Candlelight Christmas Tour at Biltmore!

Adam and I have been trying to make the most of the Twelve Days of Christmas, which ended today, by the way! So, Friday, despite being very sick, we piled in the car and drove to Asheville, NC for the Candlelight Christmas Tour at Biltmore Estate! It was definitely worth it, even if I had to carry a plastic bag in my purse incase I had to throw up! I am so glad Jo Ann and Frank got us the tickets for the Candlelight tour and not just the regular Christmas tour. The ambiance is soo much better on the candlelight tour! All the lighting in the house was low and soft - not exactly true candlelight, but I don't think they want the 100 year old house or anything in it to burn, even if the house was considered fire proof! As soon as we walked into the house, there was a chorus singing Christmas songs in the Winter Garden. It was so beautiful it made me want to cry! Then we toured a few rooms and came back around to the Winter Garden and there was a ballet performance. I LOVE ballet! Most of the music and dances were from the Nutcracker - my favorite! There were three girls and one guy. Everytime the guy came out, Adam made us leave to tour the rest of the house! He doesn't believe guys should do ballet, or wear tights, especially while frolicking around the Winter Garden! Ha!
Anywho, the house is always decorated so magnificiently, but they outdid themselves with all the Christmas decorations! There was a Christmas tree in every room except the bathrooms and maybe the kitchen areas. There was a HUGE tree in the Banquet Hall in front of the organ loft. Adam called it the Griswold Tree because it was so huge and actually looked just like the tree in the movie "Christmas Vacation." Then in the basement while leaving the Halloween Room and Entering the Bowling Alley - that's right, one of the nation's oldest bowling alleys - there were Storytellers, telling stories about the family and other crazy stories where the guests were supposed to put on masks and act out parts! It really was a wonderful experience! Even though I've been to Biltmore about three times before, it never gets old seeing how lavishly this family lived and seeing the new rooms as they are restored!

Here are a few pictures. They won't let you take pictures inside the house, except by their photographer in one room, but we did get some great shots of the house from outside!