An Asheville Adventure

When I think about the Biltmore House, I think of elegance and charm. A place that was certainly made for entertaining and parties. A place that family and friends could easily go to and catch up on  much needed R&R. And the Biltmore House isn't an ordinary house filled with history...It's an estate that was lived in by one of the best-known families in America; the Vanderbilts.

Y'all, I am not exaggerating when I say that this place is breathtaking, especially when decorated for the holidays. It's BEAUTIFUL to say the least, and I was lucky enough to get to go with Will this past weekend as a late Birthday present!! And to top things off, before Will and I headed out of town, one of my best friends Alyssa came by my office before I got off work and brought me Starbucks :) What a great way to start the weekend!

 

When we arrived at the Biltmore, it was raining. My mood made a quick change from happy to pure frustration as I was really looking forward to taking pictures outside, and getting to explore the gardens...but plans had to change and Will did a great job trying to lift my spirits back up and kept reminding me of how awesome the Butler Tour we were going to take was going to be!

Like usual, Will was right. The Butler Tour ended up being so much fun and really interesting! We got to go behind-the-scenes and see unrestored rooms and mechanical areas not open to public on the regular house tour. It was so neat to learn about how the technology ran and was operated back in the early 1900s and I particularly liked getting to see the Butler's Pantry that was filled with all the dishware that the family used for parties and meals. There was even a meal planner/diary that we got to look through to see how many individuals were present at each meal, and what was being served that day/night to eat and drink!

After touring the Biltmore, Will and I headed to Antler Hill Village where we stopped by Cedric's Tavern for a late lunch and then some light shopping. As you can tell by the picture below, we had to find ways to entertain ourselves because of the rainy weather.

And no trip to Asheville is complete without breakfast at Tupelo Honey which I swear has the best biscuits and sweet potato pancakes in town!

So even though the weather got in the way of Will and I being able to do more Christmas shopping and enjoying the outdoors, our time together in Asheville was well worth it! Sometimes the holidays get the best of us. We get so caught up in buying presents and running errands that we often forget about showing love and attention to those closest to us. Our trip gave both of us the quality time we needed along with a handful of hours in the car getting to talk and catch up with one another. Oh! And if you are ever in North Carolina, I highly recommend visiting the Biltmore.