Our Southwest flight to Greenville/Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina had us changing planes through Dallas Love Field. Here is a nice shot of the DFW Metroplex as we were landing.
I loved the Mavericks Theme at Dallas Love Field as I explored this smaller of the two D/FW area airports for the first time.
We decided to go with a fully loaded Toyota Highlander SUV for our rental car in Greenville, South Carolina!
Although it was late out on the East Coast, I was super pumped up to work out at the Hilton since the gyms were still closed in California because of that bastard governor in Sacramento!
I was happy the Hilton had a cooked to order breakfast for us Diamond guests again! Nothing beats pancakes with good old fashioned Aunt Jemima Syrup!
With the moonroof open for the beautiful weather, we left the Hilton in Greenville for beautiful East Tennessee!
Joy and I took a nice scenic drive on the Cady's Cove Loop once we got into the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.
The Cady's Cove Loop followed the river so we stopped several times to take in the beautiful scenery.
It was so relaxing and peaceful to take walks in the Smokey Mountains.
After we left the park to head to Pigeon Forge, we found a cool General Store to get some souvenirs and amazing salsa at.
As we got into Pigeon Forge, we saw that it was one large carnival or state fair with lots of fun attractions.
The Parkway in Pigeon Forge was packed as it was a holiday weekend! I loved how there was no social distancing going on here! LOL.
We headed to the Island, a large retail complex that featured a large ferris wheel for dinner that night.
We had over a three hour wait to get into Paula Deen's Country Kitchen so I did some moonshine tasting at Ole Smoky.
The moonshine and whiskey were either strong or fruity tasting! The Southern people are so friendly. We struck up a nice "maskless" conversation with the couple next to me.
We got a bottle of the Sour Watermelon moonshine to bring home. This tastes like a Jolly Rancher.
Joy is practicing her culinary skills with Chef Paula here. LOL.
Chef Paula welcomed us personally. LOL.
After tasting the cheesy biscuits, I knew we were in for a treat that night for dinner!
The two meat dishes and four sides were served family style and unlimited! We ordered chicken and dumplings and meatloaf along with black eyed peas, cream corn, cole slaw, and sweet potato casserole!
Dessert was included too! The ooey gooey butter cake was SO AMAZING! We got a second helping of dessert to go!
We had a nice view of the Island from the dining room.
The next morning, we enjoyed our drive from Pigeon Forge into Gatlinburg through the Smokey Mountains. There is no entrance fee for this national park.
Once we got into Gatlinburg, we took in great vistas of the Smokey Mountains. I could now tell why they are called the Great Smokey Mountains.
We are enjoying the vista point here.
Before we got on the chair lift to the SkyLift Park in Gatlinburg, we took two pictures which were later put onto these backgrounds.
This was our second pose from the digital photo session.
After we took our pictures, we boarded the chair lift to take us the top of the SkyLift Park.
Joy was a little scared of going on the chair lift.
We are going up now!
Above is the long suspension bridge called the SkyBridge.
This bridge reminded me of the Capillano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver, Canada. It looked more secure however.
We are making our way to the other side on this long bridge!
There are four glass panels around the middle of the bridge!
This was taken on the other side of the bridge before we headed back to the chair lift.
The Smokey Mountains have that effect of a "foggy" appearance due to the high humidity levels.
This was a historic flag at the SkyPark cafe. I will always stand for our flag and anthem! Even if she is tattered, she is beautiful to me! USA!
We got great views of Gatlinburg and the Smokies as we went back down the chair lift.
My feet are hanging over a river here.
We had lunch at Crawdaddy's in Gatlinburg. I loved being able to dine indoors again since the Communist Governor of California shut down all indoor dining due to the "pandemic" around this time.
The lobster bisque was amazing!
I had blackened fish and shrimp, but one must get fried okra when in the South!
I could not turn down getting ice cream at Kilwin's again when I saw they had a store in Gatlinburg! We also tried Byrd's famous Georgia cookies!
