Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville, North Carolina, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, originated as an outpost in 1797 with frontiersmen such as the likes of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. A sub-mountain range of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is the adjacent the Smokey Mountains, which run from eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina starting at Knoxville, TN to the edge of Asheville, NC. The Blue Ridge Mountains are the southern section of the Appalachian range from North Carolina to Virgina. A blue haze fog visible to the naked eye coats them, thus their name. 

 In 1876, it was nicknamed by author Francis Tiernan “Land of the Sky” describing the Blue Ridge and Great Smokey Mountains. Both the Blue Ridge and Great Smokey Mountains are sub-ranges of The Appalachians Mountain Range, one of the oldest mountains on Earth, with some formations over a billion years old formed when two continents collided (North American and Africa/South America). Over 2000 miles long, the Appalachians wind thru 18 US states (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and all of West Virginia) and 5 Canadian Provinces(Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland). One of the most iconic hiking trails in the world, The Appalachian Trail, is 2193 miles attractracting over 3 million people a year due to its breathtaking scenery. 

Today, it is a thriving walkable downtown with numerous art galleries, art museums, shops, live music and restaurants and breweries and the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

This beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains is what captivated wealthy George Vanderbilt in the late 1800s to build his ‘country home’. Located in the heart of Asheville, the Biltmore Estate is the largest privately owned home in the USA with 250 rooms consisting of 178,926 sq ft (floor space) and 35,280 sq ft (living area) on 8000 acres.  Built between 1889 to 1895, construction on the main house cost 5 million(equivalent to $180 million today) and employing 1000 workers and 60 stonemasons. Due to the enormous task of this project, a woodworking factory and brick kiln (producing 32,000 bricks a day) were built onsite. Materials were brought into the building site by a railroad spur. 

Vanderbilt traveled overseas to purchase decor, returning with thousands of furnishings, carpets, tapestries, linens, prints dating from the 15th century to the late 19th centuries.

He named it Biltmore representing De Bilt (his Netherlands ancestors’ place of origin) with more (“moor“, meaning an open, rolling land). Over the years, he purchased 700 parcels, including 50 farms and 5 cemeteries. 

On Christmas Eve of 1895, Vanderbilt opened his opulent estate, to family and friends from across the country who were encouraged to enjoy leisure and country pursuits. Today, Christmas at Biltmore is decorated with 113 Christmas trees,10,000 feet of garland, 282 candles and thousands of lights (inside: 45,000; outside 850,000). George Vanderbilt’s great-grandson, fourth generation of Vanderbilt descendants, Bill Cecil Jr, is the current CEO of Biltmore Company. His father (and George Vanderbilt’s grandson William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil) was responsible for most of the dramatic growth of Biltmore.

Movies filmed at the Biltmore include:

• The Swan” (1956) Grace Kelly’s last film
• “Being There” (1979) Peter Sellers and Shirley McLaine
• “The Private Eyes” (1980) Tim Conway and Don Knotts
• “Mr Destiny” (1990) starring James Bulushi
• “Richie Rich” (1994) starring Macaulay Culkin
• “Forrest Gump” (1994) Tom Hanks
• “My Fellow Americans” (1996) Jack Lemmon, James Garner
• “Patch Adams” (1998)  starring Robin Williams
• A Biltmore Christmas (2023) Bethany Joy Lenz

Vanderbilt died unexpectedly in 1914 with complications from an appendectomy. During the Great Depression in March 1930, the family opened Biltmore to the public in an effort to assist with the estates finances and a request of the City of Asheville, which hoped to revitalize the area with tourism.

In 1942 during World War II, Biltmore was closed and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. moved 62 paintings and 17 sculptures to the estate by train to protect them in the event of an attack on the United States. Among the works stored were the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington and works by Rembrandt, Raphael, and Anthony van Dyck.

On 463 acres just south of Asheville, the North Carolina Arboretum, is one of the most beautiful garden settings in America. Spanning over 3 cultivated acres and groomed trails, the Arboretum features more than a dozen display and specialty gardens. The Bonsai Exhibit features over 40 specimens including traditional Asian bonsai, tropical plants and American Specimens. Designs are changed out every two years and plants replace spring, summer and fall. Winter Lights-a spectacular outside Christmas lights display made from over one million lights-occurs every December.