It took us about 1.5 hours to walk through the house and then we made our way down to the greenhouse. There were a lot of poinsettias on display, plus a cute pink flamingo creation that made us smile.
Of course there were a few lovely blooms who needed some close up attention.
I also took a few shots of the exterior of the mansion, and Katrina and I also had a snack in the Stable Cafe.
On Monday we went back to the estate to finish up without the crowds. Katrina and I dropped by the stables in the Deerpark area while waiting for Gramma to take a second look at the mansion.
Then we all scooted over to the Antler Village and Winery. After a scrumptious lunch at the Bistro which included a sampling of Biltmore Brewery beers and one from the Pisgah Brewery, we took the winery tour. It's free...but besides the information about how the winery used to be the Biltmore dairy farm it was the most boring tour I've ever taken. I left early, Katrina wasn't far behind me. She enjoyed the wine tasting part though, which is also complimentary.
The Biltmore Dairy (great site for info!) was a main source of income in supporting the large estate, and at one time was the largest dairy operation in the southeastern United States. The 250 cows had to be milked twice a day...that's a lot of milking! Eventually they sold the dairy business to Pet Dairy.
Antler Village is home to The Legacy, an exhibit that concerns George Biltmore's romance with Edith, their travels, the birth of their daughter, and their efforts at philanthropy. I snapped this shot of the coolest salt and pepper shakers ever before I saw the NO PHOTOGRAPHY sign. Might I mention how irritating it is that photography is starting to not be allowed anywhere? It's not a matter of preservation concerns at Biltmore since a few years back they allowed it for awhile before revoking it again. The horse pictured didn't seem to mind being immortalized for my blog. Good boy!
Now I've seen the estate in spring and at Christmas...I'm done. I asked whether they allowed photography on the architecture tour and the answer was no to that too, even though a portion of it is about the exterior. I'd definitely recommend touring The Biltmore once to anybody, but it is very pricey and there is so much to see in this big country of ours! Truthfully I found the Wade House in Wisconsin and the House of the Seven Gables in Salem to be just as interesting, and beautiful gardens abound, so see and support as many as you can!
Such riches...
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!!!
Box Canyon Mark
My mother likes "the riches", I love the architecture, and Wayne kept mumbling about all the land when we were here in the spring. Something for everyone!
DeleteI'm with you on the no photography deal. I'm wondering if these restrictions have to do with trying to get people to buy postcards and souvenir booklets. In some countries — and Turkey is one of them — when there are limitations on photography, you can sometimes pay an extra "camera fee; usually an amount less than the souvenir booklet.
ReplyDeleteA camera fee sounds like a fantastic idea!! I would have no problem with that. As I said to my daughter, buying the book or postcards is fine, but I would've taken a completely different shot...another angle, focusing on individual aspects instead of just the whole room, etc. Maybe when we visit smaller places I can make that suggestion and see what happens. Most likely they will still say no.
DeleteI do my best to honor the "no photography" rules or "no flash photography," if I know about them. Usually reading the brochure will tell you if photography is allowed or not.
ReplyDeleteI'm not happy about it, but I do honor the rules.
Don't know why some places won't allow it.
Sigh...me, too.
DeleteThis looks like your version of one of our stately homes - definately one of the better ways to kill an afternoon. No photography rules are pretty common over here - I can understand no flash but tend to be a bit cynical and think that they don't want you taking pictures so they can sell you a book afterwards with all the pictures you want.
ReplyDeleteBy gum! that beer looks good. Good beer from the US is a recent discovery for me - you make lots of it but by the time it gets over here there's only Budweiser and Miller Lite left!
Looks like your New year break has been great.
I agree wholeheartedly that no flash makes sense, and quite a few museums here have that rule, but I had the same conclusion that the no photography at all rule usually had an economic factor. I was told it was madness when The Biltmore allowed photography again and disrupted everyone's enjoyment of the tour...but I would guess that sales of their book, which I bought last time I visited, most likely dropped dramatically. Can't wait to get to your side of the pond someday, enjoying your blog immensely!
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