House and Gardens

When you arrive at the estate, you must purchase a ticket to travel further onto the property. This is when you make a decision as to how you plan on touring the house. There are many options. The two most popular tours are the self guided tour and the audio tour. There are also several special tours that one can purchase to view rooms not open to the public or to get a personal tour guide. I recommend the audio tour. The self guided tour allows you to see the same rooms as in the audio tour, but the guidebook only gives a brief description of each room. The audio tour provides lots of additional details. It is definitely worth the extra money. The gardens are in walking distance of the house. Each season provides a new experience. Spring is noted for the brightly colored tulips. Summer is known for the brilliant patterns formed by blooming annuals and perennials. Falls arrival is heralded by blooming chrysanthemums. Pansies abound in the winter. Don't miss the conservatory. It is full of green plants and blooming hot house varieties.

Restaurants

There are three main restaurants and several quick service locations where you can pick up a sandwich, have a pastry, or break for ice cream on the estate. The Deerpark Restaurant is famous for its lunch buffet made up of Southern style home cooking. The Stable Café is known for great sandwiches, burgers, and barbeque. My favorite is the Bistro located by the winery. I love its European Country décor and the freshness of the food. Many of the ingredients used at this restaurant are grown on the estate. I always choose one of their salads and homemade brick oven pizzas.

Winery

The Winery gets a little better every year. There is a great walking tour that takes you through the wine making process. A wine tasting is provided at the end of the tour. The wine guides really strive to make everyone feel comfortable. They are knowledgeable and really help those inexperienced wine tasters find a great wine. For those wine connoisseurs, they are knowledgeable enough to assist them as well. For families touring the Winery, they provide Concord grape juice for the kids during the tasting. They have added several free special wine related demonstrations. My favorite is the Red Wine and Chocolate Seminar. The Winery also has a large gift shop filled with wines and accessories.

Be sure to plan on spending six to eight hours at the estate. You will definitely need a car to get around. There is a long drive from the entrance to the welcome center where you'll purchase your tickets and see a short informational film on the estate. From there you will drive quite a distance to the house, or a restaurant, or the winery. My perfect day at Biltmore begins with lunch at the Bistro followed by a tour of the house. It takes approximately an hour and a half to two hours to tour the house. We usually take an ice cream break after the tour before taking a long walk through the gardens and the conservatory. If we are feeling really energetic, we may walk down to the bass pond before heading over to the Winery. We end our day with a tour of the winery, a wine tasting, before purchasing some wine to take home. I hope you take a day to visit the Biltmore Estate it is a great way to spend a day.

How relaxing it is to be away from the rat race, hustle and bustle of home. We are spending time enjoying one another. It is more important to relax and reconnect as a family than it is to have an exciting agenda. For me, the best part of vacation is just relaxing and being together.

It is such a joy to relax and not think about next week. I think Americans work entirely too hard. Vacations are made for relaxation. We should relax more and focus on the simple things. If everyone took a more relaxing vacation, people would experience many terrific benefits. If we took more relaxing vacations, I think we would not only be more productive, but we would live happier, healthier and longer lives as well.

Best Place to See One Million Bricks: Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Corolla, 252-453-8152

Lighthouses are synonymous with the Outer Banks, and many people search them out for good reason. The furthest north of the Outer Banks lighthouses stands on Currituck Beach. Completed in 1875, the lighthouse at Currituck Beach filled in the last section of the North Carolina coast from which a lighthouse was not visible. Unlike most lighthouses that have a very distinct and decoratively painted daymark, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse has been left unpainted to expose the brick out of which the structure is made. This has the dual effect of giving the structure a very unique look and showing just how many bricks went into the construction, which is about a million.

