Asheville, North Carolina

Our timing is just a little off. Evidently, President Obama and First Lady Michelle were in Asheville on Friday and Saturday. I'm truly sorry we missed them, hoping maybe they'll show up in the Keys.

The Biltmore Estate occupied our day.  The approach road from the gatehouse to the main house is three miles long. The house is reminiscent of a French chateau and includes 8000 acres of surrounding forests and meadows. Indeed, it is the largest privately-owned home in America. Yesterday we were peeking into one room slave shanties where a family of ten lived, today we walked through a home of 250 rooms occupied by a family of three, (and this is just the summer house).

In the 75 acres of formal gardens the azaleas were showing off. They performed "formally" and continued on into the more rustic areas where their blooms drifted into the green backgrounds to add surprises of colors.

Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Biltmore gardens and grounds. He's also responsible for New York's Central Park. Most significant for us is his involvement in designing several of Spokane's most beautiful parks, including Manito.

Running Odometer: 1324
States: North Carolina  Total:  11