Biltmore in Asheville

We've been in Asheville, NC for the last few days. We thought we'd make a little vacation out of our Atlanta trip and spend some time here. If you've never been to Asheville, it's like a mini Boulder, CO with a dash of San Francisco--at least that's how I'd describe it. The people here are very laid back, earthy and funky. Asheville is really just a lovely southern town. Here are a few pictures from the gardens at Biltmore--the largest privately owned house in the US (owned by the Vanderbilt family). It's truly incredible. Everything in the house reflects, as best it can, the period it was built--the early 1900's. It has an indoor pool (which I imagine was quite something for the time), a bowling alley, a series of 3 fireplaces in the dining room that could easily fit a pickup truck in each one, beautiful furniture (including amazing upholstery and wallpaper in a number of the rooms), a huge pipe organ in the dining room and a wrap around porch along the back of the house that provides a beautiful view of the mountains. And those are just a few highlights. We've visited the house three times, and each visit is just as enjoyable as the one before because there's so much to discover here. Unfortunately, people aren't allowed to take pictures inside the house, but we took quite a few in the gardens. If you visit Asheville, don't miss Biltmore.