Biltmore Estate

[WestieMomma]

We are going to NC for Thanksgiving and planning to go check out Biltmore. It looks like there are tons of things to do there...anything we should not miss?

[ManteoChik]

Biltmore is beautiful. I always loved going there when I was little. Make sure to go on a guided tour of the house it's absolutly amazing. They also have their own vinyard and winery on property and you can go on wine tastings still I think. You can check out Biltmore Estate (http://www.biltmore.com/)
-Aside from Biltmore there are tons of things to do around Asheville and the surrounding areas. Cherokee, NC is near by and you can check out the indian reservation which is really cool.

-The Linville Caverns are amazing as well. They are limestone caverns and they take daily tours. Also take a trip to Grandfather Mountain and the Mile High Swinging Bridge. There are just so many different things to do just check out this link:

Asheville, NC (http://www.asheville.com/) This website has tons of info about the area - places to go and things to do as well as restaurants and such.

[apoppy]

The Biltmore is really pretty when it is decorated for Christmas. If you are into museum shops, be sure to check out the Christmas store there...but go early because it gets mobbed.

If you don't mind heights, the rooftop tour of the Biltmore is interesting. The winery tour is cool too, but I wasn't impressed with the tasting.

[sunshine0928]

My husband and I visited in April and loved it! You'll have a great time. The house and grounds are beautiful. My husband's favorite part of the house was the basement (typical man!). We ate at one of the restaurants there for lunch and it was really ood. It was the one that is in what used to be the horse stalls.

If you have time, also check out Chimney Rock Park (www.chimneyrockpark.com) which is less than an hour away if I remember correctly. We are definitely not "outdorsy" type people but we really enjoyed the hike we did there. I am not sure sure the name of the hike we did but it was the most difficult one there and it was not that difficult, in my opinion, and I am not super althletic by any means. The views were unbelieveable and there were waterfalls, etc. We were there on a windy day so that made it even more interesting.

We also ate at some good restaurants in Asheville so if I remember the names I'll post them.

[EmilyBronte]

Also, go to the Grove Park Inn (http://www.groveparkinn.com/). From November 7-January 8 is The National Gingerbread House Competition & Display. You don't have to pay anything to see the houses that competed and they are amazing creations. They also have an excellent spa if you are into that sort of thing.

We are getting ready to move to Asheville in January. :) CAN'T WAIT! Anyway, some restaurants to go to... Tupelo Honey is a great place for brunch and it is in downtown Asheville. There are several fun places to shop in Downtown Asheville as well.

If you want to tour some beautiful homes, go to Biltmore Forest. Definitely drool-worthy.

I'll come back if I think of anything else.

[kam]

We were there in April and honestly weren't impressed with the Biltmore. The distance view was nice but it seemed like nothing but a tourist trap to us (whereas other mansions/museums, you'll find locals as well as tourists). Maybe we caught them on a bad day, but there were so many tours that we couldn't enjoy just going through the house. The gardens and winery were lovely. I bet around thanksgiving/Christmas it's beautiful.

We went to Chimney Rock Park (known from the movie Last of the Mohicans which filmed there) and the only thing to be mindful of is that the roads are extremely curvy. We probably wouldn't have minded this, but the fact that we had two dogs made nagivating quite difficult. As sunshine0928 indicated, their trails aren't very difficult. We're big hikers and actually found the Arboretum to have great trails and marked very well.

[WestieMomma]

Thanks for the advice. We will be going at Thanksgiving so the Biltmore should be decorated for Christmas! Hopefully we can check out that park or the Linville Caverns..they sound cool. We are staying in Charlotte so we will only be able to do so much in Asheville.

kam That's kind of what I was wondering about if the Biltmore is a tourist trap or not because from the looks of their website that have so much to do and going on there. I think regardless, we will still enjoy it, although I can see my husband complaining about the $39 admission fee to see a boring house..lol!

[Ashes]

Biltmore is exquisite.

[heather 8^)]

AAA has discounted Biltmore tickets, and sometimes credit unions and other places will have discounted tickets as well. Also, I recommend you do the audio tour of the house. It's an additional $7 or something (I forget how much), but it's totally worth it. Without it, you just wander around the house and don't know what you're looking at. We don't typically do the audio tour things, but this one is totally worth it. It takes a good 2-3 hours to see everything in the house if you take your time, and we really liked the wine tasting.

The Red Rocker Inn also has an incredible dinner menu. It's $20-$30/person but it includes more food than you could eat AND is so delicious we came home with two recipes from just one meal. :) Make reservations ahead of time, though.

Here's the website: http://www.redrockerinn.com/

[Blondeinabmw]

I hosted a conference in Asheville at Grove Park Inn last October and we took our group on a "candlelight tour" of the Biltmore House. I'd previously been to the house during the day and was overwhelmed by how ostentatious and gaudy it looks - though amazing. At night, that house is COMPLETELY different. The house was actually designed to be enjoyed at night. The estate was a vacation retreat for the Vanderbilts and their guests who would spend the days on the property or in the recreation rooms. At night, they'd retreat to the other spaces you see on the tour like the library and parlors. At night, that house is totally transformed. The rooms, though still elegant and grand, have a much more intimate, welcoming feel. The colors in the rooms that look garish in the daytime are bright and warm at night. I highly recommend visiting for a candlelight tour. You see much of the house still and you don't have nearly as many crowds!

[WestieMomma]

Thanks for all the replies. The candlelight tour sounds amazing. I think now us and our friends we are visiting in Charlotte have decided to stay in Asheville a night so now I need to find a place to stay. I think the rooms at Grove Park Inn and the Biltmore are a tad over our budget so if anyone has any suggestions. We would probably like to stay under $250 and it will probably be on that Wed night before Thanksgiving Day.

[WestieMomma]

I just checked Grove Park Inn and maybe it's not out of our budget. But anyone have any more suggestions?

[heather 8^)]

Oh, and the Red Rocker Inn (that I posted before) is also a B&B, obviously. A nice one with a huge, fabulous breakfast and jacuzzi tubs. :) I highly recommend it!

[dragonfly28602]

Grandfather Mountain is a very pretty place to visit. The mile high bridge is awesome and the trails are decent if you hike. But it'll be awfully chilly to be outside at that elevation in Nov.
Biltmore is expensive but I think its worth checking out. Its not something I'd pay to go bak more than once. But to experience it at night is beautiful.
Richmond Hill Inn (http://www.richmondhillinn.com)
I have never stayed here, but have admired the brochures for a long time. A couple of the rooms are under 250.00