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The Great Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains
Your guide from the Hemlock Inn, Bryson City
Great Smokies: Intro | Deep Creek (Waterfalls) | Catalochee | Great Hikes | Oconaluftee | Newfound Gap/Clingmans Dome | Gatlinburg | Great Drives
Blue Ridge: Bryson City | Dillsboro | Cherokee | Franklin | Maggie Valley | Asheville
Waynesville | Joyce Kilmer Forest | Blue Ridge Parkway | Fontana Lake/Dam | Fishing Whitewater Rafting | Biking | Great Smoky Railroad | Biltmore EstateBiltmore Estate
Biltmore Estate in Asheville (about 60 miles from Hemlock Inn) provides the ideal location for romance with a century old French Renaissance chateau. George W. Vanderbilt's 8,000-acre estate with its 250-room Biltmore House, 75 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, and the nation's most visited winery offers plenty of opportunities.
Share the wonder of Biltmore House, the largest privately owned home in America, with a priceless collection of arts and antiques original to the Vanderbilt home. After touring more than 60 rooms in the house, stop at the Stable Courtyard for refreshments or a visit to several quaint shops (and one large souvenir shop). The Stable Café is great for sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Allow at least two hours for a house tour.
Spectacular gardens and woodlands are perfect for leisurely strolls. From the house, walk through gardens designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, best known for designing Central Park in New York City. The lush and beautiful reflecting ponds of the Italian Gardens are a fitting entry into a stunning world of garden paths. A short walk takes you to the four-acre Walled Garden and adjacent Conservatory. For a longer walk, follow signs to the Bass Pond to find a more secluded area.
At the winery, enjoy a self-guided tour and sample Biltmore Estate wines in the Tasting Room. Browse the Wine Shop. Behind the Biltmore Winery, you will find "Explore Biltmore Estate," an outdoor program with options for couples including biking, horseback riding, float trips and carriage rides.
It takes almost a full day to explore Biltmore Estate. You may purchase tickets for the Biltmore in the Hemlock Inn office.
Directions: Follow Hwys. 74E/I-40E to Asheville, take the fourth Asheville Exit (Biltmore/Hwy. 25). Turn left at bottom of ramp onto Hwy. 25W. Follow signs to Biltmore Estate, bearing left at second traffic light (at All Souls Episcopal Church). Turn left at next light. Driving time from Asheville to Hemlock Inn, 1¼ hours.
For more info, go to the Biltmore Estate Guide on RomanticAsheville.com.
Hemlock Inn
Adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
P.O. Box 2350, Galbraith Creek Rd, Bryson City, NC 28713
phone: 828-488-2885 / fax: 828-488-8985
Reservations taken from 7:30 AM until 11:00 PM EST
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