We had to back through Pigeon Forge to get to Asheville, NC so we stopped at the famous Alpine Coaster.
This coaster was featured on a TV show. One controls the speed of this car down the mountain after it is propelled up to the top of the track!
This was a major rush!
We saw the Bush's Bean Factory as we drove from Pigeon Forge to Asheville! I love their "Grillin' Beans" with my BBQ.
Since we were kind of tired, we ordered Luella's BBQ from Door Dash to our hotel in Asheville. Carolina BBQ is amazing! I loved both the vinegar based sauce as well as the mustard BBQ sauce. The cole slaw was also made with vinegar!
I took that Diamond Member parking spot for granted until Covid hit. Now on, I cherish all my VIP travel perks! We are checked out and ready to head to the Biltmore Estate in this picture.
This is the main entrance gate into the Biltmore Estate.
We had a black bear sighting after entering the estate. This bear just crossed in front of the rental car!
This is the main gate to the Biltmore House.
Joy and I are posing on the pavillion across from the Biltmore House here. The sun is in our face however. The view of the house is amazing!
The pavillion across from the Biltmore House had cool fountains.
Here is a turtle fountain.
The sculpture garden reminded me of places I saw in Europe!
Here is another nice sculpture.
This old Italian wellhead was made in 1529 and turned into a fountain.
Admission to the house is by a time slot. This was the entrance into the old Vanderbilt "Country Estate."
The conservatory was the first room we saw once we got into the large house.
Next, we saw the billiard room.
The dining room was 3,000 sq. feet! My parent's Dallas home would almost fit inside this dining room!
That is one amazing organ above the dining room.
When the large dining room was not needed, the Vanderbilts could use the "breakfast room."
This is a cool old piano!
The library was amazing with a beautiful ceiling.
Like European royalty, the Vanderbilts had seperate bedrooms. This was Mr. Vanderbilt's private bedroom.
Mrs. Vanderbilt slept here.
The grand staircase was amazing!
Mr. Vanderbilt had his own bowling alley also.
This is an old "ice box" or fridge.
We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Stable Cafe after the tour of the house. This cafe was built inside the old stables which were also quite oppulent.
Joy and I explored the gardens after lunch. This is the walled garden.
The indoor conservatory was a grand structure as well!
The inside of the conservatory looked like a tropical jungle.
We enjoyed our walk down from the Conservatory to the old Bass Pond. There were little streams and waterfalls like this.
The old Bass Pond was very scenic too. We did keep our eyes open for any bears since we already spotted on the estate. LOL.
We drove down to the Biltmore Winery after we left the Biltmore House.
The tunnel which led up to the tasting room was really cool.
We had a complimentary wine tasting with a choice of five of their wines that were made for the Biltmore Winery.
After touring the Biltmore, we went shopping at the outlets in Asheville. I loved paying less on sales tax, and they did not hassle me about wearing a dumb mask either while I was shopping for clothes like this nice jacket at Lucky.
We had dinner at Lieu's Chinese Bistro in Greenville, SC that night for dinner. Joy and I try to have at least one Chinese meal on our trips so she can experience Chinese food throughout the different parts of our country!
Joy and I enjoyed breakfast at the Waffle House in Greenville the next morning!
This is typical of the Waffle House Restaurants where the cooking is done out in the open.
The waffle was amazing! I also got an egg white scramble to add something healthy to my breakfast. LOL.
Downtown Greenville was very beautiful and clean. We did not see the homeless issues that plague California. I hate blue states!
Our walk along the Reedy River got better as we came across the natural water falls.
There is a cool suspension bridge just over the water falls.
Joy and I were ready to move out to Greenville after seeing what a nice city it was compared to Sacramento!
Greenville is so safe also! One can just sit on these swings and enjoy the scenery!
Our first stop over on our way back home was in Atlanta. They had a Priority Pass lounge open for us in the International Terminal.
The complimentary liquor selection was decent.
I am enjoying my bourbon at the Club at ATL!
They had a buffet of complimentary hot and cold foods, but they had an attendant serve the food due to Covid-19 regulations. The staff was very friendly! I tipped the staff well!
