In Asheville, North Carolina we visited Biltmore Estate. It consists of a 250-room French Renaissance-style chateau, winery, hotel, and several restaurants, all in an 8000 acre (32 km²) park. It was built in 1889 to 1895 by George W. Vanderbuilt, grandson of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbuilt. The 75 acres (30 ha) of formal garden features 50000 tulips, 2300 rose bushes, a 20-acre (8 ha) Azalea Garden, and many other flowers.

From Asheville we drove to Chimney Rock Park. Chimney Rock is a giant granite monolith that rises sharply 315 feet (96 m). The privately owned park offers a two-hour hike we made to the 404-foot (123 m) Hickory Nut Falls along sheer cliffs and with breathtaking views.

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