A QUICK TRIP TO THE BILTMORE ESTATES WITH MY DAUGHTER
A quick trip to The Biltmore Estates with my daughter is a memory that we will both have for a lifetime. It all started by searching for things to do in Asheville, NC. We have been to The Biltmore before, so we weren’t even looking at going there again. But, we discovered that a Van Gogh exhibit was being shown there and that it was ending that weekend, so we quickly bought our passes and packed our bags.
The Van Gogh exhibit was fantastic, but it was extremely hard to get photos of the artwork during the presentation. It was dark, the screens changed often, and our seats were at an angle from the screen. So, we took this photo in the hallway outside the presentation. A Monat exhibit is now going on there, and we plan on heading back to The Biltmore soon to catch that one also.
My daughter was experimenting with different angles and ways to take photos for me. They turned out spectacular!!! My photos of her were quite as good, and she let me know it too. Lol! I’ll link to my outfit at the bottom of the post and give you all the details.
Other than the waste can in the background, this is a pretty perfect photo in front of the large lion statue outside the entrance to the Biltmore Mansion. I’ll have my sister photoshop that out of the picture later, I’m not great with photoshop, and I don’t have time to learn it.
Take time to really look at the detail of this mansion. The Gargoyles, the statues on the ledges, and all of the intricate carvings are all amazing.
This was outside the Art Exhibit in a large rotunda. There are tables where you can sit and cool off or enjoy a quick meal.
This might be my favorite photo of all. This was on our walk down to the Conservatory to look at all of the flowers. There were several of these water/fountain areas, so I sat on the ledge for her to snap a photo. She was able to capture a beam of sunlight that looks like it was shining directly on me.
Once inside the Conservatory, I was overwhelmed by all the beautiful flowers. There are no words to describe how gorgeous the flowers were, and there were so many that I’ve never even seen photos of or knew existed.
Joe thinks it is funny to call Ashleigh a Hot House Lilly because nothing could be further from the truth. She has lived in the wild of Alaska with no running water while she tagged fish, had to fend off bears and can outshoot any man she’s ever met. So, when she saw the Hot House sign, we had to grab a photo of her beside it. Lol!
My daughter is way more creative than me, she saw this dress on a clearance rack and loved the print. The only problem was that it was a 4X and she doesn’t wear a 4X. She still bought it and then used the attached halter tie to cinch the dress in so that it fit her.
After our trip to the Conservatory, we walked back up to the house and had a look around the property. She was showing me some of the trails that she walked on before at the back of the Mansion.
It was late in the day when we were visiting, so the tour of the house was ending. We have a yearly pass to The Biltmore Estates, so we didn’t even go inside the house this trip. Instead, we enjoyed the grounds, especially since there weren’t many people left on the property. The fountains turned off right before we took this photo, but it was still beautiful. Look at that sky, it was a gorgeous day and the weather was warm.
It looks like we had the place to ourselves. Lol! We really had a great time, and I can’t wait to go on our next adventure. We already have a tropical vacation planned for April, and this time Joe is coming along. I am so excited to finally be going on a vacation since it has been over two years since we’ve been on one.
Julianna Maxi Dress in Misty Green (also available in red) // Coral Open-Front Duster Cardigan // Tory Burch Minnie Ballet Flats // Davis Multi-Strand Necklace // AVI Hoop Earrings in Gold // David Yurman Cable Loop Bracelet // Lilly Pulitzer Crossbody Camera Bag (similar linked below) // The Large Package Sun Hat // Ray-Ban Sunglasses //
This flowy dress was perfect for a day at the Biltmore. The colors are gorgeous, and it was just windy enough to have the dress billowing out. There are a few issues with the dress though, the slip underneath is short and not a full-length slip. That wasn’t something that bothered me, but I wanted to bring it to your attention. Also, the dress does run large, so I sized down to a medium, and I probably could have sized down to a small. I saw a lot of people complain about the way the top fits, especially under the arms. I have the straps cinched as tight as they could go to keep the deep v neck from being too low. Also, the top does pucker a tiny bit under the arm which I thought was because I am not chesty, but since I added a cardigan to the dress, it wasn’t an issue for me. I’m wearing a medium in the cardigan, and I could have worn a small. I wore the cardigan earlier with a printed top, and I have a funny feeling that I’ll be wearing it a lot this spring and summer.
My daughter caught me working after she went into a shop for a few minutes. Lol! Have you made the trip to The Biltmore Estates? If you’ve been, let me know what you enjoyed the most about the trip.
Today is Joe’s Birthday!!! He is celebrating in his way, and I’m celebrating his birthday in my way. I finally got all of the goodies sent to those who bought Lash Boost last month, and I’m having another Rodan + Fields promotion this month. Every NEW Preferred Customer will have their one-time enrollment fee waived, so that is an immediate savings of $19.95. plus you get 10% off and free shipping for as long as you have your account. PLUS, I will be sending you a FREE Foaming Sunless Tanner OR a FREE SPF 50 Sunscreen. Since Spring and Summer are almost here, these two items will surely come in handy.
