Nice Town, Weird Folk

Memorial Day long weekend falls during a time when the weather is warming up, and the increasing humidity here in Georgia is a stark reminder that another sticky summer is just around the corner. It's also a good opportunity to get away for a few days and explore, before the heat gets too extreme. With only a few weeks left in the States, and my time with my beautiful little car running out, I jumped on I-85N and ventured up to the small hamlet of Asheville, North Carolina.




Situated not far from the great Smoky Mountains, Asheville is largely known for its proliferation of folk art and distinctly bohemian feel. It's one of those towns where your best bet is to leave your car somewhere and tackle the rabbit warren of streets on foot, mosying along and having a stickybeak in the various little shops, whose wares vary from quirky stationery to handmade jewelry.

Located just a few miles from Asheville is the mammoth Biltmore Estate, which sees nigh on a million visitors come through its doors each year. The largest privately owned residence in North America, the palatial Biltmore was constructed in the late 1890s by George Vanderbilt, and to this day is still owned by his descendants. Even though the Biltmore itself looks more like a British castle than a U.S. residence, the opulence and grandeur are classic Americana. Take for example the French imported red velvet covering the walls of one of the main guest bedrooms, floor-to-ceiling tapestries, two-storey private library, in-house dumb waiters and the indoor bowling alley in the basement.


That said, the Biltmore is much more than the house itself. The 75 acres on which it stands also include some seriously maintained gardens, the Biltmore Inn and the estate's own winery. The latter is well worth a visit, a short but very pretty drive from the main residence, complete with free wine tastings and grape stomping (if you time your visit right).