Asheville NC Vacation

We had a major snow in Asheville, NC, starting Friday, December 18, 2009, which blanketed this beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain area in gorgeous white, shimmery snow!  We had guests in all of our Asheville Vacation Homes (vacation rental cabins, chalets, cottages) that week, and the surprise white Christmas snow was an added bonus to their trips.  I was able to get to the Biltmore Estate to take some pictures of their magnificent property.  The Biltmore staff was out early and had cleared the way to the Biltmore House.  It was spectacular!

The Biltmore Estate House just after a Decembr snow fall - www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

The Candlelight Night Time Tours are still going on at The Biltmore House through January 2, 2010.  It is indeed spectacular and well worth your visit.  Our guests often comment that “the Biltmore Estate was even more than we expected.”  And that is also what they also say when they stay at our Asheville Vacation Homes cabins, cottages and chalets, as pictures can’t quite portray the actual luxury, comfort, and total vacation feel of our homes as experienced in person. 

You are invited to spend your mountain vacation in Western North Carolina with at one of our vacation rental cabins where we promise to pamper you with wonderful amenities.  We also are authorized Biltmore Estate ticket agents and have discount tickets good for two full consecutive days for less than the cost of the one day ticket gate price!  Call us at 828-274-9777 or email at joyah@aol.com  For details see our website: www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

 

The main gate into the Biltmore House compound was intriguingly decorated with snow, elegant and mysterious at the same time. Photo by Robert Bowles of www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

Why rent your cabin from an agency when you can receive personal care and service from your vacation rental’s owners!  We are Stephanie Joy Johnson and Robert Bowles, local residents of Asheville NC and owners of Asheville Vacation Homes.  We are in love with this absolutely beautiful mountain town nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina and it is our pleasure to share this exquisite area with you. 

For years we have professionally restored and decorated homes.  We now bring this talent to our personally owned vacation rental cabins, chalets, cottages and homes.  We have chosen lush locations….rich forests, private lakes, panoramic mountain views…as ideal settings for our charming vacation rentals filled with delightful amenities and attention to detail.  All homes are only minutes to town, are exquisitely furnished and with all our special touches, it feels like a warm, inviting home rather than a vacation rental house.  Enjoy hot tubs, massage chairs, gas log fireplaces, top quality king and queen beds with luxurious bedding, high speed wireless Internet, quality kitchens, tastefully furnished, pet and child friendly.  We offer discounted Biltmore Estate tickets.  Visit our website for full details and photos of each home:  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

Call us today to book your week’s vacation:  828-274-9777 or email us at joyah@aol.com

Enjoy year round awesome 50 mile panoramic views from the View Chalet in Asheville NC. This luxury home has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2400 SF and sleeps up to 11 guests. www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

White Stone Lake Manor has its own private wild life lake. This 4000 SF home features 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, living room, family room, media room, 2 kitchens & dining rooms, kids play room, multiple decks and sleeps up to 20 guests. www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

We visited the Biltmore House on Thursday, December 10, 2009, for the Candlelight Christmas Evening Special.  Driving through Biltmore Village and up to the front entrance Gatehouse of the Biltmore Estate set the mood for the festive evening.  The Christmas lights framing the Gatehouse and on many of the architectural features of the Village wonderfully outline their unique features.

Christmas at the Biltmore is always a fabulous experience! This is their Gatehouse when you first enter the Estate's grounds. Photo by www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

We drove along the winding Estate roads to the parking area and from there took their very warm and comfortable shuttle bus (no charge) to the entrance of the home.   When the shuttle made the turn toward the house, there were oohs and ahhs from both newcomers and repeat visitors.  Eliciting these exclamations was a giant Christmas tree with surrounding smaller trees all spectacularly arrayed with thousands of lights.  Placed halfway down the front lawn near the fountain, this display made the House a welcoming warm refuge amidst some of the most beautiful lands in the country.  Imagining ourselves as guests of Mr. Vanderbilt’s first Christmas Eve event in 1895 made it all the more thrilling.

