Started the day with a visit to the Biltmore Estate in
Asheville, North Carolina….with most of our focus on the mansion. The estate sits on 8000 acres and the mansion
itself covers 4 ½ acres. The mansion was
built between 1889 and 1895 and consists of 250 rooms and 43 bathrooms. (In the 1890s most homes had no bathrooms….much
less 43!) The home has its own two lane
bowling alley and an indoor swimming pool with electric lights. It takes over 1800 people to manage and maintain this estate! Did I say this was built by George Vanderbilt….whose
grandfather made his fortune in shipping?
Also, the estate originally consisted over 125,000 acres, but much of it
was sold to the United States and is now the Pisgah National Forest.
 |
| Gargoyles On Guard |
Immediately upon entry into the mansion we were captivated
by the elaborate décor and the incredible attention to every detail. Lavish tapestries, intricate ceilings, beautiful statuary; and this was just the entry! Our tour encompassed 46 of the 250 rooms and
each room was a sight to see. Dining
rooms, sitting rooms, billiard rooms….on and on and on. This home was built to be fit for a king….and
it still remains the largest and one of the most impressive homes in the United
States. (Note: No pictures are allowed of the inside of the mansion. You'll have to visit to see for yourself!)
 |
| A tiny portion of the gardens |
The drive out of the estate is four miles…again, we
impressed with the sculpted landscape…seemingly natural, but everything placed
just-so for maximum beauty. Along the
way, we encountered several geese and
their goslings. We had to stop for
several minutes as the goslings were led across the road. It must have felt like a long journey to the
little ones, as they kept sitting down to take breaks and rest a bit.
We avoided the temptation of stopping at the Biltmore Winery
and set our sights for Woodstock, Georgia.
We passed through Spartanburg, South Carolina, of course picking up our
first South Carolina cache, and turned to the west on I-85. The drive through here is comprised of
rolling hills with lush forests on either side.
Mona was driving, and yes, we both checked to make sure we had plenty of
gas!
On this drive we kept hitting pockets of severe
thunderstorms…driving along at 70 miles an hour and in bright sunshine. Suddenly, the windshield would get sloshed
with a cloudburst of rain and all the cars ahead would slam on their brakes. Traffic would slow to a crawl with everyone’s
flashers blinking away while each car was trying to avoid all the others. After a few minutes, the sun would break
through, the green flag would come out and accelerators were once again pressed
to floor. All this made for a very
interesting drive to Atlanta. (Glad I wasn't driving!)
In the evening, we link up with Shannon, April and Nate and
go to Pure Taqueria in Woodstock. This
isn’t your normal Mexican restaurant with burritos, rice and beans. The menu includes braised lamb shank, red
snapper and duck confit; all Mexican-style of course. Apparently, we’re all in the mood for a
little lighter fare, because three of us ordered the same thing: Pescado a la parrilla, citrus grilled fish
tacos. Nate and Mona opted for
quesadillas. We chose wisely…perfectly
cooked white fish with just the right amount of citrus and spice. Yum!
But wait, the real
reason we’re here is because April keeps bragging about how this place has the
best margaritas in the world. We know
that simply can’t be true, because the best are served at Blue Coyote in Palm
Springs. (Everyone knows that!) The taste test is on! April explains that it’s a particular rita called,
“The Sedgwick”. Four are ordered and delivered. Taste….hmmm…doesn’t taste like sugared
lime-aide. Hmmm….a little smoky/spicy
taste of tequila…..gotta admit, these are pretty close to Blue Coyote’s. Now….need to figure out how to set them up
side by side for the final contest!
 |
| Nate's First Find! |
P.S. And Shannon, we'll keep that little thing about my billfold just between us. Okay?
No comments:
Post a Comment