The Biltmore....

Last weekend, my husband and I got 'out of Dodge' and traveled to a grander, more civilized place - The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

This was the home of George and Edith Vanderbilt which was constructed over six years and was opened in 1895.

The incredible landscaped grounds were designed by the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted.

If you plan to visit, there are a myriad of activities available on the estate grounds.  It's almost as if you need several days to enjoy it all.  Honestly, it's like Disney Land for adults.  A beautiful home which was way ahead of it's time in construction (it had 43 bathrooms!), a winery, shopping, farm animals, tractors, horseback riding, Segway adventures and the list goes on.  For me though, it was the amazing horticultural goodness that drew me here.  Most rooms in the home which were open to the tour had incredible fresh floral displays of fantastic quality and creativity.  My only regret was that photos were not allowed inside the home.  There was plenty to capture elsewhere though.

Cool stuff under glass

Go there!