Asheville North Carolina

We spent part of our spring break in Asheville North Carolina this year with Grandma, Grandpa, Laura, and Tony.  It was a great city with a lot of diversity.  Our first stop of the trip was The Biltmore.  The Biltmore was built by George Vanderbilt in 1889 to be a country retreat for his friends and family.  It features 4 acres of floor space, 250 rooms, 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The basement has a swimming pool, gymnasium and changing rooms, bowling alley, servants' quarters, and kitchens.  It was a beautiful home full of a lot of history.  My favorite room was the library.  It had an amazing ceiling painted by an Italian artist and it contained a 23,000 volume library.  I would love to sit and look through those books. 

 
 The architecture was impressive! 

 The gardens were impressive.  This was a pear tree that has been pruned to grow against the wall so it can grow in a colder region. 

 Alia loved running through the children's maze.

 We were able to visit the farm.  Biltmore had the most Jersey cows in the country at one time.


 We made a stop at one of the parks. 

 and hiked at the Arboretum. 

 Avery found a hiding spot.

 We also took time to explore downtown Asheville.  The downtown had many unique shops, street performers, and art.  I loved how diverse the area was.  It was a great trip and an awesome city.