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Summer road trips: the Biltmore and Jekyll Island

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It’s the time of the summer to squeeze in last-minute road trips, so it’s time to share another road trip story. Last summer, we undertook a road trip literally the week before classes started back for the fall. This time, we went to the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina.

We had done almost no planning for this trip aside from buying the Biltmore tour tickets in advance. We were actually planning on taking a trip to New York that year (which we did this summer instead), but we had never done a long road trip with only two people before, so we decided to try somewhere a bit closer and head off to North Carolina.

It’s about a nine hour drive to Asheville, NC from Central Florida, and we completed it just a little after nightfall on a quiet and relaxing road trip where we subsisted entirely on milkshakes.

We set off to the Biltmore the next morning far earlier than I’m used to getting up and checking out of a hotel. We drove up to the slightly hidden away gates and entered the estate. We parked, took the bus into the main part of the estate, and got our first glimpse of the enormous house.

Christy in front of the Biltmore

For a size comparison, I am the figure in the white dress over in the corner there.

Aside from the house, another attraction at the Biltmore is the expansive and beautiful gardens. There’s canopies of trees, fountains, ponds, and everything you’d want for a stroll around your ridiculously large house.

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After (or before) exploring the gardens, you can walk in the front gate just like the Vanderbilts used to and explore the gigantic house. Unfortunately, no photography allowed inside.

Everything is huge inside, from the library to the kitchen, and you will probably walk a couple of miles and climb quite a few flights of stairs in this house, though you won’t notice while wrapped up in the grand building and the even grander story of the Vanderbilts.

You’ll probably notice later, though. My legs were sore for the rest of the trip.

During the tour, you can walk out on the balcony and see the backyard of the Vanderbilts.

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With a great view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I did notice while there, however, that while being incredibly large, the Biltmore was not as luxurious and showy as Heart Castle, which we visited on our trip to San Francisco. The goal for the Biltmore seemed to be size and not necessarily glamour, though the Vanderbilts managed to work in plenty of that, too.

The Biltmore is a grand house and definitely a sight to see. You’ll want to walk around the house and the gardens for hours to explore all the beauty and the history.

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After a full morning at the Biltmore, it was time to start heading back toward Florida and see sights along the way. We had a short fiasco where we almost ran our of gas because the Biltmore Estate is so huge and necessitates a drive of miles just to leave the grounds at certain points, so any gas station was several miles away from us out on the main road. Please fill up on gas before entering the estate, or you will be doomed to repeat our mistakes.

On our way back, we stopped in Savannah, GA, hoping to see some historical sights. However, it turns out navigating the city’s confusing, narrow road network is a complete nightmare. We had enough trouble getting around, let along parking anywhere to see the sights. It was pretty, though. We got to see the historic architecture and ended up on some nice tree-lined streets.

Just a few miles away from Savannah is Tybee Island, a little beach town connected to Savannah. It’s a quiet place with a lighthouse and beach-styled businesses and neighborhoods, which is a relaxing visit after you escape Savannah.

A little farther south in Georgia, I noticed there was a place called Jekyll Island that had a discount on a villa at the time, which I found in the many hotel coupon books we always get at welcome centers for stops along the way. We decided to stop and see what the place was like, and it ended up being one of the best spur-of-the-moment stops that I have ever taken on a trip.

We stopped in at the welcome center before you cross over to the island to find out more.

jekyll island welcome center

It had rocking chairs, so I was already sold.

We decided to go in and check the place out. They charge a few dollars when you enter to park anywhere on the island, which concerned me at first, but ended up being a wise investment.

Jekyll Island is a state park, so only limited development is allowed on the island. Thus, it’s sparsely developed with a few hotels, a few restaurants, scattered residential areas, and some historical sites.

Our first stop was the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, a historic hotel which used to cater to the rich and famous, people like Rockefeller.

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It’s an interesting place to walk around because you start to feel like you’ve just checked into the 1940s. There is a feel of history through it, which may have something to do with the big band music they play in the lobby.

After the hotel, we walked and drove around to see the rest of the island, which didn’t take a considerably long time. Since the place is populated yet secluded, it felt quite safe to stroll about almost anyplace during the day.

jekyll island

It also has the best trees ever, which I couldn’t take full advantage of in a dress.

We stayed in a villa on the island, which I found is quite different from being in a hotel room. Little things like paper towels in the kitchen and a couch to stretch out on make you feel more at home. It almost felt like it was my little apartment, and it was strange to leave it.

It’s also interesting to note that since the island is a state park with rather little human activity, deer are everywhere. One ran across the road while we were driving to the hotel. A couple of them strolled through the playground outside our room. Which, by the way, was an awesome playground that I did take full advantage of.

Christy on the Neversail on Jekyll Island

It had a pirate ship and a tire swing.

We also took a little walk over to the beach, which at low tide has a nice strip of sand to walk down, but at high tide usually reaches the rocks with a quick transition from land to sea.

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Low tide.

Road Trip 16

High tide.

The island also had quite a few other attractions like horseback riding and a water park (which was closed on the days we visited), but this trip was too quick to try them all. I do plan to return to Jekyll Island someday soon, though, and see everything the island has to offer.

Overall, this was the most relaxing road trip I have ever been on. Our stops along the way were tourist-friendly and stress-free (except for Savannah, but we didn’t stay there long). The driving through the southeast was familiar. After we saw the Biltmore, we had no particular destination in mind and felt free to wander home as we pleased. This is definitely the kind of road trip I would take again in a heartbeat.

The post Summer road trips: the Biltmore and Jekyll Island appeared first on A Dorm Room with a View.


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