Longwood Gardens is an immense collection of botanical gardens in Kennet Square, PA. It is largely the creation of Pierre DuPont who originally bought the 1,077 acres to preserve the trees growing there. Located in the Brandywine Creek Valley, it is one of the premier display gardens open to the public year-round.
Pierre DuPont, who was 36 years old when he bought the property, did not originally intend the create Longwood Gardens. Within a few years though, he transformed it from a country farm into a leading horticultural display gardens. It was opened to the public in 1921. The Gardens have attracted over 1 million visitors a year since 2012.
We recently visited the Gardens and took a few photos; some are shown below.
A water show wiith some fountains at Longwood GarensPhoto taken on the grounds of LOngwood Gardens at dusk as the lights came on.A Wooden BridgeColorful path in Longwood GardensLake with Pop-up LuminariesFountain Display at Longwood Gardens
The New York Times describes Asheville as a big blue dot amid a sea of red voters in western North Carolina. And it is that. It is also a tourist mecca and home to the Biltmore Estate. Built by George Washington Vanderbilt between 1889 and 1895 it is, according to Wikipedia, the largest privately owned house in the United States and a prominent example of a Gilded Age mansion.
Originally built as a summer home, today with its 250 rooms and 130,000 square feet of living space, it serves as a museum. Vanderbilt commissioned the architect Richard Morris Hunt to design the house, and Frederick Law Olmsted to design the grounds. Olmsted is famous for his design of Central Park in New York. He also designed Divine Park in Spring Lake, NJ.
We visited the Biltmore and spent a few days looking around Asheville just recently. A few shots from the trip are below.
Wide angle photo looking out over the city of Asheville, NC, as the sun begins to set behind the Blue Ridge Mountains.Asheville, NC, USA — December 4, 2021. A 200mm telephoto image taken in Asheville, NC, looking down from a rooftop.Asheville, NC, USA — December 4, 2021. A photo looking down onto a rooftop cocktail bar and dining area in the afternoon.Asheville, NC, USA — December 6, 2021. A photo pf the billiards room decorated for Christmas in the Biltmore mansion.Asheville, NC, USA — December 6, 2021. Photo of patrons viewing an immersive multi-media exhibit on Van Gogh’s life and art on display at the Biltmore estate.Asheville, NC, USA — December 6, 2021. Photo of a mock-up of Van Gogh’s living quarters in the south of France.
In October it was off to Newport, Rhode Island for a family wedding. (Congrats, Steve and Madison).
Newport is a gorgeous town—picturesque, very much a New England vibe, and with a lot of history. We got a chance to do some sightseeing amid all the festivities that included the famous cliff walk.
If you get a chance to visit—go. Here below are a couple of shots from our time there.
