The Smokies - North Carolina and Tennessee

This was my first visit to the Great Smoky Mountains, a sub-range of the Appalachians, and it was a bit of a different experience for me this time.  I am used to the high mountain valleys and open meadows of Montana and here was more of a gentle rolling of hills shrouded in dense woods.  Looking back on stories and books that I read growing up about the difficulties the frontiers and pioneers faced on their west bound trip, I know understand that it was not the mountains causing issues, it was all the trees!  Making the drive west from Asheville, North Carolina, we were hoping to find a few good trails out into the middle of nowhere and setting up camp for a night.  No such Luck!   

For the trails that we did venture on, they led us to trickling streams with small tumbling waterfalls or some "high point" look-outs.  There is a unique beauty to this area though, the humid haze gives an interesting transition of layers from deep greens into various shades of blue, most likely where these mountains acquired their namesake - The Smokies.

Bits & Pieces of Asheville - Asheville, North Carolina

Blue Ridge Butterflies - Western North Carolina

Basilica of Saint Lawrence - Asheville, North Carolina

On this weekend trip, our objective was to one, leave Augusta and two, explore.  Little did I know what this mountain city held in store for me!  I was thoroughly impressed by the largest private home on the Biltmore Estate, but to also stand underneath the largest freestanding elliptical dome in North America was a welcomed bonus!  Reading up on the basilica, I learned that this was the last building to be designed by Raphael Guastavino, Sr.  Some of his notable works include the Grand Central Station of New York City, the Great Hall of Ellis Island, and hundreds of others.  Finished by his son of the same name in 1909, the senior Guastavino remains forever in the crypts below this Spanish Renaissance masterpiece in the heart of Asheville as his final resting place.

Passing through the doors, I entered into the massive interior of the dome under it's span of 58 by 82 feet, adorned with stained glass windows, Italian-made statues of Christian Saints, and handcarved wooden ornaments and reliefs. 

Rhythms and Beats - Asheville, North Carolina

Villa di Vino - Asheville, North Carolina

 

Aside from the breathtaking architecture of the Biltmore Estate, the second runner up for my favorite part to this visit was the winery!  Tucked away in the small hills just above the sunflower fields, the vineyard village was brimming with life from the live bands playing in the afternoon light and the bees swarming around the autumn blooms before the end of the season. 

I probably should feel guilty about my visit to the Biltmore winery.  Upon entering the tasting room, I almost made it through the entire selection of the reds under the recommendations of my first host, but he had to end his shift.  He politely introduced me to his relief and she took over by pouring me her favorite!  Basically went through the red selection once more and dabbled with a few of the white wines, only to have my host taken away from me again!  She handed over the responsibility to one of her fellow co-workers who had no bouts about repeating what the two predecessors had done and went through the list once more!  Having consumed what was most likely a hardy bottle of wine to myself, I decided to call it quits and finish my tour of the estate.

Biltmore Arboretum - Asheville, North Carolina

Buzz of the Biltmore - Asheville, North Carolina

 

Complimenting the grandeur of the Biltmore Mansion, the gardens match the beauty of the great estate.  With Vanderbilt wanting none other than the best for his dream home, Frederick Olmsted was hired to design the gardens and landscape of the Biltmore.  Some of Olmsted's notable works include Central Park, Prospect Park, Niagara Reservation, and the grounds of the Capitol in Washington DC.

 

With ample acreage to cover, numerous gardens are spread across the grounds of the Biltmore.  Styles of these gardens vary from Royal Palaces of England and Chateaus of France, and hints of Asian Gardens along with plants from various parts of the world. 

Simple Stones of Biltmore - Asheville, North Carolina

 

With the vast size of the estate, hundreds of masons and carpenters were needed to undertake the construction of this great masterpiece.  Built with more than 11 million limestone bricks, this mansion's construction was nearly complete after six years.  Mr. Vanderbilt wished for his dream home to be like the grand homes of Europe and drew many his design ideas from the Waddesdon Manor, a home of one of the Rothschild barons, and the Chateau de Blois.