeing continued the third day as we visited a few more courthouses with the final destination of the day being Asheville.

We arrive in Asheville in time to get the Buncombe County Courthouse photo and walk around downtown for a couple of hours.  Downtown Asheville was lively as usual with plenty of street performers and bakeries to slip inside for a snack.