Day 30

Off the trail.  I’m in Asheville NC today.  Will be returning home tomorrow.  Felt better but still not 100% .  I decided to spend the last day here exploring the Biltmore Estate and parts of Asheville.  It’s an amazing place. Hard to imagine the wealth of the Vanderbilt family.  The Biltmore bears some resemblance to the castles we saw in France so I suspect the architect drew some influence from them.  They say it is 180,000 square feet.

Gorgeous rooms and great views of the mountains.  It is still owned by the family.

The Newport mansions are perhaps a little more elegant with their marble and intricacies but not by much and I don’t think they are as big or anywhere near as large an estate.  I believe they said the Biltmore Estate covers approximately 8,000 acres.

The grounds are magnificent.  I walked some of the garden areas but there are gobs more to cover including a working farm, winery and more.

You just have to see it for yourself because there is too much for here.

I also drove around Asheville to check it out.  Started with the River Arts District.  It’s an area close to the river which they are reviving with art studios in funky older buildings.  Very interesting.

Then I went to the downtown area.  There are lots of local microbreweries here.  Sampled some but given my health did not have a lot.  Otherwise I found the downtown to be somewhat uninspiring.  It wasn’t the quaint southern town I expected.  Seemed a bit run down in a few sections.

Out by the Biltmore Estate is Biltmore Village.  That area was more upscale.

The Grand Bohemian Hotel is really cool on the inside.  If I get back here I want to have a drink at their bar and dinner at the restaurant.  

So this is the end of this journey at least for now.  So glad I started it.  Wish it went longer.

Back home tomorrow.  Feeling depressed that my journey is ending but I can’t wait to see everyone.

“There is nothing like looking if you want to find something”.