Biltmore House and Gardens
It was a beautiful day in May, and we were with our good friends Hope and Dave at the Biltmore Estate! After seeing the amazing King Tut exhibit, we had lunch at the winery and then made the short, scenic drive to the house and gardens.
Steve and I had toured Biltmore House a few years back, and Hope and Dave (who live just 90 minutes’ drive away) had visited at least a dozen times over the years. Still, we couldn’t resist stepping inside for a peek. (It’s funny that they call it a “house” when, at 185,000 square feet, it’s the largest privately-owned home in the country. Even the word “mansion” seems inadequate.) All of the rooms on the ground floor were fabulous, but my favorite by far was the Winter Garden.
Biltmore House was the country estate of George Washington Vanderbilt. It was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt and built 1888-1895. Last August in Newport, Steve and I toured The Breakers, the summer home of George’s brother Cornelius Vanderbilt II, also designed by Hunt and built during the same period. Sibling rivalry, anyone? I’m not sure it’s fair to compare the two Gilded Age mansions, but I think I like Biltmore House better. It’s larger than The Breakers, but somehow its opulence seems less pretentious and more “livable.” And I prefer Biltmore House’s sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains to The Breakers’ sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean. Hope said that the perfect vista of her dreams is this view from the loggia of Biltmore House. We can thank landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted for this verdant view - when Vanderbilt purchased the land, it had been stripped bare for lumber.
We left the mansion and strolled through the perfectly manicured gardens. The rose garden was especially lovely. The Conservatory overflowed with gorgeous blooms. Dave and I agreed that places like this, where we are surrounded by peace and beauty, are good for the soul.
