Seasons Change - Fall Foliage at the Biltmore Estate

Where did October go? It seemed to have just flown by in the blink of an eye! It's hard to believe, but it's also coming up on one year since we moved back east. I'm so grateful to be back east, especially here in North Carolina where a change of scenery for the change of seasons isn't something to just be decorated in our home - it's actually happening right outside the window, or just a short drive away. And after the rush of market week that happened in late October (more about that coming up shortly!), plus some district visits at Jeff's store, a fall drive is just what the hubs and I needed - so we took a drive down to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. The Biltmore house was just finishing up being decorated for Christmas, so I'll wait to share some of its 65 decorated trees, but the drive to the house was breathtaking!! Here are a few pics to see for yourself...

 These first two pics are from the Biltmore's Facebook page - and almost reminded me of Central Park. And it's no wonder, because the landscaping of Biltmore Estates was design by Frederick Law Olmsted, an American landscape architect who also designed Central Park!

'In the shadow of Biltmore House, America’s largest private residence, are some of America’s finest formal and informal gardens. Here, too, is the birthplace of the first scientific school of forestry in the United States. And it is at Biltmore Estate that this country’s father of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed his last and largest project nearly a century ago.' - See more at: romanticasheville.com/biltmorehorticulturelegacy

In the shadow of Biltmore House, America’s largest private residence, are some of America’s finest formal and informal gardens. Here, too, is the birthplace of the first scientific school of forestry in the United States. And it is at Biltmore Estate that this country’s father of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed his last and largest project nearly a century ago. - See more at: http://www.romanticasheville.com/biltmorehorticulture.htm#sthash.qOB6x9K6.dpuf

In the shadow of Biltmore House, America’s largest private residence, are some of America’s finest formal and informal gardens. Here, too, is the birthplace of the first scientific school of forestry in the United States. And it is at Biltmore Estate that this country’s father of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed his last and largest project nearly a century ago. - See more at: http://www.romanticasheville.com/biltmorehorticulture.htm#sthash.qOB6x9K6.dpuf

In the shadow of Biltmore House, America’s largest private residence, are some of America’s finest formal and informal gardens. Here, too, is the birthplace of the first scientific school of forestry in the United States. And it is at Biltmore Estate that this country’s father of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed his last and largest project nearly a century ago. - See more at: http://www.romanticasheville.com/biltmorehorticulture.htm#sthash.qOB6x9K6.dpuf

Below are a few pics I took from the drive on the grounds, plus a few walking the Biltmore Gardens and near Bass Pond...

 

 

  

Could not have asked for a more beautiful day! Crisp fall air, sun shining, and clear blue skies! I must have said it a dozen times, "It's sooo beautiful here!!"

 

Even several of the planted containers captured autumn...

 

This was walking back up to the wisteria laced pergola, which gave a beautiful shaded and architectural element connecting gardens back to the house... while another pergola lead you to and from the Conservatory...

Above pergola to and from the house...

Above pergola to and from the Conservatory... Love the way your "view" becomes the pictures, on this outdoor hallway...

Touring the conservatory needs a separate post - Too many beautiful moments - this post could run on forever!

We definitely need to make another trip back - The grounds also had biking trails, and also horseback riding... It was so quiet and peaceful...

After the day touring the Biltmore house, gardens, and village shops, we stopped by the Antler Hill Farm, also on the property, which is where the Biltmore Winery is located...

 

Now THAT is a souvenir!! :)

Outside of Cedric's Tavern, lovingly named after George Vanderbilt's first dog (read more about Cedric here), we listened to some live music...

Although the trip may have been short, it was still a wonderful way to bid farewell to October...

 

(Instagram pic)

I hope you enjoyed the fall foliage (I know my mom will!!), and you are enjoying these last days of fall wherever you may be! Soon, it will be time for Christmas - and winter snow...

Thanks for stopping by,

(All photos by Lynda Quintero-Davids, unless otherwise noted.)

Farewell Summer - Captured Moments on California's West Coast

One of the good things about living in Arizona is it has blessed us with the opportunity to travel to some neighboring places, we wouldn't necessarily had afforded to explore if we still lived back east. One place we traveled to at the start of summer was a road trip to the west coast of California. Since our anniversary is in May, we usually take vacation time to explore someplace coastal. In Florida, we'd go to the Keys or the Gulf Coast. Here in AZ, we did a road trip to San Diego in 2012 (but it was more catching local attractions), and we skipped last year (because of separate family travel plans - Jeff attended his nephew's graduation and I headed to NJ to see my Godmother + Miami to see my mom). This year, we made it a point to relax plus take in some coastal time together. We took a road trip to Newport Beach & Carlsbad. Though the time was short, we spent most of it taking in coastal sights, sounds and scents along the Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach one day, two days in Newport Beach plus Balboa Island, and evenings in Carlsbad (where our hotel was). Being landlocked most of the year here in Arizona, experiencing the warmth of the sun and crisp salty sea air was very refreshing! Grab yourself a cup of coffee (or glass of wine) and enjoy taking in these coastal views for the last day of summer...

 LOVE this panoramic shot Jeff captured on his iPhone!

Jeff on the Newport Pier...

 

Me on the rocks - zoning out in my "happy place"...

 

After driving for six hours to get to Newport, we parked to go walk the beach - and this was the first 

thing we saw when we got out of the car - "Welcome To the Beach"...

 

 Newport Beach, CA

 Carlsbad Beach, CA

 Balboa Island, CA

Since we were in Newport, we made it a point to go tour the newly renovated showroom of Barclay Butera - who had just down the Newport Beach Showhouse Tour the week before. Loved all the layers of crisp blue & white patterns, mixed with natural elements of seagrass and rattan...

 

 

Rooftop lunch in Laguna - right on the water... HEAVEN!

 

 

 Anniversary Dinner - Carlsbad Chart House - on the water for sunset for our second night on the west coast...

We brought a blanket and wine to the beach, to catch the sunset our last night there...

Other travels together this summer were minimal, since Jeff was having a painful experience with sciatic - which lead to him having back surgery at the Spinal Institute in Scottsdale in mid-August. We did do a few local day trips, such as a picnic in Fountain Hills Park for Jeff's birthday, lunch plus grounds tour of the historic Arizona Biltmore for my birthday - and our last "golf-date" was probably also back in early May. Jeff misses being out on the course - I miss seeing the green grass and watering holes... but we probably don't miss either as much as the beach...

 

Farewell Summer - See you next year...

How was your Summer? 

Did you create any special moments with your spouse, family or friends?

Hard to believe today is the last day of Summer - looking back (and still feelin' the heat!) it feels like it just began. But still looking forward to sweater weather for the Fall.

Thanks for stopping by!