They have music at the campground on Tuesday and Friday nights. We found out that Renfro Valley is the home of the KY Music Hall of Fame, although it was closed while we were there. Throughout the year they have music festivals of all kinds. It was a great place to stop, I am just sorry that we missed all the fun as we only had one night there... maybe next time.From Renfro Valley we headed to Asheville, North Carolina. As we were crossing the Smoky Mountains that morning we encountered some fog. It was beautiful to see the mountains covered in the fog bank.
On Saturday we went over to the Biltmore House, "America's Largest Home". The grandeur of Biltmore House doesn't immediately bring to mind a family home. But this is where founder,
George Vanderbilt, brought his bride after their honeymoon and marriage in Europe. Their daughter Cornelia was born here, as were her two sons.Construction of Biltmore got under way in 1889; it was a massive undertaking that included a mansion, gardens, farms, and woodlands. The centerpiece was a four-story stone house with a 375-foot front facade. For six years, an army of artisans labored to create a country estate that would rival the great manors of Europe and embody the finest in architecture, landscape planning, and interior design. The results were astounding.
Boasting four acres of floor space, the 250-room mansion featured 33 family and guest bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, three kitchens, and an indoor swimming pool. It was appointed with a priceless collection of furniture, artworks and equipped with every conceivable amenity, from elevators to refrigerators. The surrounding grounds were equally impressive, encompassing 125,000 acres of forests, farms and a dairy, a 250-acre wooded park, five pleasure gardens and 30 miles of macadamized roadways.
George Washington Vanderbilt III welcomed family and friends to Biltmore Estate on Christmas Eve in 1895. This holiday celebration marked the formal opening of the most ambitious home ever conceived in America.
After more than a century, George Vanderbilt's 250 room home is as enchanting as the day he opened its doors. Vanderbilt's descendants have carefully preserved the house and its furnishings for 113 years, so much so that you feel the original residents might walk in at any moment. The house and the gardens, winery and farm are something to see. We only spent one day there but you could spend several days and not take in all the beauty.
On Saturday we drove along the Blueridge Parkway and went to a small mountain town, Black Mountain, a pretty little town with a great German Restaurant and lots of crafts and shops.
From Asheville we are going over to Townsend, Tennessee to join some of our friends and celebrate the Heritage Bluegrass Festival. Should be a fun time.
Can't believe that our journey for this summer is almost at an end, but it will be good to get back home to Florida.
That is all for now...
Candy and Johnny