Famous for their unbelievably stunning Christmas displays, this  jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains is imaginatively decorated throughout.  There are 55 Christmas trees, each uniquely decorated, with at least one in each room we observed.  Live period entertainment was in place at several spots within the house and could be heard throughout because of the fabulous acoustics.  Our favorite was the two couples dressed in period attire who were dancing in the Winter Garden Room just off the entrance hall.

More observations to follow in other posts….Enjoy the Biltmore Candlelight Christmas Evenings until January 2, 2010 and Christmas daytime visits until January 3, 2010. 

During your stay in our Western North Carolina area, you are invited to stay at our luxury vacation rental homes decorated for the season.  We love to pamper our guests with wonderful amenities such as hot tubs, massage chairs, gas log fireplaces, king beds, sumptuous linens, quality elegant furnishings, high speed wireless Internet, quality kitchens & cookware and so much more!  Please visit our website at www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com for details or call us at 828-274-9777 for reservations.  We also sell Biltmore Estate tickets. Purchase your tickets from us and enjoy two full days at the Biltmore for the price of a one day admission ticket!

What a fabulous Christmas display on the front lawns at the Biltmore Estate! Photo by www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

The NEVER BLUE restaurant is always a dining delight where every meal is made to order.  No matter if we’ve come in for lunch or dinner, it’s challenging to decide which of their fabulous dishes to order.  Fortunately, they offer many of their selections “tapas” style….meaning smaller portions at a smaller price so you can sample a variety of their flavorful offerings.  Or if you have a favorite, you can order it as an entrée.  The setting is relaxed, beautiful and brightly colored.  If nothing else, you have to see their exquisitely tiled bar. 

Ginny loves downtown Hendersonville's Main Street Bistros! Today she's dining at her favorite Never Blue Restaurant. photo by www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

Some of our APPETIZER favorites are:  Sauteed Wild Mushrooms: chipotle-herb butter with garlic toast or the Giant Ravioli:  stuffed with five cheeses, smothered in organic spinach chipotle-parmesan cream sauce.  For SALADS try their Caesar with organic romaine, toasted pumpkin seeds, herb-butter croutons, manchego cheese, classic Caesar dressing or the Spinach Salad made with organic spinach, cranberries, gorgonzola, candied pecans, applewood bacon, Lusty Monk Mustard-Honey Emulsion.  We love their COCAS (made-to-order Spanish style flatbreads) such as Majorca: chilean pebre salsa, goat cheese, fresh basil, olive oil; or Eve’s Delight:  fig preserves, shiitake mushrooms, gorgonzola cheese, baby arugula.  ENTREES:  Very creative & yummy Chicken, Seafood & Meat dishes – see their on-line menu for  mouth-watering descriptions. 

Ginny is fascinated by the tiled bar at the Never Blue Restaurant - truly a work of art! photo by www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

For a fun experience, try their Tapa & Wine Tuesdays, Music & Margarita Wednesdays, and Thirsty Thursdays celebrating the art of the martini with their exclusive unique concoctions.  See their website for more details.

ADDRESS of Never Blue: 119 South Main Street, Hendersonville, NC

PHONE:  828-693-4646

HOURS:  Tue - Thu 11 – 9;  Fri & Sat 11 – 10;  Sun & Mon – Closed
WEBSITE:  www.TheNeverBlue.com    

Reviewed by Stephanie Joy Johnson of Asheville’s luxury vacation rental cabins, chalets, cottages and homes:  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com  You will be outrageously spoiled at our vacation rental homes by our awesome amenities!!! BILTMORE ESTATE TICKETS: Purchase your tickets from us and enjoy two full days at Biltmore for the price of a one day admission ticket!  828-274-9777  Email: Joyah@aol.com

Never Blue Restaurant with several levels of dining and a patio with a lovely fountain. Never Blue Restaurant with several levels of dining and a patio with a lovely fountain.

Perhaps it was due to the many years I lived in the City of Roses (Portland, Oregon), that cultivated my love for beautiful rose gardens.  When I moved to Asheville NC in 1996, what a delight it was to find the most magnificent Rose Gardens imaginable right here in town at the Biltmore House!  Buying a season ticket was the best investment I could have made.  You will find this magnificent Rose Garden at the far end of the 4 acre Walled Garden near the Conservatory on the Biltmore Estate grounds.  

