Did you know that George Vanderbilt built his home in North Carolina? I (Lou) didn’t! I can’t believe I’d never heard of this place before, but it’s amazing. Just take a look at some of the pictures in our multimedia section. This trip was in celebration of Traci’s first 29th birthday, and was very special. We went up early Sabbath morning and arrived in the early afternoon and were able to check in. We then took a short bike ride around the immediate area to see what there is to see. Then we sprinted back to our room because of the impending thunderstorms, which came down with a roar, and didn’t let up for the evening. We got ready for dinner, which we ate at the stables. The food was excellent. It was a very pleasant dinner. When we were done, the downpour finally abated and we made it back to our room without much event.
The next morning we got up, and went for a morning bike ride around the grounds. It was beautiful, and muddy (thanks to the 6 hours of heavy rain we received yesterday). We returned to the room, changed, and hopped in the pool to cool off a bit. This pool was so cool. It was one of those edge-less pools where the water runs right up to the edge. After cooling off, it was time to check out. So we got cleaned up, checked out, and headed over to the “castle” for our audio tour. This place is just amazing. Being a house from the turn of the century, the technology it possessed was amazing. The items Mr. Vanderbilt collected were just amazing. Books… everywhere (Traci was in heaven). Unfortunately I can’t show you any pictures because no cameras were allowed, but just imagine your mansion in Heaven… this wasn’t far behind it.
After completing the tour, we took some time to walk the gardens and take pictures of everything. Their rose garden was just amazing. We spent the next couple of hours taking pictures, smelling flowers, and just admiring the views of the surrounding mountains. But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and we had to go home. But never fear, we shall return.
Oms Family 