Visiting Biltmore Estate

A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.  The original owner who oversaw the construction was George Washington Vanderbilt II.  Construction started in 1889 and ended 6 years later in 1895 and is still the largest privately owned house in the United States.  With insane specifications like 178,926 square feet of floor space (135,280 square feet of living area), 34 individual bedrooms and 43 bathrooms, guests are given maps of the houses floor plans with directions on which way to proceed through the house.  

I really enjoyed how each room had a different and unique theme that the Biltmore’s had decorated with antiques and artwork from around the world.  The estate also includes a huge indoor swimming pool, full size gymnasium, and bowling alleys in the basement level.  With all the different rooms and hallways to wander, its recommended you give yourself 5 hours to fully see the estate.  

After walking the inside of the mansion for a few hours, I was ready to go outside and see the garden, which turned out to be one of my favorite places on the property.  I was simply underprepared for how enormous, yet well manicured, the different gardens were.  There are companies of landscapers who only work in the Biltmore gardens.  You can see why when if you walk the 30 miles of paved walkways through 8,000 acres of beautifully managed gardens and woodland. All of this boarders the property’s 250-acre deer reserve.  

I enjoyed taking in all the sights of excess and beautifully crafted architecture, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of such obscene excess of wealth in what I thought was used to create this mans personal castle, a shrine to his families heritage and wealth.  It was a very different time back in the late 1800’s, but I still can imagine a lot of ways the Vanderbilt's could have used their wealth to help others who were not as fortunate. And I think actually seeing the estate in person reinforced this idea.  That being said, I would recommend touring Biltmore estates just to see such a magnificent achievement of human architecture.     

Visiting Wrightsville Beach

            This week I wanted to talk about one of my favorite places to go during the summer months in North Carolina.  I have been going to Wrightsville Beach for years now with my family, and have had lots of great memories there.  The beach itself is 2.5 miles long with inlets on either side that lead to the intercostal waterway; that stretches across the entire Eastern seaboard.  Wilmington is only five minutes inland, and is the largest city in the region.  UNC Wilmington also uses Wrightsville beach as its main hang out spot when not in class.  With such a close proximity to the city, the island of Wrightsville beach fills up with people and cars during the peak seasons.  The population on the island fluctuates from 400 residents during the off-season, to over 2,500 residents during the Summer.  

            There is a variety of things to do while visiting the island.  The “downtown” section of main street (Lumina St.) offers great food choices during the day to hungry beach goers, then offers a lively night life after sundown.  The best hotdogs I’ve ever eaten come from the “Trolly Stop” Hot Dogs stand on Wrightsville Beach.  There are a few restaurants and bars that have been in operation for so long they have become a part of the beach community.  Most notable is Robert’s market.  It was the first commercial establishment on the island in 1940.  It is still owned by the same family who owns and operates it.  They source all of their fresh produce and meats from local NC farmers, and even have gotten their famous chicken salad into Harris Teeter supermarkets. 

             

             The main attraction of course is the beach, it stretches for 2.5 miles and has a long fishing pier on one end, with another smaller pier with a restaurant on the other end of the island.  During holiday weekends like Memorial day, Labour Day, and the 4th of July, Wrightsville beach gets so packed you can hardly find a space to lay a towel out.  The beach itself is wide thanks to multiple dredging projects by the local government and the Army corps of engineers.  The water has higher than average visibility compared to other NC beaches.  And most of the time you can find small offshore swells generating decent sized waves (3-5ft).  That being said, Wrightsville beach is a safe beach with lots of visiting families who bring their children to experience the beach.  It’s one of my favorite vacation destinations that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a relatively inexpensive weekend retreat with the family.  

What Asheville has to offer

             This week I wanted to keep talking about popular attractions in NC.  One of my favorite cities in NC is Asheville.  It has some of the most diverse culture, music, and art in the region, earning itself the nick name, “Paris of the South”.  Downtown Asheville has over 200 locally owned stores and boutiques for those who enjoy browsing and shopping.  Every weekend you can find live music at Pritchard Park, with a wide variety of artist and attendees.  If you are a “foodie”, then you’ll love downtown Asheville’s selection of restaurants.  I like how all of the restaurants use local, in season produce and fruit when sourcing their ingredients for their unique menus, it makes the dining experience more memorable.  Another great reason to visit Asheville is it’s beer brewing industry.  Asheville has earned the name “beer city” from experts in the industry since 2009, winning every year since.  It has more breweries per capita than any other city in America.  With breweries like Highland brewing Co., Sierra Nevada brewery, New Belgium, and countless other breweries, each with its own unique focus on the craft.       

