Asheville: Biltmore estate, Beaufort house, and a Beautiful bride

If you read out thanksgiving post you saw that we took advantage of the break from school and work to celebrate a belated anniversary in Asheville, NC.  We experienced some much needed R&R, had a wonderful time in the area, and were reminded of how grateful we are to have each other. To borrow some thoughts from a friend, I can honestly say that marrying Michelle was the best and most important decision of my life and that all others pale in comparison. I feel a rush of peace and warmth every time I remember that she said "yes" and that we have an eternity of anniversary's to share together.

If you haven't been to Asheville, NC it is well worth the trip and is a place we'd like to visit again. We included a few pictures here to give you an sense of the fun that the city holds.

We spent most of Thanksgiving day exploring the vastness of the Biltmore Estate and grounds. Built by George Vanderbilt in the European style, the house was huge and clothed in century old murals, decadent artwork, and rich history.  We were fortunate to be there at a time when it was decorated for Christmas and it the decor was very tasteful and extravagant. A 50 foot tree filled the banquet hall which was already an overwhelmingly expansive room to begin with. Unfortunately pictures weren't allowed inside the house, but we loved exploring the many stylish rooms, the extensive servants quarters, the underground pool, bowling alley, and gym and the home's many other exciting features.

The green house and grounds matched the size and beauty of the house, even during the winter when much of the outdoor garden lay barren.  We were able to explore the green house and scored big when we found the orchid room (orchids are one of Michelle's favorites).

Not far from the house is the family owned "village," comprised of a winery, farm, and a few small retail stores. We took a tour of the winery and learned quite about the wine-making process. While we don't drink wine we couldn't help but appreciate the process and the pretty, classy, bottled package that results. When we saw there was a farm we went to pet the animals of course but the cold of the day won out and we didn't stay long.

There were about two options for a Thanksgiving meal since most everything was closed. You could go to a hotel or high end restaurant and spend an exorbitant amount of money on a Thanksgiving buffet that was bound to be mediocre or enjoy some ethnic cuisine. We chose the later and found a tasty Nepalese restaurant that served food from Indian, Tibetan, and Nepalese traditions. The food was generally good, the service a bit awkward, and the experience memorable. We highly recommend Katmandu to any who are tired of American food or ethnic food cooked the American way.

I surprised Michelle with flowers and an anniversary gift basket (see above) that I was particularly proud of. We stayed in a B&B called the Beaufort house that served some of the best, farm to table breakfast food we have ever had. The accommodations were perfect and the service surpassed both the food and the room. We would definitely stay there again. We also really enjoyed getting to know the other guests at meal times and having a cozy place to call home while we were away from our frigid apartment.

Overall, we couldn't have asked for a better anniversary trip and set the bar high for those to come.