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USA A weekend in Asheville, North Carolina (this is page 2 of 2)
Anyway, I had come for "The Sunset Terrace" and "Horizons." The terrace runs the whole length of the original building and is open to the spectacular view. This is the end of April and there's a chill in the air after the sun goes down. Not to worry, subtle ceiling heaters (and a Gray Goose Martini) dissipate the nippiness, and then the sun came out in the form of our waitress. "Mary Sunshine" led us through the menu with an assistant at her elbow-just part of the training program for new wait staff. Even though I usually try to ignore over-friendly servers, effervescent and efficient, "Mary" was a delight. John and I breezed through a delicious dinner of flavorful lobster bisque, lamb chops, and rib-eye steak, and lingered over brandied apple crisp. This simple dinner was as good as the view-both worthy of the trip. John went back to school to rest up for tomorrow's track meet, and I went upstairs to attend to emails-friends in Taiwan were just getting to their offices. Saturday, I drove to Biltmore, twenty minutes away. In the ticketing building, six lines queued 45 minutes for tickets. Thousands had come to see the newly blooming azaleas, and to walk through the house. "Being There" is my favorite movie. It was filmed at Biltmore in the 70s, and prepared me for the grandeur created by George Vanderbilt in 1895. America's largest home, it is filled with paintings by Renoir, Sargent, and Whistler, and was landscaped by Frederick Law Olmstead. While the house, a 250-room, fake, French chateau is pretty amazing; the grounds are even more spectacular. Besides the self-guided tour, there are lots of shops, restaurants, an equestrian center, conservatory, and even an upscale inn-Inn on Biltmore Estate. Give yourself a whole day to enjoy one of America's truly legendary places. I went upstairs to send some emails-friends in London were just getting home from work. After a false alarm the next morning-the wrong breakfast to the wrong room at the wrong time-I enjoyed my breakfast except for the overcooked poached eggs. Ah well, with 510 rooms, mistakes will happen. The rest of the day wasn't great either. I turned in my car at the airport, went to check in and was told the flight had been cancelled-thunderstorms were centered over New York City. Continental transferred me to a flight going to La Guardia via Charlotte. Two hours later, I boarded in Charlotte, and unboarded an hour later…still in Charlotte. Finally, after another 3-hour delay, Air Traffic Control made an exception and we took off for New York. No one likes turbulence and the flight was no fun, but we landed safely and I was in my own bed by midnight. North Carolina looks like a living Christopher Burkett photograph; it really is beautiful. Biltmore Estate; House, Gardens, and Winery. Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore House opens at 9:00 A.M. Last guest admitted at 5:30 P.M. (800) 543-2961; http://www.biltmore.com The Grove Park Inn, Resort & Spa, 290 Macon Avenue, Asheville, NC 28804. (828) 252-2711; http://www.groveparkinn.com *********************************************************************
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