Too Much Money

Have you ever had so much money you just didn't know what to do with it? I've never had that problem either. George Vanderbilt may have had that problem. So as a single 27 year old man, he commissioned the building of the Biltmore Estate near Asheville, NC.On roughly 125,000 acres he built a castle. 250 rooms, 65 fire places, 43 bathrooms (built in a time many homes didn't even have one), 3 kitchens, a bowling ally, and an indoor swimming pool are just a few of the enormous statistics on this home.Cari and I visited this home that was completed in 1895. We had a fantastic time exploring it together. It is absolutely amazing. EVERY single thing was just detailed to the end. Room after room, we were just amazed at what was in front of us. I could type all night about the things we saw in there, but I don't have time for that. Most likely, you don't have time to read it either. The gardens are another major feature of the property. The 8,000 acres around the estate are landscaped and designed by the man that designed Central park in NYC. We didn't see any plants today due to the winter weather, but we walked through some of the garden areas. This is definately a place to visit during spring or summer.

The entire visit is really amazing. If you are ever in the Western part of North Carolina, the Biltmore house is well worth a minimum of a day. This may not be the best spot to take children only because young ones would probably become bored of walking through a house. We were able to go while the kids were in school and have a friend get them after school today.

Cari and I (and Brenna) had a wonderful Valentine's Day together at Biltmore.