Flying back from Greenville was a process. We had to stop in Denver too. The Southwest issued mask here inspired my Halloween costume for 2020. I decided to be Storm Shadow from GI Joe!
The Great Smokey
Mountains and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC were both on my
bucket list. Despite them being so close to one another, the
challenge for me was how to get there from California. The
easiest route is to fly into Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina,
but it is a relatively small airport that is served by Southwest
Airlines. Since it is a smaller market, Southwest does not have
that many flights from Sacramento, and there are times when there are
no official routes from SMF to GSP. Due to Covid, we were able to
book super cheap fares on Southwest from Sacramento, but Southwest
ended up cancelling our return flights. However, Southwest
manually booked us on flights for the return segment even though we had
to stop and change planes twice.
So, Joy and I departed for our cross country flight to GSP the Saturday before Labor Day Weekend. Our flight into GSP was pretty normal. We flew non stop to Dallas Love Field first. Dallas Love Field is the "smaller" of the two airports in the DFW area, but I say "small" since it is way nicer and larger than the shitty airport in Sacramento. LOL. I also liked how the airport had a lot of Dallas Mavericks logos on the walls. Moreover, they had a lot of local sports gear on sale so I got a Cowboys Star Wars themed shirt. After grabbing dinner to go at Whataburger, we flew out to GSP via a short stop in Atlanta. We did not have to change planes however. Southwest did require masks in the air still, but I just kept a lot of snacks and/or a beverage in front of me so I could use that as an excuse to leave my face mask off since no mask is needed for active eating or drinking. LOL. I do not believe in this mask crap that the liberals are forcing on us!
We arrived into GSP pretty late, but I liked how the airport said masks were recommended but not required! I loved South Carolina already! We ended up getting a fully loaded Toyota Highlander XLE SUV for our rental. I felt human again as we drove to the Hilton Greenville as I saw restaurants still open that late and were serving guests indoor like in the civilized first world. I HATE CALIFORNIA! I am going to get that out of the way now! The reason Joy and I have travelled so much during this "pandemic" is because the asshole Governor of CA has locked us down so much that we have no lives anymore in California. We can not even have indoor dining as of this trip. Earlier, I saw that Hilton already upgraded us to a Junior Suite since I am a Diamond guest. I liked how Hilton was not enforcing their own mask "mandate" either. Even though it was super late, I got a nice work out in at the hotel since I was just thrilled to have access to a gym again. California banned indoor gyms too!
Joy and I enjoyed our complimentary cooked to order breakfast at the Hilton in the morning before heading to Tennessee. I loved the pancakes that were served with Aunt Jemima syrup! As I had my pancakes, I remembered how I grew up on Aunt Jemima syrup!
We left for the Great Smokey Mountains National Park shortly after, and the drive was very scenic. Our route took us past Ashville, and we took a windy route into Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg was super busy, but after we cleared the traffic jam, we got to one of the visitor centers to get a map of the national park. The ranger suggested we take the Cady's Cove Loop drive. So, we ventured out on the loop. Since it was a holiday weekend, the park was pretty busy. People in that part of the country were not pussies like the "sheep" in California who follow the liberal's illegal mandates without thinking. Our drive along the scenic road was nice and relaxing. There was a river that the road followed. We stopped several times to take pictures and just admire the natural beauty of the park.
After leaving the park, we took the backroads to Pigeon Forge to avoid the traffic. Once we got into Pigeon Forge, we saw that it was one big carnival! Pigeon Forge had shows and attractions all along the main street in town called Parkway. We checked into our Hampton Inn and relaxed a little before dinner. I was able to work out too which I took full advantage of! This Hilton property did not enforce the mask mandate either. Joy and I enjoyed the Southern hospitality throughout this trip. The warm and friendly Southern accents complimented the genuine affection and respect the people have for their fellow countrymen! It is not like California where the liberal elite think they are better than everyone!
