Asheville, North Carolina

December 8, 2021
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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.

JFB

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