The audio guide claims that Frederick Law Olmsted's career peaked with the Biltmore. Surely that's boosterism. The grounds are beautiful but they can't compare to Central or Prospect Parks for my money. Look familiar, New Yaaawkers?
There's a waterfall, too, not nearly as charming as the five in Central Park. You can drive right over it.
Granted, Central Park lacks vistas like this. But skyscrapers make it feel like an urban oasis and remind you that it was entirely man-made. Nature deserves as much credit on the Biltmore Estate as Olmsted.
Growth in the Shrub Garden perfectly frames Mount Pisgah in the distance.
We encountered hardly anyone on the Meadow Walk.
Flower patches add color to a mostly green landscape.
We skipped the model railroad exhibit at the Conservatory, located within the Rose Garden. Sadly, none were in bloom.
We had better luck in the Walled Garden.
The route to the Antler Hill Village, where you can eat, drink and shop till you drop, took us through the Walled Garden. Thom felt right at home driving his Benz.
He also vamped in the fairy-lit passageway that led to the "free" wine tasting, where we learned that Biltmore-branded vintages do $60 million in business annually. Who knew?
We concluded our tour with a couple glasses of very fine Malbec and a charcuterie plate almost as good as the one we shared at the Corner Kitchen the night before.
After a wild goose chase led by Gas Buddy, we briefly drove through the downtown area past a one-man protest. He wasn't getting much traction in a town as liberal as Asheville.
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