Biltmore Estate & Asheville, NC

This past weekend we traveled to Asheville, NC with our friends Kellie and Paul. We stayed in a cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains and played tourists for the weekend.

We were lucky enough to visit the gorgeous Biltmore Estate. Biltmore Estate is the largest private residence in the U.S. (over 178,000 square feet!) and was home to the Vanderbilts. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

They didn't allow cameras inside of the house (bummer), but I did snap some of the grounds. After a tour of the home, we had lunch at Stable Cafe, visited the winery and shops and had ice cream at Biltmore Creamery.

My favorite part of Biltmore Estate are the gardens. Even though most of the outdoor flowers aren't yet in bloom, the conservatory and green houses are packed with lots of beauty. My favorite, an entire green house dedicated to succulents and cacti!

We stopped in Biltmore Village and had a drink in The Bohemian, a really awesome "Antler Chic" hotel. The lobby feels like a swanky mountain lounge.

Eventually we made it into Asheville, a lively and artsy town nestled in the mountains. There are tons of great restaurants and lots of neat shops. We ate at Tupelo Honey Cafe and it was simply divine. The biscuits, oh lord, the biscuits.

Our beaches are great, but if you ever plan a trip to the Carolinas, don't neglect a visit to the mountains!