Here is how you order:
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Five of us girls (teachers) took a long weekend trip to the Builtmore Estates. What a wonderful place to visit! Don’t you just feel like you were in the movie Downton Abbey? I loved it and will never forget it. We also drove through Gatlinburg and stopped and shopped, a fun place to visit also! Love your website…I’m a fan.
I’ve wanted to try R+F for awhile now and finally broke down on ordered! Excited to try new products as my skins is changing and aging.
Loved this tour of the grounds. When we lived in Virginia we made a few trips there. Beautiful place. Thanks for sharing your day.
I LOVE the Biltmore. There are so many things that I love about the beautiful estate. The library is one of my favorite rooms. A couple of years ago we went on a behind the scenes tour to see how the house is built. So many intricate details went into constructing the gorgeous mansion. You looked lovely in the dress and the pictures were amazing!
What great photos, especially the one with the light shining on you! I hope to see more photos of you with your daughter. She’s amazing with all that she does! Happy Birthday Joe!
Love the dresses! Your daughter is absolutely lovely. 😊
You said your seats were not at a good angle for photos. What would be better seats for good pictures? We’re thinking of going for the Monet exhibition.
There are a LOT of screens in the viewing room. Sitting directly in front of a screen would let you take the best photos. But, all of the paintings aren’t shown on all of the screens. So, you might want a photo of one painting, and it doesn’t show on the screen in front of you, but one to the side.
The Biltmore is truly amazing. My favorite room is the library.
The pictures are absolutely beautiful. Just like you and your daughter. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!!
The pics are lovely….especially the one with the sunbeam. We have gone to the Biltmore twice…once in the spring and last year at Christmas! Loved it both times!
When we lived in Tennessee, we visited the Biltmore Mansion on Thanksgiving weekend in the late 1980″s, not realizing how busy it would be. I still find it to be one of my favorite memories. We waited hours on line on the front lawn, they had entertainers there and free hot chocolate. I felt that I literally stepped back into time once we entered the home. I imagine there are so many more things to see that weren’t even there when we visited. I definitely want to return again.
Do you use a tooth whitener? You have beautiful teeth!
The last time I was at Biltmore was June, 1976 and I was 6 months pregnant with our son. I’m hoping to go back this year. We haven’t had a Vacation in about 3 yrs. It’s time to get out and enjoy. We live in North Carolina about 4 hrs away. You and your daughter look so beautiful in your dresses. I’ll bet y’all had a Hoot!! Love your blog!
Biltmore is my dream place. I love to go there and lose myself in the grandeur and beauty. Great background for your photos.
We live 45 minutes west of the beautiful Biltmore Estates. You need to come back at Christmas. The decorations are amazing.
These are beautiful pictures and looks like you and your daughter had a great time. I live in North Carolina about two hours from Biltmore. We have season passes and visit often. There are some back scene tours that are very interesting.
I have not been to the Biltmore yet but it is on my bucket list. After seeing your pictures, I am so ready to go! You looked fab in the flowy dress.
That’s a beautiful dress! My son works at Biltmore…loves his job. He had gotten us tickets to Van Gogh so we went after Christmas. Beautiful
Hubs and I visited Biltmore in 2012.I consider it one of the best things I have done in my life.What a treasure for the USA.Wish I could go again. Always love your blog and your dress is gorgeous!
Happy Birthday Joe! The way you’ve described him Tania, he sounds a lot like my husband. He would have been 59 tomorrow, so just a day apart. LOVE the look of the Biltmore Estates, might have to go there some day, looks worth a trip from California. Oh, and the dress is really nice. I love an unusual or unique pattern. I also like how the seam below the bustline is curvy, not a straight line.
DIVINE. Love the Biltmore and The Blue Ridge Mountains – prettiest mountains in the world. Also love the dress and esp that cardigan.
Beautiful pictures! My husband and I have family in Lincolnton, NC, so we’ve been to the Biltmore twice. Once was in the summer and the grounds were gorgeous. Two years ago we were there at Christmas and the Downton Abbey exhibit was there. It was really fun to see!
What a fun time to share with your beautiful daughter. I had the opportunity to visit the stunning Biltmore several years ago. My oldest bonus son lived in NC at the time. I would love to go at Christmas time. I love all the pics, but the sun shining down on you was the BEST!!!
Great pics with your daughter. Biltmore is on my list of places to see. If you ever get to Newport RI, check out The Breakers. It’s their “summer” house. Very interesting to see.
I have never been there but would love to go. Since i am on the west coast I don’t know when that will be.
The sunbeam picture is fabulous!! Looks like it was a great mother/daughter trip.
Your daughter is a wonderful photographer! Love all her pictures of you! We went to the Biltmore last September for our first time. It was incredible! I loved it all but especially the gardens and mountain views.
I just treasure time with my daughters so I loved your photos and entries from the trip to Biltmore! Your joy shines through and makes whatever you are wearing look beautiful! What a stunning daughter who obviously is as photogenic as you.
