10. Mountain Breakfast and Biltmore
Day 10 started with a fabulous breakfast. Dan and Carol took us on a favorite drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the top of Mt. Pisgah (The name Pisgah comes from the Bible, Deuteronomy 3:27. The Lord ordered Moses to the top of this mountain and told him to look in all directions, thus revealing the Promised Land to the tribes of Israel).
We looked in all directions and were treated to panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Biltmore Estate as we drove up and down the mountain. But the best view was on top at the Pisgah Inn where we ordered a North Carolina country breakfast to fortify us for touring Biltmore and the Asheville area. Before we left, we posed for pictures from the Inn's balcony:
Back home in Arden, Dan took time off to give his recent hip surgery time to heal while Carol drove us to Biltmore for a close-up view. Carol knew all the ins and outs from hosting other friends. We found a great parking spot and the best deal for senior citizens for the tour. Following Carol's advice, we paid for the audio guide for the tour. For the next few hours she waited patiently as Barbara and I listened to all the details about Biltmore House and each of the rooms on the tour.
Biltmore House was built by George Vanderbilt between 1889 and 1895. At over 178,926 square feet, it is the largest privately owned house in the United States. Vanderbilt named his estate Biltmore derived from "Bildt," Vanderbilt's ancestors' place of origin in Holland, and "More", Anglo-Saxon for open, rolling land. There are a total of 250 rooms in the house including 33 bedrooms for family and guests, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, and three kitchens. We saw only a fraction of the house and the 8,000 acre estate on our tour.
Carol took our picture in front of the Biltmore before the tour
Later, I snapped a picture of Barbara and Carol touring the kitchen
Some of our other favorite rooms: The Banquet Hall
The Billiard Room
Mr. Vanderbilt's Bedroom
The Louis XV Room
The Bowling Alley
The Library, my favorite, of course
Wedding fashions from movies were featured during our tour
We thought of Joe and Maria's wedding next spring as we viewed this elegant cake
By noon we were exhausted and ready for lunch. We found refuge from the heat at Biltmore's Stable Cafe where Barbara sampled the potato soup and Carol and I enjoyed Carolina pulled pork barbecue.
Carol drove us on a final tour of the estate grounds on our way back to join Dan. He shared vintage pictures and memories of his family life in the 50's in South Dakota. We all reminisced about life back then and talked about the binder of pictures of my Dad, Art, and Dan's Dad, Vic, who grew up together in South Dakota. Later that evening we had some local pizza on the deck where we could enjoy our last evening in North Carolina.
The next morning, Dan & Carol treated us to a quiche and some cinnamon rolls back on the deck. We treasure the Biltmore: Our Table to Yours Cookbook that they gave us as a parting gift. The enclosed postcard is a great memento of their hospitality:
Next: Day 11: Asheville to Nashville to Hopkinsville, Kentucky
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