Marshalls Abroad

Life

The Biltmore Estate

For our fourth wedding anniversary last week, Cam and I spent a night at the gorgeous Biltmore Estate. The house is the main attraction, but my jaw dropped at the grounds and amazing gardens. As you can tell from the bulk of my photos! The peonies and roses in full bloom in the walled garden made my heart skip a beat. John Shea didn’t miss us for a second while he played and played with his Grandparents and Uncle Mikey, and we loved getting a night away just the two of us to celebrate the best four years of our lives.

The Food:
Both meals we had at the estate were in-cred-ible and showed off the chefs’ farm-to-table approach to food. We had a dinner date in Antler Hill Village at Cedric’s Tavern — spicy buffalo calamari (so creative!), Carolina bison burgers, and the beer made on the estate that was unbelievably delicious. Dessert, too, of course… ice cream bars from scratch with a layer of caramel. For breakfast, we ate at the buffet on the terrace of the Inn and honestly felt so thankful. It overlooked the Blue Ridge Mountains, with just the very top of the Biltmore Estate peaking out from where it’s tucked into the hills. The food was insane. Local eggs and veggies made into omelets, cheese blintz with fresh fruit compote, smoked bacon, hash browns with cheddar cheese, house-made granola, a whole table of pastries and other breakfast dishes we never even got to because our bellies were so full, and our usual coffee date of lattes.  The whole trip was so wonderful.

We got caught in an afternoon thunderstorm and were totally soaked in these photos. Every now and then I’m asked how we get candid shots like this one. I have a self-timer app on my phone, leaned it against a wall, ran back to my love and resumed smooching him. Voila 😉 Every time I pull this little trick, Cam laughs and makes fun of me, which makes me laugh hysterically. But it’s how we’ve gotten some of our most favorite photos while traveling. The pouring rain drove everyone away except us — we walked around the estate with no one else in sight. I felt like Lizzy, transplanted in America. Though Mr. Darcy has nothin on my Cam!


Comments

  3. Amanda English says

    I'm surprised you take these with your phone. No fancy smancy camera on this trip, eh? 😉 Joe and I went to the Biltmore for a very belated 1st anniversary (Christmas time – so neat). It's a really beautiful place. (:

    • Amanda Marshall says

      It was just that one with my phone – the rest were on my camera! We heard Christmastime is the best time to see it. I hope we'll get to go back one year for it!

    • Amanda Marshall says

      You're kidding!!? What an amazing place to be proposed to! I can't believe I'm writing this, but no, we didn't wine taste. We'd planned on it and then fell in love with the beer and ran out of time. Womp Womp. Next time.

  7. Joelle Duff says

    What a sweet trip! I'm so glad you got to celebrate your anniversary, just the two of you, and at such a gorgeous place! Congratulations my dear! xoxo

  8. Jane {In The Pink & Green} says

    You guys are the cutest! I'm impressed you get such awesome photos using the self timer! These photos of the Biltmore are stunning – when my husband and I lived in Greenville, SC we had an annual pass there and so we'd go a lot, it's really incredible!

  11. Allie says

    My family and I took a huge east coast trip several years ago and we toured so many mansions that in the end it was all a blur until we reached The Biltmore in beautiful Ashville. The Biltmore was my absolute favorite mansion and you are so right about the grounds! They are stunning! I remember learning that the man who designed Central Park also designed their grounds and it all made perfect sense.

  14. Katherine Frazier says

    Your blog is so encouraging and I love reading about all of the fun adventures of you and your sweet family and how trusting you are in the Lord! I would love to bump into you one day and meet my favorite blogger 🙂 blessings to y'all!!

  17. nicole says

    the view looking down on the estate through the trees literally took my breath away. so beautiful! it's on my bucket list!

  18. Sarah Burton says

    LOVE your dress. Y'all are so cute! And you were so close to me! I have surprisingly never been to the Biltmore but it's on my list of things to do this year!

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