We went to the Island, a large retail and entertainment complex for dinner. This place was called the Island since it was technically a little island among some small rivers and streams. Margaritaville had some resorts in and around the island. There was also a huge ferris wheel. We decided to have dinner at the famous Paula Deen's Country Kitchen, but the wait was about three to four hours! So, we put our name on the list, and I did some moonshine tasting at Ole Smokey which just across from Paula Deen's. The first tasting was very strong, and I almost spit it out! LOL. They did not do any social distancing, and masks were not required! The couple next to me were super friendly, and we had a nice conversation with them as I kept tasting the different flavors of booze! I ended up liking the sour watermelon the best so I bought a jar of that.
After about three hours and a caramel whiskey at the Margaritaville bar, Paula Deen said our table was finally ready! The downstairs of the restaurant sold her retail merchandise and cookbooks too. There was a large cut out of Paula Deen with a background of a nice kitchen so I asked Joy to go pose with "Paula." LOL. Dinner was well worth the wait! The dinners are served family style with unlimited refills on the meat and side dishes. We picked the dinner with two meats and four sides. Joy and I decided on chicken and dumplings and meatloaf for the meat dishes. We got creamed corn, black eyed peas, sweet potato casserole, and creamy cole slaw for our sides. Our waitress started us off with some fried chicken too! Southern people are so friendly! She just brought it over for us even though we did not order it. Paula's cheesy biscuits were amazing! Think of Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuit on steroids! That's how good these biscuits were! We enjoyed all her food, but the ooey gooey butter cake at the end was the best! Paula includes dessert too! We picked her cobbler and the butter cake. The waitress even gave us one of each to take back to the hotel. Like I said, Southerners are very nice and friendly people!
The next morning, we drove back into the Great Smokey Mountains National Park via Gatlinburg. The road into Gatlinburg through the mountains was so beautiful! There was a river working its way through the mountain too. We saw why the place is called "smokey." One can see a hazy effect on the mountain like there was a forest fire or something like that going on. We took in the views from a vista point and were in awe! Once we got into Gatlinburg, we took the chair lift up to the SkyPark. We bought the picture package at the base as well as the one as we approached the top of the mountain. There was a large suspension bridge up there. The cool thing about the bridge was that there were four glass panels towards the middle of the bridge so it was like we were walking on air. LOL. The views from the SkyPark were amazing as well.
After getting back down into Gatlinburg, we enjoyed a nice Cajun lunch at Crawdaddies before exploring downtown Gatlinburg. They had a Kilwin's Ice Cream shop so I had to get my toasted coconut ice cream! We also stopped at Bryd's Famous Cookies to try their mini cookies that are made in Georgia.
We had to return back to Asheville through Pigeon Forge so we stopped at the famous Alpine Coaster there first. I saw this roller coaster on a TV show before. This individual roller coaster car takes the rider up into the mountain before propelling the car down the mountain. The rider can accelerate or brake using the lever on the side. I loved my ride down the mountain! Once again, no masks were required! I love the South!
After we got into Asheville, NC, Joy and I ordered some great Carolina style BBQ to our suite at the Home2Suites. Luella's BBQ is very famous in Asheville. I loved the vinegar based sauce which Carolina BBQ is known for. Moreover, they have a mustard based BBQ sauce that was tasty also!
We went to visit the Biltmore Estate the next day. Visitors are required to book a time slot when buying tickets. After we entered the massive estate, we saw a black bear run across the road in front of us! It was so cool! We stopped to take pictures before continuing to the Biltmore House. They had plenty of parking near the main house, and it was a short walk from the parking lots to the house. Joy was still a little scared of running into a bear however! LOL. Once we entered the grounds for the Biltmore House, we were in awe! Vanderbilt built this massive mansion as his "country home." There was a fancy pavillion across from the house where one can take in the beauty of the house. We had time before our time slot so we explored some of the sculpture gardens first. He even had an old Italian well head from 1529 made into a fountain!
