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05/06/03; Ashville, NC
Shortly after 0900, we mounted our trusty steeds and drove the eight or so miles to the Biltmore. It was not difficult to find, although the rain made driving more difficult. The big problem is the fogging of the windshield. Our windshield wipers and Rain-X keep the windshield reasonably clear, but fogging can only be partially eliminated by cracking the windshield open a bit and opening the windows. In heavy rain, this lets more than a little rain in the “cockpit!” The navigators are required to wipe the driver’s side of the windshield about every 30 seconds. The Estate is right at the edge of town and we entered a large brick gate, from its width meant for one carriage. From there we wound through the magnificent grounds of the estate to the visitor’s center and ticket office. Too bad about the weather, as the drive would have been spectacular.
At the ticket office, we shelled out $72 per couple for a tour of the mansion and grounds. We learned that the estate is still owned by the Vanderbilt family and is a tax paying institution, thus the large fee to help in the upkeep. After several more miles of driving, we finally arrived at the parking area. It was still raining, but we walked the 300 yards to the mansion, rather than wait around for the shuttle. Even in the rain, it was a pleasant walk through a forest with blooming mountain laurel and what we took to be dogwood trees. All the blossoms were badly weather beaten, but pretty, nonetheless.
Biltmore Mansion (left) and Stables and Carriage House
We walked through the iron gate and approached the large chateau – the largest home in the US. It has about 250 rooms and we would view 60 of these on our tour. At the entrance we were given plastic bags in which to place our wet umbrellas. We were also cautioned that we must not take any pictures – stills or videos on the tour. Once inside we rented audio equipment ($13 per couple) to explain the various aspects of the mansion. With the audio equipment came a map of the mansion with the numbers corresponding to the various rooms we would visit. We could have taken a guided tour, but opted for the self-guided tour instead.
The tour was very interesting. We recommend it to any of you who come this way. In addition to the mansion and estate, the surrounding area is very beautiful – even in the rain. Californians will certainly be impressed with the wonderful greenery of the forests and fields. This area reminds us of the forests we saw in Europe, especially when it was raining!
We finished the tour about lunchtime. The food at the “Stables,” the café at the Mansion, was a bit pricey for us on our limited budget. Besides, we figured that we had contributed our share to the Vanderbilt millions, already. Therefore, we hopped into our cars after another wet walk and drove into town. The first eatery encountered was a McDonalds, so we went in. The town fathers evidently have decreed that all businesses must have a motif in keeping with the Biltmore Estate. This was a most fancy McDonalds – it had very subdued wallpaper with gold worked into it and even had flowers on the tables!
Chef Keith at work
Cheap gas
After lunch, the Olsons found a shipping establishment and shipped their malfunctioning carburetors home. The Smiths found a barbershop for Keith and a nail shop for Joann. Then we went drove back to the motel in the rain for a nap. When we awoke, the sun was shinning! It looks like we will be able to continue our expedition tomorrow – if so, we should bed down in Tennessee. Check in tomorrow and see if we made it, or if we were rained out again.
Fond regards to all,
The Dauntless (and Rested) Four
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