Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Family Trip to the Biltmore Estate
A trip to the Biltmore estate in Ashville, NC can be a great family outing.
The Biltmore estate is the largest private home in the United States. It has 175,000 square feet! The Biltmore was originally built by George Vanderbilt II and was finished in 1902.
When you visit the Biltmore you can spend hours touring the house and grounds. The house itself is truly amazing and there are plenty of cool features to keep the kids entertained and amazed. The house has a giant indoor pool, an elevator, fine art, library, bowling ally, and more.
The trip can be educational as well as you can learn the history of the house and the people that lived there in the early 1900's.
Nearly a million people visit the Biltmore estate every year. It can be especially crowded around Christmas time, but the house and grounds are decorated beautifully, so it can be worth the extra crouds and wait.
The price of admission varies widely on the time of year and whether or not there is a special event at the time. Tickets can run from $25 to $44 for adults and Free to $22 for kids (ages 10-16).
I think that the Biltmore Estate can be a fun family vacation in the state of North Carolina.
The Biltmore estate is the largest private home in the United States. It has 175,000 square feet! The Biltmore was originally built by George Vanderbilt II and was finished in 1902.
When you visit the Biltmore you can spend hours touring the house and grounds. The house itself is truly amazing and there are plenty of cool features to keep the kids entertained and amazed. The house has a giant indoor pool, an elevator, fine art, library, bowling ally, and more.
The trip can be educational as well as you can learn the history of the house and the people that lived there in the early 1900's.
Nearly a million people visit the Biltmore estate every year. It can be especially crowded around Christmas time, but the house and grounds are decorated beautifully, so it can be worth the extra crouds and wait.
The price of admission varies widely on the time of year and whether or not there is a special event at the time. Tickets can run from $25 to $44 for adults and Free to $22 for kids (ages 10-16).
I think that the Biltmore Estate can be a fun family vacation in the state of North Carolina.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Take a Trip to Chimney Rock, NC
For one of the most beautiful views in all of North Carolina, you need to take a vacation trip Chimney Rock, NC. There are lots of great hiking trails for the adventurous family as well as the family that just wants some leasure and to enjoy the mountains and outdoors.
The Chimney Rock, NC web site recommends the following trails for family vacations:
The Great Woodland Adventure Trail: "located in the Meadows, this easy to moderate .6 mile trail features 12 discovery stations with larger-than-life sculptures of animals. You and your kids can learn about how these animals live, what they eat, and other interesting and fun facts."
The Hickory Nut Falls Trail for families: "this moderate trail takes you through the woods to the bottom of the Falls in about 30 minutes. Enjoy the mists from the waterfall as it plunges 404-ft into a clear pool at the bottom. The dense woods along this trail provide a natural barrier, which makes for a safer hiking experience."
We took the Hickory Nut Falls Trail and thouroughly enjoyed it. Then we took the elevator to the top and took in the view from the chimney itself. It seemed like you could all of North Carolina from there.
If you are going to Ashville for vacation to see other sites, I would recommend taking a day and the short drive to Chimney Rock, NC. It was our favorite part of our trip to the mountains.
Chimney Rock is about 15 minutes east of Ashville, NC or just a short 1 1/2 drive from Charlotte, NC.
The Chimney Rock, NC web site recommends the following trails for family vacations:
The Great Woodland Adventure Trail: "located in the Meadows, this easy to moderate .6 mile trail features 12 discovery stations with larger-than-life sculptures of animals. You and your kids can learn about how these animals live, what they eat, and other interesting and fun facts."
The Hickory Nut Falls Trail for families: "this moderate trail takes you through the woods to the bottom of the Falls in about 30 minutes. Enjoy the mists from the waterfall as it plunges 404-ft into a clear pool at the bottom. The dense woods along this trail provide a natural barrier, which makes for a safer hiking experience."
We took the Hickory Nut Falls Trail and thouroughly enjoyed it. Then we took the elevator to the top and took in the view from the chimney itself. It seemed like you could all of North Carolina from there.
If you are going to Ashville for vacation to see other sites, I would recommend taking a day and the short drive to Chimney Rock, NC. It was our favorite part of our trip to the mountains.
Chimney Rock is about 15 minutes east of Ashville, NC or just a short 1 1/2 drive from Charlotte, NC.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Family Vacation at Carowinds
We recently vacationed at Carowinds. Over several days we had varying experiences at the park.
The first day the park was nearly empty and it wasn't very hot. That day we were able to ride all the rides we wanted and had an awesome time. Carowinds has LOTs of great rides and attractions for kids. The children's section of Carowinds is based on Nickelodeon. The kids rides vary from very tame to fairly adventurous. There was plenty for my 5 year old timid daughter as well as lots for my extreme sports fan 9 year old son.
The second day we went to the Carowinds water park. It was more hot and much more crowded. The wave pool was just too crowded to feel safe at times. Also, a few of the slides were closed so there were only a few slides to ride. We still had fun. There is a kiddy slide (with a long wait) that my daughter liked.
The third day was the "bring a friend" day. WAY to crowded. Only made it half the day. Took the family home and vacationed at the hotel pool.
Family Vacation summary:
All-in-all I was pleasantly surprised by Carowinds amusement park. Carowinds had many more rides and attractions for kids than I expected. There were also lots of great roller coaster rides for the older kids. It turned out to be a good family vacation.
The first day the park was nearly empty and it wasn't very hot. That day we were able to ride all the rides we wanted and had an awesome time. Carowinds has LOTs of great rides and attractions for kids. The children's section of Carowinds is based on Nickelodeon. The kids rides vary from very tame to fairly adventurous. There was plenty for my 5 year old timid daughter as well as lots for my extreme sports fan 9 year old son.
The second day we went to the Carowinds water park. It was more hot and much more crowded. The wave pool was just too crowded to feel safe at times. Also, a few of the slides were closed so there were only a few slides to ride. We still had fun. There is a kiddy slide (with a long wait) that my daughter liked.
The third day was the "bring a friend" day. WAY to crowded. Only made it half the day. Took the family home and vacationed at the hotel pool.
Family Vacation summary:
All-in-all I was pleasantly surprised by Carowinds amusement park. Carowinds had many more rides and attractions for kids than I expected. There were also lots of great roller coaster rides for the older kids. It turned out to be a good family vacation.
