As someone who is originally from and now lives back in Atlanta, Biltmore and Asheville have been on my list for a long time.  I’ve had so many friends rave about both, so when the Biltmore team reach out to me to see if I wanted to visit and see the Glamour on Board: Fashion from Titanic the Movie exhibit, I jumped on it.

Asheville is (normally) an easy 3.5 hour drive from Atlanta.  We were a little late getting on the road, and ran into quite a bit of traffic, so it was close to 4:00PM by the time we arrived.  No matter when you arrive, the first thing that strikes you when you pull onto the estate is just how big, yet peaceful, it feels.  Biltmore is over 1,000 acres and it feels like stepping back in time.  You immediately start thinking about how it must have felt riding around the estate in the early 1900s.

We stayed at The Inn on Biltmore Estate.  Since we arrived later than expected, we quickly put our bags away and made a beeline for the Library Lounge to relax for a minute while we laid out our plans for the weekend.

Lobby at The Inn at Biltmore

Dress from Titanic exhibit

Let me say that the Library Lounge might be my favorite place on the entire resort.  The inside portion of the lounge is literally like sitting in a very comfortable library, complete with a fire going in the fireplace.  We chose to sit outside on the patio overlooking the grounds.  After settling into our very comfortable chairs, we sat back with a glass of wine to watch the sunset.  Let me tell you that our traffic woes quickly became a distant memory!

Enjoying drinks on the patio

After a snack, we finally made our way down to dinner at Village Social.  Since we weren’t that hungry, we had a light meal of appetizers.  The crab cake was definitely the highlight of the meal, though my mom loved the beer battered brussel sprouts!

On Saturday we visited Biltmore House and the Titanic exhibit.  I will cover the exhibit on Wednesday since it really deserves its own post.  When you walk up to Biltmore House, you can’t help but be amazed at just how big it is!  Biltmore House was finished in 1895 and opened to the public in 1930.  It is the largest privately owned home in the US.  The attention to detail in every room of the house is stunning.  Even though the house is huge, it still feels homey which is a testament to design.  Since the estate is still in the Vanderbilt family, you are able to learn about the family and their lives at the house.  Also, if you liked Downton Abbey, it is really cool to visit a similar house from the same time period as the show!

  

After touring the house and a quick bite at The Courtyard Market, we visited the Biltmore Winery Tasting Room for a wine and chocolate tasting.  Before this trip, I didn’t realize that Biltmore produced their own wine and they have the most visited winery in the U.S.  The Pinot Noir and Cab were quite good as we enjoyed several glasses over the weekend.

For our tasting, we tasted four different truffles and red wines.  It was so interesting to see how the flavors of some of the chocolates varied depending on which wine you paired the chocolate with.  I had to resist picking up a few truffles for an evening snack!

After our tasting, we headed back to the Library Lounge and sat by the fire while we waiting for a table to open up on the patio.  Sitting out on the patio with a glass of wine and watching the sunset was one of the highlights of the trip.  We enjoyed it so much, we did it both nights!  It was the perfect way to end the trip.

We loved our stay at The Inn on Biltmore Estate.  I don’t think I’ve slept that well in a long time.  The beds are so comfortable and the fresh mountain air was so relaxing (the wine may have helped!).  Also, it seemed like everyone went out of their way to be helpful.  I highly recommend it, especially if you can see the Titanic exhibit.  I can’t wait to go back!  There is a Chihuly exhibit that runs from May to October, which also looks really very interesting.

I’m going to share photos from the exhibit on Wednesday, so be sure to come back them for the second half of the trip!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

*Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this post, however I did receive compensation in the form of room and tour/tasting tickets c/o Biltmore.  As always, all opinions are my own.

Linking up with Sincerely Jenna Marie, More Pieces of Me, Fizz and Frosting, Pink Sole, Elegantly Fashionable, Oh To Be A Muse, The Fashion Canvas, Walking in Memphis in High Heels, I do deClaire, Two Peas in a Blog, Cute and Little, Elegantly Dressed & Stylish, J Petite, Sandy a la mode

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