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Asheville, North Carolina
A Holiday Haven
By Lyn Mettler
For an extra fee, guests can tour Biltmore House by candlelight as part of the Candlelight Christmas Evenings program. Candles are lit, fires are stoked and choirs and musicians fill the halls with carols while you take in the wonders of this amazing home.
For 2002, the Biltmore is offering a special package including two tickets to Candlelight Christmas Evenings, overnight accommodations at a variety of Asheville-area hotels, breakfast, a wine tasting at the Biltmore Estate Winery and a chance to choose your very own Christmas tree.
Guests are invited to drive into the country to Sugar Plum Farms where they can choose a 7-foot Fraser fir. Farm staff will wrap and load the tree, while you enjoy complimentary hayrides, hot chocolate, popcorn and maybe even a visit from Santa himself.
For more information, log on to www.biltmore.com.
For a truly luxurious experience, get away to the grand Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa overlooking the Asheville skyline and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Constructed in 1913 of native granite boulders quarried from nearby mountainsides, the Grove Park Inn exudes an old-world charm that will bring a sense of nostalgia to your holiday celebrations.
From the end of November through January 1, the Inn offers wonderful holiday activities including its famous gingerbread competition televised by The Food Network. The competition brings hundreds of entries from across the country, and the houses remain on display throughout December.
The hotel, on the National Register of Historic Places and a member of Historic Hotels of America, features lavish Christmas decorations including more than 25 uniquely-decorated trees a miniature village, an animal nature display, an elves' playhouse, mechanical displays and more.