Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family.

Christmas Tree at the Inn at Biltmore

 

 

 Decorating the Christmas tree in the lobby of the Inn on the Biltmore Estate

was on the list of daily activities for Friday after Thanksgiving at 9:00 am.

The live tree was brought in and set-up during the night or in the wee hours of Friday.

The "naked" tree was there when we went down to the dining room for a bountiful buffet breakfast.

 A group of ladies began the decorating process at 9:00 as scheduled.

We watched the process off and on throughout the day before and

after our 1:15 pm afternoon tea.  By the way, tea is being served in

the dining room downstairs to accommodate more guests than the previous

location of the library on the lobby level.

The ladies completed decorating after 3:00 p.m.

I didn't count, but there were six to eight ladies at one time.

I talked to a couple of them and asked what they normally do at the Inn.

I learned they are the team who put together all the decorations

for weddings, conferences, holidays and special events indoors and outdoors

for the Inn and the Hotel.

As you can imagine, the large variety of toys under the tree received

a lot of attention from the children coming in and out of the lobby

with their parents and grandparents.

An added bonus for those parents and grandparents is

toys under the tree all have price tags and are for sale.

We departed on Saturday, and missed the annual gingerbread "house"

which was scheduled to be set-up on Monday.

In years past, we've seen different structures including replicas

of the Inn, but I was told this year it is a beautiful replica of the Biltmore Cottage.

 

 

We loved our family visit and three-night stay at the

Biltmore Estate, including visits to the spa,

 but the family missed my homecooked

Thanksgiving turkey meal with all the traditional southern sides.

I guess it's good to know they appreciate me for something. :-)



Downton Abbey: The Exhibition at the Biltmore Estate

Thanksgiving Day at the Inn on the Biltmore Estate

began with a delicious breakfast buffet.

Then on to the Downton Abbey Exhibit in the Amherst at Deerpark.

The photos are only a few of the exhibits.

After we completed this part of the exhibition, and visited the gift shop,

we boarded another tram to visit the Downton Abbey Clothing Exhibit 

in The Biltmore Legacy at Antler Hill Village.

Again, these are only a few of the many clothing items displayed 

from the TV show and the movie. 

If you are a Downton Abbey fan, 

I highly recommend a visit to this fabulous exhibition.



Family Thanksgiving Travels

Kaitlyn, Austin, Glenn and I arrived at the Biltmore Estate on 

Wednesday afternoon to begin our three-night Thanksgiving weekend visit. 

After checking in at the Inn on the Biltmore Estate, we began with

a shuttle ride to the house where we had a delicious dinner 

at the Stable Restaurant and shopping before participating in 

the Christmas Candlelight Tour. 

This is the most festive time of the year with every room decorated 

for Christmas, and live choral or instrumental musical entertainment.

It is also the busiest time to visit and a little difficult to get just the right photos.

The Christmas trees were decorated with different themes. 

The one below is one of my favorites in red, white and blue. 

We have toured the house several times over the years during the Christmas season,

and I always anticipate seeing and smelling the gingerbread replica of the house.

The aroma greets the visitors while walking toward the kitchen in the basement where it is displayed. 

The Christmas tree in the servant's dining room was small

and was decorated with handmade ornaments. 

This concluded our Wednesday. 

The next post will highlight our Thanksgiving Day adventures.  

Time for Christmas Tea?

The Annual Holiday Issue of TeaTime Magazine arrived in my mailbox today. 

Retail stores are already selling Christmas decorations so I suppose it's time

to think about planning Christmas Tea. 

 The beautiful photography and delicious menus in TeaTime

inspire me when it time to plan a lovely afternoon tea. 

Tea for One Teapot Set

I you are looking for a Holiday Tea for One Teapot Set,

I found this one at our local Cracker Barrel.

It can be used for tea or for Christmas decorating for

those of us who are teapot lovers.