Spring Comes Early

Wesley Chapel, NC  2023

 February has been an exceptionally mild month with average temperatures above normal.  Even by North Carolina standards, spring has arrived early.  

Portrait of a Musician

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

A reproduction of Da Vinci's original, currently in Milan, Italy.

 

St Jerome

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

A reproduction of Da Vinci's work currently in the Vatican Art Gallery in Rome, Italy.

 

Da Vinci's Flying Machine

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC

During our visit to the Biltmore Estate, there was an exhibition featuring the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. Copies, and replicas of his art and his inventions were on display.  

 

Biltmore House Entrance

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

More Vanderbilt Art

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Vanderbilt Art Collection

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Biltmore Library

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

We visited the Biltmore House a couple of weeks after Christmas.  They were in the process of taking down all the Christmas decorations, but they had not gotten to the library yet.  George Vanderbilt had over 10,000 books in his library.

Biltmore House Again

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 Some facts about the Biltmore House

• Built by George W Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895
• Cost at that time $5 Million, today's cost $150 Million
• 178,926 sq ft of floor space, 135,280 sq ft of living space
• 250 rooms
• 33 family and guest bedrooms
• 43 Bathrooms
• 65 Fireplaces
• 3 kitchens
• Indoor swimming pool and bowling alley
• Largest privately owned house in the US.  Still owned by descendants of the Vanderbilt family
• Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963

Biltmore House

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 Regular readers of this blog know that I recently built a new nome in North Carolina.  This is not the house I built. 

Turtle

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Grand Staircase

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Fountain

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Great Wall

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC

 There were many other depictions of historical sites that were visited by George Vanderbilt.  I'll have to do some more research to identify the other sites I photographed here.

Sphinx and Great Pyramid

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Taj Mahal

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Model Train

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 Located outside  in Antler Village, there is this model train railroad.  All throughout the layout were depictions of famous historical sites from around the world.  The models represent sites that were visited by George W Biltmore II.  Pictured here are the Parthenon, the Coliseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Clock Tower

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Hospitality and Prosperity

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Wine Store

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Winery Tunnel

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 To reach the wine store and more importantly, the tasing rooms, we had to walk through a long tunnel.  I'm not sure if the tunnel was decorated this way for the holidays, or if it always looks like this.  Along the way there were storage rooms off to the sides, along with descriptions of the wine making process.

Winery Entrance

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

There are vineyards on the Biltmore Estate, and the produce a wide variety of wines. Some of the wines are made from grapes grown on the estate, while other varieties use grape juice obtained from various vineyard across the country.

 

Wine Barrels

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 

Winery

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 The Biltmore Estate encompasses 125,000 acres of land and contains a working farm, dairy and winery in addition to the main attraction, the Biltmore House. 

Biltmore Estate - Antler Hill Village

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC  2023

 Located on the Biltmore Estate property, Antler Hill Village is a collection of shops, restaurants, winery and hotel that attracts visitors throughout the year.  My wife and I recently spent some time here and would highly recommend visiting the estate.  

Lake View

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Fork in the Trail

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Classroom

Waxhaw, NC  2023