Once we entered the house, we were shocked! One sees opulence like this in Europe when one goes to the palaces in Versailles or in the UK. Whether it was the conservatory when we walked in or the 3,000 square feet dining room, we were shocked at how well Mr. Vanderbilt lived! The billiards room was amazing too. He had an indoor pool and bowling alley in the basement area too. I toured the Breakers in Rhode Island before which was the summer mansion of the Vanderbilts, but this massive home was way nicer! They did require masks however inside the house which sucked, but it was worth it to see how the wealthy lived a hundred years ago.
We enjoyed a nice lunch at the Stable Cafe before we headed off to visit the many gardens on the property. Our walk down to the old Bass Pond was really relaxing and scenic. I think we had over 12,000 steps that day! The walled garden was nice too. After touring the house and gardens, we drove down to the winery on site. They had complimentary wine tasting included with our admission.
After finishing up at the Biltmore, we stopped at a nice outlet mall in Asheville. The sales tax was less than California in North Carolina, and they did not bug me to wear a mask! I think Southern children are brought up to respect their elders so they will not dare as an older person to put on a mask! They are not like the liberal shits in California who have been asking people to put on masks or pull up your mask. Fucking California sucks! I also wanted to support businesses in North Carolina since I want their economy to do well so President Trump can carry the state! There was a lot of support for President Trump in South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina! It was a welcome change from California where I am afraid to display my large Trump flag sometimes since there are so many militant liberals here!
We headed to Greenville after shopping. Joy and I enjoyed a great Chinese dinner before turning in for the night. The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast at the Waffle House. Their waffles are so amazing!
After breakfast, we toured Downtown Greenville! Joy and I were so impressed with Greenville. The city was super clean, and there was not a homeless problem like in most California cities. The people were so friendly too. When one passed someone on the walking trails, they stopped and said hi. The Reedy River flows through downtown, and there are some cool natural falls too! We both agreed that we would move here in a heartbeat!
Our flight back home was in the afternoon. We had to stop in Atlanta first where we had enough time to relax in the Club at ATL. The Club at ATL is a Priority Pass Select lounge so I got complimentary access. I enjoyed a few bourbons and some hot and cold food. Due to Covid-19, the lounge had an attendant serve the food from the buffet. The staff was super nice! Our next flight was from Atlanta to Denver. We had enough time in Denver to grab dinner. Afterwards, we departed for the crappy and smokey Sacrmento, which was suffering from bad air quality due to the wildfires that were burning all over California since the liberals do not want to cut down trees! I hate California!
So, Joy and I departed for our cross country flight to GSP the Saturday before Labor Day Weekend. Our flight into GSP was pretty normal. We flew non stop to Dallas Love Field first. Dallas Love Field is the "smaller" of the two airports in the DFW area, but I say "small" since it is way nicer and larger than the shitty airport in Sacramento. LOL. I also liked how the airport had a lot of Dallas Mavericks logos on the walls. Moreover, they had a lot of local sports gear on sale so I got a Cowboys Star Wars themed shirt. After grabbing dinner to go at Whataburger, we flew out to GSP via a short stop in Atlanta. We did not have to change planes however. Southwest did require masks in the air still, but I just kept a lot of snacks and/or a beverage in front of me so I could use that as an excuse to leave my face mask off since no mask is needed for active eating or drinking. LOL. I do not believe in this mask crap that the liberals are forcing on us!
We arrived into GSP pretty late, but I liked how the airport said masks were recommended but not required! I loved South Carolina already! We ended up getting a fully loaded Toyota Highlander XLE SUV for our rental. I felt human again as we drove to the Hilton Greenville as I saw restaurants still open that late and were serving guests indoor like in the civilized first world. I HATE CALIFORNIA! I am going to get that out of the way now! The reason Joy and I have travelled so much during this "pandemic" is because the asshole Governor of CA has locked us down so much that we have no lives anymore in California. We can not even have indoor dining as of this trip. Earlier, I saw that Hilton already upgraded us to a Junior Suite since I am a Diamond guest. I liked how Hilton was not enforcing their own mask "mandate" either. Even though it was super late, I got a nice work out in at the hotel since I was just thrilled to have access to a gym again. California banned indoor gyms too!
