Friends and the Biltmore

We were able to go to church on Easter. It was so good being with people (watching on line isn't the same), especially ones we know. Our former Worship Pastor from Cypress, Texas felt God's calling him to a new church and he and his family moved to South Carolina to be the Worship Pastor and Creative Director for North Rock Hill Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina. It was such a blessing to see them and eat lunch with them. 

Happy Easter! It was a little windy.

Hubby, me, Chad, Alyssa and Aiden.

Monday, our friends (Art and Caroline) came, and we were able to spend last week with them. We first met then in Las Cruces, New Mexico in November 2021 and then they headed to Austin, Texas and we headed to San Antonio, Texas, but met up in Fredericksburg, Texas on a Saturday to go to the wineries and eat lunch. The following year in April we were able to meet up with them in Savannah, Georgia. That was so much fun. This year, we had last week together in Asheville, North Carolina. This time in Asheville we also met their friend, Brad, from New York. They lived next door to each other for over 20 years.  Tuesday, we were able to go to Chimney Rock State Park in Chimney Rock, North Carolina. We certainly got our steps in that day. So sad, hubby had to work.

I took a picture of the sign and of Caroline taking her picture.

Yes, we walked up that mountain.

Had to take a moment and enjoy the view.

Caroline and I.

So pretty.

What a view from up here.

Still more to go, 500 stairs to get to our destination.

Pulpit Rock

Still more to go.

Almost there and then we treated ourselves 

by riding down in an elevator.

The state park opened to the public on May 15, 1949, and this is the 

original Otis Elevator machine that transported millions of guests from the 

day it opened for 68 years to the Chimney Rock level. 

We didn't make it to the falls, but here is 

what they look like from town.

Can you see the flag? That is where we were, I was so glad to be 

back in the town and heading to lunch, I needed a good rest for

my rubber feeling legs. "Keeping it real" I need to exercise more.

Wednesday, I was able to catch up on laundry and then we met up with Art, Caroline and Brad later that day. It is so good to talk and laugh with friends.

 

Thursday, Art, Caroline, hubby and I set out for the Biltmore Estate, but before going we ate lunch and walked around the Biltmore Village. It was great weather, and the Biltmore was more amazing that I thought it was going to be. The price also included the Renaissance Experience. That was interesting. The doors opened at 2:00, so we walked around, and I was able to see the horses, the stable and some pretty tulips. I would imagine if we would have been there two weeks later, we would have seen so many more blooms, but what we saw was amazing. Love God's beauty.

Another triangle building. Hubby pointed it out 

to me, I needed to take a picture.

Inside the building was a pretty store, we walked around it for awhile. 

These wooden bowls are amazing and a bit out of my price range.

Belgian Draught Horses on the estate, they were saddled 

and having a snack while waiting for their riders.

Saw this carriage in the barn.

Starting to look beautiful. I love tulips.

Leonardo da Vinci

The guys put up with us silly women. Thanks to Art and hubby!

In the 1880s, at the height of the Gilded Age, George Washington Vanderbilt II began to make regular visits with his mother, Maria Louisa Kissam Vanderbilt, to the Asheville area. He loved the scenery and climate so much that he decided to build a summer house in the area. He called this his "little mountain escape". Construction of the house began in 1889. In order to facilitate such a large project, a woodworking factory and brick kiln, which produced 32,000 bricks a day, were built onsite. A three-mile railroad spur was constructed to bring materials to the building site. Construction on the main house required the labor of about 1,000 workers and 60 stonemasons.

George and Edith Vanderbilt on their wedding day.

Napkins from the wine bar.

Not sure I would consider this a "little mountain escape".

Vanderbilt bought nearly 700 parcels of land (approximately 125,000 acres), as of right now, the estate sits on approximately 8000 acres. A spokesperson for the estate said in 2017 that archives show much of the land "was in very poor condition, and many of the farmers and other landowners were glad to sell.   Some of the land was sold to the Federal Government to create Pisgah National Forest, one of the first national forests east of the Mississippi. 

