Adventure Time: Biltmore Estate

 The travel bug has struck again! Recently, my cousin and I headed up to the lovely Asheville, North Carolina to visit the Biltmore Estate. It was my first visit to Biltmore and it was well worth it! Right from the beginning, we were blown away! I felt like I had taken a trip back in time. 

This gorgeous mansion is surrounded by gardens and hiking trails. To begin our day, we started with the house tour (it was a bit chilly that morning). We were fortunate to time our visit with the special exhibit that displayed costumes from Titanic. (Yes, they were the costumes. I just had to ask if Kate Winslet really wore THAT dress.)

Spring 2018- Titanic Exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. 

Titanic Costumes. 

This elegant house was filled with surprise after surprise. I can't wait to go back!

Now, let's talk about  THE LIBRARY! I could have happily spent the rest of my life in that beautiful library. It was like being in the library in the castle from Beauty and the Beast. It even had a spiral staircase! My cousin is a fellow bookworm, so we were absolutely in heaven! 
There are over 10,000 volumes in the library. The oldest volume was printed in the 1600's and is written in Italian. Mr. Vanderbuilt had all the books custom-bound so they would match. A booklover's dream indeed!  

The Library at Biltmore

The Library at Biltmore

After we toured the house, we drove to Antler Hill and had a wonderful lunch at Cedric's Tavern. I adore British-style pubs, and this one was just perfect! Antler Hill also had a winery (which we toured) and even more shops! My favorite was the Farm, where we got to watch a blacksmith make horseshoes and a woodworker make Christmas ornaments with a lathe. They also had a great play area for those with kids. 

We could easily have spent an entire day just in Antler Hill, between the shops, museum, and outdoor activities. 

Shepherds Pie at Cedric's Tavern

Our last stop was heading back to the gardens. Since it was a little chilly earlier that morning, we put the outdoorsy part of our trip off until last. The gardens are endless! After visiting the Italian Garden and the Tulip Garden, we were on our way to the Conservatory when we noticed that the other guests were leaving. We had accidentally stayed forty-five minutes after closing!!! 

The Conservatory at Biltmore

Tulip Garden

I had absolutely no idea that Biltmore offered so much to do! My only regret is that we could not have stayed longer. We could easily have spent two or three entire days there. If you are looking for a relaxing getaway, plan a trip to Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC! 

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Summer 2017 Wrap-Up

The kids are back in school, which means the summer is officially at its end. I hope you all had a wonderful summer, I know I did! Summer 2017 was great for me, as it provided me several opportunities to travel and spend time with family. Here are a few of my summer adventures: 

Memorial Day in Milledgeville, GA
I met up with my beautiful cousins for a girl's trip over Memorial Day Weekend! We toured the campus of Georgia College (stunning campus, makes me wanna go back to school!), then we headed over to Andalusia, the home of Flannery O'Connor. This breath-taking farmhouse was converted into a museum and gift shop. The farm also has a few hiking trails, barns, and a flock of peacocks! We had a lovely time!

Lovely old barn at Andalusia. 

Georgia College, home of the Bobcats!

We wrapped up our weekend with a visit to the spooky, abandoned Central State Hospital. Closed in the early 90s, there are over 200 buildings just sitting there, empty and decaying. Why haven't the paranormal shows checked this place out? It definitely looks and feels haunted! Check out these creepy photos:

Entrance to Central State Hospital. This is where former patients would be checked in. 

Grayton Beach, FL
In June, I went with my husband and his family to Grayton Beach. Located between Panama City Beach and Destin, this beach is the perfect spot for a quiet getaway. There are tons of shops nearby (heads up, they are pricey), as well as several food trucks. Bike rentals are available, and there are plenty of sidewalks to ride on! The highlight of our trip was eating at Hurricane Oyster Bar, which we visited twice! The Crab Cake Po'Boy was to DIE FOR! We also made a trip to Eden Gardens State Park, which is a beautiful park located on the beach about 15 or 20 minutes from where we were staying. Overall, I still like Panama City best, but this was a great beach if you are looking for a smaller place to stay. 

Callaway Gardens
For my final summer trip, my mom and I went to Callaway Gardens at the end of July. If you have never been to Callaway Gardens, you have missed out on a treat! There are over 10 miles of walking and biking trails, zip lines, shows, gift shops, restaurants, and more. We caught the "Birds of Prey" show, which was fantastic. Then, we rented bikes and rode on the trails for about three and a half hours, and STILL didn't visit everything! I can't wait to go back and hope to make a return trip in the fall. While you are there, be sure to check out the Butterfly Garden and eat at The Country Kitchen located inside the Callaway Gardens Country Store! 

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