Joy and I enjoyed our complimentary cooked to order breakfast at the Hilton in the morning before heading to Tennessee. I loved the pancakes that were served with Aunt Jemima syrup! As I had my pancakes, I remembered how I grew up on Aunt Jemima syrup!
We left for the Great Smokey Mountains National Park shortly after, and the drive was very scenic. Our route took us past Ashville, and we took a windy route into Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg was super busy, but after we cleared the traffic jam, we got to one of the visitor centers to get a map of the national park. The ranger suggested we take the Cady's Cove Loop drive. So, we ventured out on the loop. Since it was a holiday weekend, the park was pretty busy. People in that part of the country were not pussies like the "sheep" in California who follow the liberal's illegal mandates without thinking. Our drive along the scenic road was nice and relaxing. There was a river that the road followed. We stopped several times to take pictures and just admire the natural beauty of the park.
After leaving the park, we took the backroads to Pigeon Forge to avoid the traffic. Once we got into Pigeon Forge, we saw that it was one big carnival! Pigeon Forge had shows and attractions all along the main street in town called Parkway. We checked into our Hampton Inn and relaxed a little before dinner. I was able to work out too which I took full advantage of! This Hilton property did not enforce the mask mandate either. Joy and I enjoyed the Southern hospitality throughout this trip. The warm and friendly Southern accents complimented the genuine affection and respect the people have for their fellow countrymen! It is not like California where the liberal elite think they are better than everyone!
We went to the Island, a large retail and entertainment complex for dinner. This place was called the Island since it was technically a little island among some small rivers and streams. Margaritaville had some resorts in and around the island. There was also a huge ferris wheel. We decided to have dinner at the famous Paula Deen's Country Kitchen, but the wait was about three to four hours! So, we put our name on the list, and I did some moonshine tasting at Ole Smokey which just across from Paula Deen's. The first tasting was very strong, and I almost spit it out! LOL. They did not do any social distancing, and masks were not required! The couple next to me were super friendly, and we had a nice conversation with them as I kept tasting the different flavors of booze! I ended up liking the sour watermelon the best so I bought a jar of that.
After about three hours and a caramel whiskey at the Margaritaville bar, Paula Deen said our table was finally ready! The downstairs of the restaurant sold her retail merchandise and cookbooks too. There was a large cut out of Paula Deen with a background of a nice kitchen so I asked Joy to go pose with "Paula." LOL. Dinner was well worth the wait! The dinners are served family style with unlimited refills on the meat and side dishes. We picked the dinner with two meats and four sides. Joy and I decided on chicken and dumplings and meatloaf for the meat dishes. We got creamed corn, black eyed peas, sweet potato casserole, and creamy cole slaw for our sides. Our waitress started us off with some fried chicken too! Southern people are so friendly! She just brought it over for us even though we did not order it. Paula's cheesy biscuits were amazing! Think of Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuit on steroids! That's how good these biscuits were! We enjoyed all her food, but the ooey gooey butter cake at the end was the best! Paula includes dessert too! We picked her cobbler and the butter cake. The waitress even gave us one of each to take back to the hotel. Like I said, Southerners are very nice and friendly people!
The next morning, we drove back into the Great Smokey Mountains National Park via Gatlinburg. The road into Gatlinburg through the mountains was so beautiful! There was a river working its way through the mountain too. We saw why the place is called "smokey." One can see a hazy effect on the mountain like there was a forest fire or something like that going on. We took in the views from a vista point and were in awe! Once we got into Gatlinburg, we took the chair lift up to the SkyPark. We bought the picture package at the base as well as the one as we approached the top of the mountain. There was a large suspension bridge up there. The cool thing about the bridge was that there were four glass panels towards the middle of the bridge so it was like we were walking on air. LOL. The views from the SkyPark were amazing as well.
