Today we spent the entire day at Biltmore Mansion which gave us an indication of how life might have been had we won the record US lotto jackpot here last week (nearly $600m shared by three winners).
Biltmore (
www.biltmore.com) was built by US shipping and railway magnate George Vanderbilt in the late 1800s for his bride Edith. The house took six years to complete and has more than 100 bedrooms and 40 bathrooms. Some of the over the top rooms include an indoor ten pin bowling alley, a heated swimming pool and gym in the basement, a library featuring more than 23,000 books, and an amazing winter garden. I think the most interesting part of the homes were the kitchens, various pantries, servant quarters, and laundries (one for sheets, one for delicates, and one for everything else!).
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| The dogwood trees are in full bloom at the moment |
Unfortunately, you can't take photos inside the house. But the outside was equally amazing. The entire estate was established as a self-sufficient set up and had its own dairy, gardens, orchards etc. The house itself is surrounded by several acres of beautifully designed gardens (the same landscape designer responsible for Central Park in New York City). Our visit timed perfectly with the tulip blooms and dogwood blossoms. It was a good two-hour walk to cover most of the gardens but well worth the effort.
After lunch we spent some time on the farm part of the estate (Logan loved watching the blacksmith at work).
Tomorrow, we head to the heart of the South's "other" religion: NASCAR in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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| The loggia and its views to the picturesque North Carolina mountainside |
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| There is something about tulips that just makes you smile |
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| The floral display inspires some creativity in Daren's camera skills |
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| The lake was used during filming of The Last of the Mohicans |
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| At its peak, the Vanderbilts employed 55 gardeners |
Today we spent the entire day at Biltmore Mansion which gave us an indication of how life might have been had we won the record US lotto jackpot here last week (nearly $600m shared by three winners).
I would have voluntered to work as a gardener just to be in that environment - what oppulence! Loved the photos, especially the tulips. Are the Dogwood trees the white flowering species in the background of the photo of Logan and yourself? Good photography Daren, another skill I didn't know you had... keep up the good work and love to all. Mum & Jim XX
ReplyDeleteyes - the dogwood trees are the ones with the white flowers. There is some story here (not sure if it is true or a myth) that the wood for Jesus' cross came from the dogwood tree, and after his death he made sure they never grew big enough to produce a cross again.
DeleteI read this morning that the US has had its warmest March ever on record - that explains why I have a duffle bag full of jackets and jumpers that I never even got to wear.
Love the photos!
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