After a three hour drive from Columbia, SC to Asheville, NC, we arrived at the Biltmore Estate. The estate seems to fuel a tourist economy in Asheville, as there are many attractive eateries, antique shops, craft business, street vendors, and a rich theatre life. Asheville sits in a valley with mountians around. Large cottages and weekend homes hang precariously from the mountain sides, giving one pause to wonder how difficult it must have been to construct them. The landscape is decidedly different from South Carolina, and actually feels more like home.
Biltmore was the vacatiion retreat of the famous Vanderbilt family. Please see a wedding video provided through the following link, as it shows Biltmore in all its glory. Biltmore is open year round, with Christmas being a popular visiting time. Many people purchase year-round passes. http://www.biltmore.com/weddings/default.asp