The view from the second floor.

Our picture for our map. Thank you, Caroline for taking the time to get

 the right picture for the state of North Carolina.

Vanderbilt made extensive trips overseas during construction to purchase decor. He returned to North Carolina with thousands of furnishings for his newly built home, including tapestries, hundreds of carpets, prints, linens, and decorative objects, dating from the 15th to the late 19th century among the few American-made items were the more practical oak drop-front desk, rocking chairs, a walnut grand piano, bronze candlesticks, and a wicker wastebasket.

This is the room that you first see on the tour. 

All the plants are real and beautiful.

The dinning room for entertaining.

Beautiful fireplace, there are 65 in total.

The library, it has two stories.

Edith Vanderbilt's bedroom. It is oval in shape by the windows.

This is the room between George and Edith's bedrooms. They enjoyed

 reading books, playing cards, reading the newspaper 

and playing with their daughter in this room.

The Kitchen.

The bowling alley.

The indoor pool.

The gym.

The "front yard" from the third story window.

George Vanderbilt opened his opulent estate on Christmas Eve of 1895 to family and friends from across the country, who were encouraged to enjoy leisure and country pursuits. The Gilded Age mansion reportedly cost $5 million (today's equivalent of $180 million) to construct. Their only child, Cornelia was born August 22, 1900, in the Louis XV room. Fun fact: after Cornelia was married, she birthed both of her sons in that same room. Cornelia made their family complete, and the estate became a home for the Vanderbilts.  

It is hard to tell, but in front of the windows is a bench to sit on and look outside

Cornelia's bassinet.

Cornelia was married to John Francis Cecil in April 1924. In an attempt to bolster the estate's finances during the Great Depression, Cornelia and her husband opened Biltmore to the public in March 1930 at the request of the City of Asheville, which hoped to revitalize the area with tourism.Biltmore closed during World War II. In 1942, 62 paintings and 17 sculptures were moved to the estate by train from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. to protect them in the event of an attack on the United States.

Cornelia on her wedding day.

Cornelia and John Cecil.

William and George Cecil

After the Cecil's divorced in 1934, Cornelia left the estate never to return, but John Cecil maintained his residence in the Bachelors' Wing until his death in 1954. Their eldest son, George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil, occupied rooms in the wing until 1956. At that point Biltmore House ceased to be a family residence and was operated as a historic house museum.

In 1995, while celebrating the 100th anniversary of the estate, William Cecil turned over control of the company to his son, William A. V. Cecil, Jr. The Biltmore Company is privately held. Of the 8,000 acres that make up Biltmore Estate, only 1.36 acres are within the city limits of Asheville, and the Biltmore House is not part of any municipality.

The estate was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963, and remains a major tourist attraction in western North Carolina, with 1.4 million visitors each year. Since the death of William A. V. Cecil in October 2017 and his wife Mimi Cecil in November, their daughter Dini Pickering has served as board chair and their son Bill Cecil as CEO. The house is assessed at $157.2 million, although due to an agricultural deferment, county property taxes are paid on only $79.1 million.

Good-bye Biltmore, for now.

Friday, we headed to Black Mountain and were able to stay away from the rain. That was nice. Did a little shopping and ate at the German restaurant. We went back to the KOA and were able to sit outside, that was nice until the rain came. We just put out the awning, sat under there and continued to visit. Late that night Art and Caroline became grandparents for a second time this year. Charlotte was born to their daughter and son-in-law in January and Walker was born Friday night to their son and daughter-in-law. Welcome to the Grandparent Club, guys!!

Saturday, we drove to Virginia. It was a beautiful drive. We will be staying in Appomattox for two weeks. A lot of Civil War history to learn along with Virginia's state bird, tree, flower and motto. Can't wait to share all of that on the next blog.

I was so excited to look up and see the state sign. 

Got a picture this time.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV).

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God, the RV & me...