Ginny is in awe of the spectacular roses in the Biltmore Estate Rose Garden! This rose is bigger than she is! photo by www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

Each season as I wander through the lush gardens, I am always thrilled to see the changes….how from winter the almost invisible rose bushes suddenly come to life with full lush blooms in the spring and summer.  There are several thousand varieties of premier roses including a full collection of the “All-American Roses” labeled with the year the rose was chosen as a winner.  (FYI: the All-American Rose Selections is a nonprofit group begun in 1938 that operates the world’s most challenging horticultural testing program recognizing roses that will be easy to grow and disease resistant. Each year a top winning new rose is selected.  My favorite “Knock Out” roses in my garden and at my vacation rental homes came from this testing…they constantly bloom all summer and fall with no care!) 

Ginny wanders the path among all the fabulous roses bushes at the Biltmore Estate Rose Gardens. Photo taken in May 2009 by www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

If you are planning to visit our area, be sure to stay at one of our delightful vacation rental homes full of wonderful amenities.  We are authorized Biltmore Estate ticket sellers.  Purchase your tickets from us and enjoy two full consecutive days at Biltmore for the price of a one day admission ticket!  Call us at 828-274-9777 or email us at Joyah@aol.com or see our website at www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com 

A delightful new way to discover the Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC is by riding an all-terrain personal Segway through the many Biltmore trails past the lagoon, river, scenic hills and ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Our guests who have taken this two-hour guided tour had “fun, fun, fun!!!”  Rides are from 11 AM to 3 PM daily.

Our vacation rental guests rave about how much they enjoyed taking the two hour guided Segway tour of the Biltmore Estate. What fun! Photo by www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

When visitors first begin their walk from the parking area toward all the wonders of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC, it is a delightful surprise to come across the small temple with the famous statue of goddess Diana, daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo.  From the hillside overlooking the entrance to the Biltmore House and the Blue Ridge Mountains, she is a faithful guardian of all she surveys.  As the protector of wild animals, she is a perfect sentinel of the area’s large deer population.  Carved out of Carrarra marble by Italian artist H Whinery Oppice in the 1970’s, the statue replaces the original carving.

Goddess Diana and her faithful dog overlook & protect the famous Biltmore House (seen in the distance). Photo by www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

Wonderful News!  Just added this summer (2009) behind the glorious Diana statue in a secluded hemlock grove, there are now full guest facilities called “Diana at Biltmore” offering a very private, exclusive setting to hold special events.  What fabulous place with spectacular views for a wedding!

Ginny gazes at the temple of the elegant Diana, protector of wild animals...including giraffes?...and wants to get a closer look. Photo by www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

Ginny, after a short visit with Diana, adds her giraffish charm to the photo! Behind both ladies is the new Diana venue for special events. Photo by www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

When you are in the area visiting the Biltmore Estate, you are invited to stay in luxurious accommodations at our vacation rental homes:  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.  .comPurchase your Biltmore Estate tickets from us and enjoy two days at Biltmore for the price of a one day admission ticket!  We will have them waiting in the home when you arrive.  828-274-9777 or email:  Joyah@aol.com    

Always changing with the seasons, the famous Biltmore House and grounds take great pride in presenting the most fabulous works of art….including their own ever changing artistic creations in landscaping.  Just off the Biltmore House library is a large area often used for summer outdoor concerts, which is transformed at the end of summer into a “CARPET OF FLOWERS.”  As seen in the photo, the beauty sculpted in a floral carpet design is displayed against the backdrop of the awesome Blue Ridge Parkway and Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. 

Ginny is delighted to be back at the Biltmore Estate to visit the awesome "Carpet of Flowers" on display in August.

During your stay in our area, you are invited to stay at one of our luxury vacation rental homes where you will be spoiled with fabulous amenities including hot tubs, massage chairs, king beds, gas log fireplaces, beautiful settings, gorgeous furnishings and so much more!  Purchase your Biltmore Estate tickets from us and enjoy two full days at the Biltmore for the price of a one day admission ticket!  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com  Contact us at 828-274-9777 or email us at joyah@aol.com. 