One of my favorite places I visited was High Adventure Center of Asheville.  It’s a huge outdoor ropes course with zip lines, suspended obstacle courses, and even a mountain biking circuit with jumps.  It was a great way to build teamwork skills, have a fun while exercising, and enjoy the Asheville skyline from the tree tops.  If you looking for more activities to do outside of the city, there are some beautiful waterfalls in the area.  A short drive on the blue ridge parkway will lead you to DuPont national forrest.  There you can find sights such as the Triple Falls.  A waterfall made famous by being featured in films like Last of the Mohicans and The Hunger Games.  There are other great water falls in the area like High Falls, an exciting spectacle of fresh mountain spring water, sliding 150 feet down an inclined plane of granite. The falls can be viewed from a picnic shelter, or from a slippery trail to the bottom of the falls. 

Regardless of where you choose to go in Asheville, you are sure to have a great time and experience something you never have before.  With Asheville’s relatively close proximity to High Point, it makes it one of my top weekend getaway destinations.  

Mountain Biking

Being centrally located in NC, High Point is only a short drive away from some of the best protected nature reserves and national parks in the Country.  The Appalachian mountains extend all the way from Quebec, Canada down to South Carolina.  The blue ridge range stretches through Virginia and Western North Carolina.  Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak in the entire Appalachian mountain range is in Western North Carolina.  

One of my favorite places in Western North Carolina is Nantahala National Forest.  There is a popular mountain biking destination called Tsali Trails that has some of the most challenging riding terrain.  There’s multiple loops and trails, each with varying difficulty.  Some of the longer more scenic trails take you by quarries and large over looks of the blue ridge mountain range.  There’s always lots of people there using the trails, each with different levels of riding skills.  The area is so large that you rarely encounter other bikers on the trail, as they are all one way.    

You can bring your own mountain bike if you are a serious rider, or if you want to test the trails out renting from a local bike shop is an easy alternative.  There you will learn the proper riding techniques to conquer Tsali Trails with your new bike.  Be sure to have a back pack with the trail map, plenty of water, energy bar, and first aid kit.  Helmets are mandatory on the trails, and you will quickly see why!

Growing fresh herbs and spices

This week I wanted to start my own spice garden.  Having fresh spices to add to your dishes can totally change a meal.  Spices are fun and easy to grow, and require little up keep.  Some of the most widely used spices are basil, tyme, oregano, paprika, chili powder, and bay leaves.  Each one is great in certain types of food.  Like bay with spaghetti sauce, rosemary with poultry, and garlic or basil with just about everything.

As I become more interested in cooking and grilling, I'm learning the importance of incorporating fresh herbs and spices into my dishes.  Now that I have the space, I wanted to have access to fresh seasonings and even vegetables.

First thing I did was fill the planter box with potting soil 1 inch below the top.  Then made holes for the seeds 1/2 an inch down.  

Then a few basil seeds in each hole spaced evenly.

Then patted down the soil and watered heavily.

It will be exciting to watch these seeds grow into a fresh basil plant.  If i have a high enough yield, I could make fresh pesto.  I will keep my blog updated with progress from these seeds in upcoming posts.  Stay tuned!

This is my attempt at growing kale.  I planted the seeds 3 weeks ago, but this hot North Carolina summer has stunted the plants growth.  I plan on re planting more closer to Fall.

Introduction

I recently moved into my first house, a single floored, 3-bedroom house with a deceivingly large back yard.  Upon first sight of the layout and size, I was determined to make the most of this green land. The back yard enthusiast blog aims to discuss a wide variety of back yard activities.  From sports, to grilling, to pet proofing your yard, we'll discuss it all.

I find there's is no better way to relax after a long day of being productive, than to enjoy your own private back yard sanctuary.  Your own escape from the bustle and chaos of the city around you.  By customizing the surrounding of your space, you can transform an ordinary back yard into a daily destination of relaxation.

I will be updating my blog every week, documenting my adventures in making the most of my new found territory. With plenty of tips and ideas to help you truly appreciate the outdoors of where we reside.