I ate the whole thing

Having a wife whose birthday is the day after yours makes celebrating easy. Joyce and I went to Biltmore Estate in Asheville

for a three-day getaway (Oct.1-3). She had not been there before and seeing it was atop her bucket list. I visited about 40 years ago and my lasting memory was the Kiosk behind the mansion which offered delicious ice cream. It is long gone but new restaurants and an ice cream parlor were introduced sometime in the 80's. The ice cream is made from milk taken from the dairy herd on the premises and is some of the best I have ever eaten. This delicious sundae (creamery vanilla ice cream topped with strawberries, whipped cream and a cherry) was my choice and Joyce enjoyed a Root Beer float.

The mansion was built by George Vanderbilt, grandson of Commodore Vanderbilt, beginning in the 1890's. Today, the magnificently tended gardens are a tribute to his love of the out-of-doors, and the imagination of Frederick Olmsted, the journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer, who is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture. We learned of George's great generosity also to the Asheville community and people. The Episcopal Church in Biltmore Village outside the Estate grounds is an example of his many contributions.

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(Complete blog here.)