After getting back down into Gatlinburg, we enjoyed a nice Cajun lunch at Crawdaddies before exploring downtown Gatlinburg. They had a Kilwin's Ice Cream shop so I had to get my toasted coconut ice cream! We also stopped at Bryd's Famous Cookies to try their mini cookies that are made in Georgia.
We had to return back to Asheville through Pigeon Forge so we stopped at the famous Alpine Coaster there first. I saw this roller coaster on a TV show before. This individual roller coaster car takes the rider up into the mountain before propelling the car down the mountain. The rider can accelerate or brake using the lever on the side. I loved my ride down the mountain! Once again, no masks were required! I love the South!
After we got into Asheville, NC, Joy and I ordered some great Carolina style BBQ to our suite at the Home2Suites. Luella's BBQ is very famous in Asheville. I loved the vinegar based sauce which Carolina BBQ is known for. Moreover, they have a mustard based BBQ sauce that was tasty also!
We went to visit the Biltmore Estate the next day. Visitors are required to book a time slot when buying tickets. After we entered the massive estate, we saw a black bear run across the road in front of us! It was so cool! We stopped to take pictures before continuing to the Biltmore House. They had plenty of parking near the main house, and it was a short walk from the parking lots to the house. Joy was still a little scared of running into a bear however! LOL. Once we entered the grounds for the Biltmore House, we were in awe! Vanderbilt built this massive mansion as his "country home." There was a fancy pavillion across from the house where one can take in the beauty of the house. We had time before our time slot so we explored some of the sculpture gardens first. He even had an old Italian well head from 1529 made into a fountain!
Once we entered the house, we were shocked! One sees opulence like this in Europe when one goes to the palaces in Versailles or in the UK. Whether it was the conservatory when we walked in or the 3,000 square feet dining room, we were shocked at how well Mr. Vanderbilt lived! The billiards room was amazing too. He had an indoor pool and bowling alley in the basement area too. I toured the Breakers in Rhode Island before which was the summer mansion of the Vanderbilts, but this massive home was way nicer! They did require masks however inside the house which sucked, but it was worth it to see how the wealthy lived a hundred years ago.
We enjoyed a nice lunch at the Stable Cafe before we headed off to visit the many gardens on the property. Our walk down to the old Bass Pond was really relaxing and scenic. I think we had over 12,000 steps that day! The walled garden was nice too. After touring the house and gardens, we drove down to the winery on site. They had complimentary wine tasting included with our admission.
After finishing up at the Biltmore, we stopped at a nice outlet mall in Asheville. The sales tax was less than California in North Carolina, and they did not bug me to wear a mask! I think Southern children are brought up to respect their elders so they will not dare as an older person to put on a mask! They are not like the liberal shits in California who have been asking people to put on masks or pull up your mask. Fucking California sucks! I also wanted to support businesses in North Carolina since I want their economy to do well so President Trump can carry the state! There was a lot of support for President Trump in South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina! It was a welcome change from California where I am afraid to display my large Trump flag sometimes since there are so many militant liberals here!
We headed to Greenville after shopping. Joy and I enjoyed a great Chinese dinner before turning in for the night. The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast at the Waffle House. Their waffles are so amazing!
After breakfast, we toured Downtown Greenville! Joy and I were so impressed with Greenville. The city was super clean, and there was not a homeless problem like in most California cities. The people were so friendly too. When one passed someone on the walking trails, they stopped and said hi. The Reedy River flows through downtown, and there are some cool natural falls too! We both agreed that we would move here in a heartbeat!
Our flight back home was in the afternoon. We had to stop in Atlanta first where we had enough time to relax in the Club at ATL. The Club at ATL is a Priority Pass Select lounge so I got complimentary access. I enjoyed a few bourbons and some hot and cold food. Due to Covid-19, the lounge had an attendant serve the food from the buffet. The staff was super nice! Our next flight was from Atlanta to Denver. We had enough time in Denver to grab dinner. Afterwards, we departed for the crappy and smokey Sacrmento, which was suffering from bad air quality due to the wildfires that were burning all over California since the liberals do not want to cut down trees! I hate California!