Tag Archives: Biltmore

Random Thoughts

More Fortunate Than Many

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The French Broad River was already flooding the Biltmore Estate before the hurricane had even come ashore in the Gulf

Kathy and I were in Asheville, NC last Wednesday, just prior to Hurricane Helene. We knew the storm was approaching, but of course at that time no one knew how severe it was likely to be. Those of us in central and western NC usually take comfort in our distance from the coast, which usually is sufficient to soften any blow.

Our first clue that trouble was brewing was on Thursday morning, when we drove to the Biltmore Estate for a previously scheduled tour with friends. The main entrance to the estate was closed due to flooding along the Approach Road, so they routed us in through a back entrance. Little did we know at that point that the French Broad River, which runs next to Biltmore, had already started to flood.

At 1:00 they announced that the estate would be closing and evacuated. And the storm hadn’t even come ashore in Florida yet! We went back to our motel to decide what to do. We were with friends who were traveling to Florida and had plans to meet my brother and sister in law in Waynesville that weekend, so we decided to stick it out. How bad could it be, right?

Now we know how bad.

Power went out about 4am as the brunt of the storm passed through. By Friday morning the damage was just starting to become apparent. Our friends left to head on to Florida, and Kathy and I headed to Waynesville. We made it, but just barely. What a mess.

In Waynesville, power had just come back on in town but there was no cell phone service, no cable and no internet. Businesses that were open were on a cash only basis, but all the ATMs were down because there was no network.

We stuck it out until Sunday, when it was clear that we could make it out safely. We headed toward Charlotte, figuring that we could at least get back home, although what we really wanted to do was to complete the rest of the trip by visiting Bourbon Country in Kentucky with my brother and sister in law. The map looks a little silly, but we made it and are now safely in Kentucky.

Needless to say we  know that we are very fortunate and are counting our blessings. Many were not so fortunate.

One of many downed trees on I-40 in Asheville on Friday morning.
Close To Home

Branching Out

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Hood ornament on an ice cream truck on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

Kathy & I visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC recently. I carried a camera with me in case I came across anything interesting. This was a bit of a “happy accident” as I photographed the hood ornament on an old truck repurposed as an ice cream shop. Sadly the ice cream shop was not in operation at the time…. 😉

Travel

Almost Forgot: ‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ At Biltmore

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‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

I was going back through my photos from Biltmore on this rainy afternoon, and realized that I had not written about and shared photos of our visit to the Italian Renaissance Alive exhibit at Biltmore.

Several years ago, Biltmore contracted with a company called Grande Experiences for a series of “immersive, multi-sensory experiences” in one of Biltmore’s conference centers. The company has been doing these shows nationwide. Charlotte recently had a Van Gogh Alive exhibit, and Biltmore had previously hosted (if memory serves) Monet & Friends and Leonardo Da Vinci Collection – which we attended in October – and this one titled Italian Renaissance Alive.

‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina
‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

The exhibitions are nicely done, with an introductory series of rooms showing physical reproductions of many of the works featured in the show. The Da Vinci exhibit included scale models of several of Da Vinci’s inventions as well as prints of many of his famous works. This introduction leads the viewer to a large room, where there are lots of screens, playing a continuous loop of images, accompanied by appropriately dramatic music.

‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina
‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

My biggest issue with the show was that there was a lot of animation, from the relatively tame “Ken Burns Effect” of panning on a portion of an image, to actual animation of some of the artworks themselves. Imagine “The Creation of Adam” from the Sistine Chapel, with the figures of Adam and God floating toward each other in space, or moving limbs or the eyes of one or more of the subjects blinking. That was a bit unsettling, coupled with the fact that very few of the paintings were shown in their entirety, or if they were, for only a few seconds. For me that made it more about the entertainment factor than the art, but I guess that is today’s world.

‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina
‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina
‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

Both of the shows were interesting, and for many people probably the closest they will ever get to famous art so close to home. Not to boast, but for me it was a bit of a letdown compared to having seen many of the original works in person. Still, something interesting to do for a couple of hours!

Travel

Spring Splendor At Biltmore

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Last week, Kathy & I ventured to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville to take in the spring flowers in the gardens, check out the Renaissance Alive art presentation, and of course to eat and to buy wine. 😉

Biltmore is an easy 2 hour drive from Charlotte, suitable for a day trip but also a nice way for an easy overnight. We had reward points that allowed us to stay for free at a motel in nearby Biltmore Village, so we had the better part of two days. As Annual Passholders we didn’t have to pay extra for the visits, which can otherwise be a little pricey.

Even without visiting Biltmore House itself, the grounds and gardens are such a nice place to spend a day or part of the day. The gardens are extensive, and the Conservatory itself is larger than most homes. We concentrated mostly on the outside gardens, although as we were getting ready to leave, the sounds of a hammered dulcimer drew us inside for a listen.

Travel

Chasing Shadows

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Interior hallway of Biltmore House

Like most of us, I’m always on the lookout for interesting shadows. Here are a few from our recent visit to Biltmore.

Connected or disconnected? Biltmore House

One of the things that fascinates me about photography is that often the best photographs are the ones that require the least “work.” In terms of both effort and of processing.

Exterior lamp. Biltmore House
Lamp. Biltmore House
Grain cradle shadows on the wall of the Village Hotel at Biltmore
Ceiling light fixture in the hallway of the Village Hotel at Biltmore House and Gardens
Trails around Bass Lake on the Biltmore Estate.
Travel

Fall At Biltmore

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Trails around Bass Lake on the Biltmore Estate.

My pictures may not prove it, but we were at Biltmore about a week early for peak fall color. I had to “help” the color a bit in processing to make them look as fallish as they do, but they still give a pretty good idea of what things looked like.

Trails around Bass Lake on the Biltmore Estate.
Trails around Bass Lake on the Biltmore Estate.

Last week’s blast of cold air and accompanying winds discouraged any thoughts I had of getting out early and took care of our bold plans for a picnic or two. But we still managed to find some nice color on a couple of days.

Fields of the Biltmore Estate
View from the verandah of Biltmore House

I’ve got more photos to share and will work on them over the next few days.

Farmyard in Antler Hill Village at Biltmore
Fields of the Biltmore Estate
Travel

Happy Forty Twos-Day!

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Biltmore House from The Lagoon. Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina

Kathy & I are at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC celebrating our 42nd anniversary. I’ve been joking that this is quite an upgrade from our honeymoon in Gatlinburg, TN. 😉

We did an early morning guided house tour on Monday and have a few days of exploring planned, including taking in their Leonardo Davinci exhibit on Wednesday. I’ve taken a few photos so far, including this one of the Biltmore House from The Lagoon, a spot along the French Broad River.

Patchwork. The Gardens at Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina
Stonework on the exterior of Biltmore House