Field trip to the Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, NC
Get Away On a Weekend Photo Excursion with B-CCC to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.
On March 27th, B-CCC members will be getting away from it all for our second big out-of-town excursion of the 2008-2009 club year. This time, it's way out of town, to Asheville, North Carolina. We will travel to this mountainous region in the western part of the state to visit the famed Biltmore Estate. The Biltmore was George and Edith Vanderbilt's 250-room family home and country retreat. In the house you can see original art from Renoir and others, 16th-century tapestries, Napoleon's chess set, a library with 10,000 volumes, a banquet hall with a 70-foot ceiling, 65 fireplaces, an indoor pool, bowling alley, and more. In fact, the Biltmore is the largest privately-owned home in America, and is a National Historic Landmark. Construction began on the house in 1889, and the Vanderbilts opened its doors for the first time to friends and family on Christmas Eve, 1895.
No photography is permitted inside of the mansion, but the beautifully designed grounds will offer plenty of opportunities for landscape and architectural photography. There are also many other attractions in the area, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which lies about one hour west of Asheville. It is recommended that you purchase your tickets to tour the house in advance. This can be done on the Biltmore's web site at http://www.biltmore.com/.
The drive from Bowie to Asheville takes about 8 hours, excluding stops. There is plenty of lodging in the immediate area to chose from, and more details on this will be forthcoming. The "official" dates for the trip will be from March 27th thru the 29th, but of course, you can opt to drive down a few days earlier, or stay a few days later if you so choose.
If you are interested in this field trip, please contact me, Vince Ferrari, at 301-249-2210, or by e-mail at vincentferrari@gmail.com.
-- Vince Ferrari