Outside the Biltmore

The Biltmore is as stunning OUTSIDE as it is INSIDE. So here's a sampling (and only a sampling...you're welcome) of our outdoor tour.

We ate lunch there on the grounds. Just outside the house was the carriage house area...renovated into gift shops and an eatery. We ate at the Courtyard Market which is hiding behind that palm tree looking thing.

We opted to share a pizza (we got the half-serving and it was PLENTY enough) - kind of a chicken florentine sort of thing. We ate outside, and the weather was just perfect!!

Okay you all know I'm a dork, so this picture won't surprise you. :) Found me a man:

He's quiet and sits very still. :) And apparently I wouldn't have to spend much time doing laundry!

When we were done eating and looking around the area immediately outside the house, we ventured over into the gardens. BEAUTIFUL rose gardens...even though rose season is largely over:

This was the hot house. Had my picture taken with the sign in honor of my broken internal thermostat, which makes EVERY house a hot house for this girl. (The thermometer in here registered 105. Yep. That's hot.)

Always take time to stop and smell the roses.

We stopped to get a bottle of water, because it was REALLY hot outside. THREE DOLLARS AND TWENTY ONE CENTS FOR THAT BOTTLE OF WATER. Did I keep it? As my mother would say, you bet your sweet bippy!! (No idea what a bippy is or why in the world someone would bet it.)

This little creek wandered all through the gardens and finally I could stand it no more. I had to get my toes wet. :)

Gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. (Talking about the scenery, not me. HELLO!)

Loved this bridge. And reflecting pictures. Love those too.

Lynnette standing on this really weird "bridge." It was just two stones sticking up even with the path. No room for error on that one!!

Some really nice guy took our picture in front of this waterfall. It was at this point that the thunder rumbling in the distance was becoming louder and more frequent, so we hurried back to the house after this one!

We paused to take the outside pictures at the house (that you already saw) and then caught the shuttle back to the parking lot. It was SO HOT - and I was desperate for air conditioning. When we got back to Sammy, we just sat there for a while with the air blasting full force. Our faces had completely slid off and our hair had wilted. Good thing we have been friends for a long time and are not offended by that sort of thing.