Asheville & Hendersonville NC is famous for many things, and in the Fall, a main attraction is the “Changing of the Leaves.”  The Blue Ridge Parkway gives “leaf peepers” a show throughout the entire Fall season.  The leaves begin changing to awesome colors at the higher elevations first and then sweep down the mountains as the days and weeks pass.  This year (2009) at the end of September and early October, the colorful leaf pallets began at Mount Mitchell (over 6500 feet) and at Mount Pisgah (over 5500 feet).  The truly spectacular colors have now begun spreading down the mountains towards Asheville & Hendersonville, and as of October 16, 2009, they are just beginning their transformation into breathtaking huge splashes of colors at these lower elevations.  As you can see in the photos, the forests surrounding the Biltmore Estate are just beginning to brighten. 

Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC as seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway in mid-October 2009. Fall colors are just beginning to show. www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

You still have time to come experience it for yourself.  One of the best ways to really “feel” the changing of the leaves is to hike one of our many trails.  You can witness the changing forests as you walk through the fallen leaves underfoot, see the sun dancing through the leaves above, and see them drop and swirl around you.  It is a simple, heart-felt joy to be here at this time of the year!  You are invited to stay at our luxury vacation rental homes where you will be spoiled with fabulous amenities including hot tubs, massage chairs, king beds, gas log fireplaces, beautiful settings, gorgeous furnishings and so much more!  Purchase your Biltmore Estate tickets from us and enjoy two full days at the Biltmore for the price of a one day admission ticket!  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com  Contact us at 828-274-9777 or email us at joyah@aol.com. 

Here's a view from the Blue Ridge Parkway taken in mid-October 2009 of downtown Asheville, with the Biltmore Estate Sheep Barn in the foreground. www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

Ginny anticipates her scrumptuous meal at Carrabbas Italian Restaurant!

Although CARRABBAS ITALIAN GRILL is a chain restaurant, it has consistently wonderful, mouth-watering Italian food that makes us return again and again!  The menu features a variety of delicious appetizers, soups, salads, brick oven pizza made on a wood burning grill, pasta specialties, and family classics.  For a change of pace, it’s entertaining to eat at the open kitchen bar….they may even slip you samples of food as they are being prepared.

There are two fabulous restaurants in Asheville and we highly recommend just about everything on the menu!  We often choose several entrees to share just to extend the flavorful taste experiences.  This last meal we ordered the CHICKEN BRYAN a grilled chicken breast with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and a basil lemon butter sauce, and the INSALATA FIORUCCI mixed field greens salad with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and grilled eggplant in vinaigrette, topped with a hazelnut goat cheese medallion.  We always order their TIRAMISU, the most heavenly Italian dessert on earth and Carrabbas makes the best by far!   

Ginny is deciding which meal to eat first...the Chicken Bryan or the Insalata Fiorucci....

Ginny selects from BACINO “Little Kisses,” mini-desserts….small, guilt-free versions of their favorite desserts, made fresh daily.

RESERVATIONS:  Although they do not take reservations, you can call when you are on the way and they will put you on the waiting list.

WEBSITE for menus & locations:  www.carrabbas.com

LOCATIONS:

10 Buckstone Place, Asheville, NC 28805   Phone:  (828) 281-2300

Directions:  I-240 to Asheville. Exit south on Tunnel Rd. Located on left behind the Hampton Inn (not visible from road).  This is near the Asheville Mall in East Asheville.

332 Rockwood Road, Arden, NC 28704   Phone: (828) 654-8411
Directions:  Highway 26 to Asheville Airport exit #40. Head East and take a left at the second light signal.

HOURS: 

Sun: 11:30am-10pm
Mon-Thur: 4-10pm
Fri: 4-11pm
Sat: 12-11pm

Reviewed by Stephanie Joy Johnson of Asheville’s luxury vacation cabins, chalets, cottages and homes:  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com  YOU DESERVE TO BE SPOILED and you will be outrageously spoiled at our vacation rental homes by our awesome amenities!!! Buy your discounted BILTMORE ESTATE TICKETS from us…save money, no waiting in line and tickets are good for TWO FULL CONSECUTIVE DAYS instead of just one!  828-274-9777  Email: Joyah@aol.com