Loved the Biltmore Estate! My favorites were the gardens and greenhouse, beautiful. I’d love to go at Christmas to see it decorated in all her glory. Had my best Mexican meal EVER in town, of course I can’t recall the name! Happy Birthday Joe, 😉
One of my favorite places to visit. Love it. Looks like a great time.
Beautiful dress your wearing thanks for sharing the pictures
The pictures (and subjects) are just beautiful. Love your dress..
We are headed to Myrtle Beach in May (from Canada) and the original plan was to stop at Asheville to see Biltmore as we have never been. After much searching and trying to plan a driving route that made sense we nixed the idea. Hotels in Asheville are just so darn expensive that our “day” at Biltmore just was going to be ridiculously expensive. I’m disappointed but maybe one day.
Happy birthday to Joe!
I have been to the Biltmore Estate several times. My favorite visit was with my mother Christmas before the pandemic. She had always wanted to see it decorated for the holidays. The Downton Abbey exhibit was there at that time too. Such a special time with my 86-year-old mother (who is in excellent health).
By the way, my favorite photo on the blog is the same as yours: you sitting on the fountain with the sunbeam streaming down. Beautiful!
Gale, me, my mother, sister, daughter, two nieces, and my grandmother all made the trip to the Biltmore 12 years ago. It was so much fun being with the entire family, and my grandmother was 98 at the time. She loved all of it!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JOE! Fabulous pictures of the both of you and the grounds. I have never been to the Biltmore Estates, but would love to go there some time. Your dress is very pretty and the cardigan looks perfect with it,
I loved the cardigan with it too. It’s funny how things that aren’t bought together will still match.
What a beautiful place to visit. Definitely a place I can’t wait to go. Beautiful pictures of the two of you. Happy Birthday to Joe. Today is my birthday too!!! Have a great day.
Happy Birthday, Judy! I hope you have a great day!
What a gorgeous post! The photography, the gorgeous dress and the Biltmore as background were all amazing. Just beautiful!
Thanks, Nancy!
That picture with the sunbeam is beautiful. It’s like God is talking directly to you ! We were at the Biltmore many years ago. Enjoyed it very much.
It was rainy the day we were there. Would love to go back and enjoy the grounds on a beautiful day.
Nancy, I was so thrilled that she was able to capture that photo. It will be a favorite of mine for years.
You “gurls” look beautiful! Nothing better than mother/daughter time! I haven’t been to Biltmore in years. I need to plan a trip there soon!
Trish, you need to go back. It is a wonderful trip.
The Biltmore is one of my very favorite places to visit. Everything about it is beautiful and grand. I’m a wine club member so I get back frequently😀 So nice that you were able to arrive when there wasn’t huge crowds. You picked the perfect dress for the backdrop❤️ Looked gorgeous!
Judy, it was a perfect time to visit! It was like we had the place all to ourselves.
My then 8 year old granddaughter summed up the Biltmore estate as “It’s a big house with a lot of stuff and you can’t touch anything.”
Well, she’s not wrong. Lol!
Great picture’s your dress was perfect. My favorite pic was the with sun shining on your face. You and your daughter look alike and both of you are beautiful.
Thanks, Monica! We have different coloring, but our faces are similar.
I went to the Biltmore many years ago after a weeklong business trip in Asheville. I had 12 hours to enjoy the Biltmore before jumping on a plane back to Colorado. I knew I would probably never make it back there so I bought $150 worth of tour tickets and saw every nook and cranny of the house and most of the grounds. The opulent interiors of the house were my favorite. I love elegant homes!
Also, traveling with your daughter is the BEST!! I took my oldest daughter with me to Charlotte and Blowing Rock several years ago and we had SO much fun! Shopping at the outlet mall and exploring Blowing Rock gave us lots of time to talk and laugh and we don’t get that opportunity often enough. Tell Joe “Happy Birthday!”
Lori, I was blown away by the interior of the house, and to think about what they had to do to get the materials.
The Biltmore is a beautiful place to visit! My favorite times to visit are Christmas and in the spring when the gardens are in full bloom.
I can’t wait to go again soon.
Love the Biltmore Estate! We have been multiple times. First time was years ago on our daughters school trip. Love everything. Looks like you and your daughter had fun and a beautiful day to boot.
It was beautiful and so nice and warm!
Love The Biltmore Estate! We, too, are season pass holders. Several of our favorites include the tulip gardens in the spring, the Candlelight tours at Christmas, the winery and wine bar, staying at The Inn and the recent addition of the live art exhibits. Van Gogh was amazing and we’ll soon return for the Monet exhibit. Regardless of how often you visit the Estate, there is always something new to enjoy.
I’ve always wanted to go at Christmas time, and I want to stay at the Inn too.
Looks like you girls had a great time! So nice to see the beautiful grounds and the lovely Biltmore! So wonderful that your daughter is with you!!!! Happy Birthday to Joe! Hope he has a great day!!!!!
Joe is enjoying a slice of birthday pie this morning. Lol!
Beautiful!! I’m jealous the surrounding are outstanding and you and your daughter are just make them better.
We had a blast, and the property is unbelievable.