Best Place to Mispronounce a Name: Bodie Island Lighthouse, Manteo, 252-441-5711

Despite how the name looks, "Bodie" is actually pronounced like "body." The name comes from the Body family, early inhabitants of the island. In those days, it was called Bodies Island, named after the family in a mix up of the plural and possessive forms of the name. Through the years, the final "s" was dropped, and we are left with the somewhat confusing name today. The lighthouse, painted with three white and two black horizontal stripes, takes its name from the island. Anyone who is not familiar with sailing might wonder why the Outer Banks has so many lighthouses, but the question can be answered with a simple trip to a Bodie Island gift shop, which sells maps to many of the shipwrecks in the area. There are so many, in fact, that the Outer Banks area has been given the nickname “The Graveyard of the Atlantic.”

Best Place to See a Baby Lighthouse: Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Manteo, 252-475-1500

Not all lighthouses are old. Not all lighthouses are of the traditional tower structure, either. Dedicated in 2004, the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse in Manteo is the youngest of the group, and also the most structurally unique. Unlike the other tall brick tower lighthouses that dot the coastline, this lighthouse is a recreation of a 1857 screwpile lighthouse that was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1955. The name screwpile comes from how the lighthouse is constructed. The supports, or piles, are equipped with a screw on the end of them, and when placed are screwed into the ocean floor or river bottom for extra support. Currently, the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is home to the North Carolina Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island.

Best Place to Walk with Pirates: Ocracoke Lighthouse, Ocracoke

So, maybe "with" is not quite the correct word, but you can certainly walk on the same land that the famous Blackbeard once lived. The Ocracoke Lighthouse was built on the Ocracoke Inlet entrance where Blackbeard, also known as Edward Teach, once called home. It was built in 1823 by Noah Porter, making it the second oldest operating lighthouse in the United States, and the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina. As the light is located on the remote island of Ocracoke, you will have to ride the ferry over from Hatteras to see it, which is an experience in itself.

Best View from a Lighthouse: Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Buxton, 252-995-4474

The most famous of the Outer Banks lighthouses, and possibly the most easily recognized lighthouse in the United States, is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. It is painted with the familiar black and white spiral daymark. Besides being so well known, it is also the tallest lighthouse in the United States, stretching 208 feet into the air. While visiting, be sure to take the time to make the climb, which requires pulling yourself up the 268 steps to the top. The inside of the tower is not air conditioned, and has very few windows, so it is dim, humid, and hot, but steeping out onto the observation deck, breathing in the fresh air, and seeing the Outer Banks from 200 feet make it worth the effort.

Best History Lessons: Roanoke Adventure Museum, Manteo, 252-475-1500 and Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center, Frisco, 252-995-4440

The race between these two museums is really to close to call. The Roanoke Adventure Museum covers over 400 years of Outer Banks history. Exhibits begin with English settlers coming to the islands and work their way gradually up through the ages. Learn about Civil War history, including the Freedman's Colony, or, if you like, become a surfman for a Lifesaving Station, or shop at a store straight out of the beginning of the 20th Century.

The Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center takes in another aspect of the islands history. Long before the Outer Banks was a vacation hot spot, it was home for many Native Americans. Included in the museum is a dugout canoe and tools found on the grounds, as well as displays on Native American cultures throughout the United States. Native American arts and crafts can be purchased in the gift shop. The Center is also host to the Annual Inter-Tribal Powwow.

Best Science Lesson: North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island, Manteo, 252-473-3494

Why not learn about the ocean while you are at the ocean? But do not worry, kids; this museum is not all about learning, just mostly. The North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island is home to the largest saltwater tank in North Carolina. While many aquariums now have a touch tank to interact with sea creatures, this aquarium takes the experience one step further; with advanced reservations, you can feed the animals you usually only get to touch. Other special programs, including the the chance to take in the weekly feeding of the sharks, are also available.

Best Place to Dream about Hidden Treasure: Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, Hatteras, 252-986-2995

So what if all of the boats do not contain hidden treasure. It might just be that none of the shipwrecks off the coast have hidden treasure, but maybe the do. Who did not grow up dreaming of finding that hidden treasure? While most of us will never have the chance to attempt deep sea treasure hunting, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum gives a glimpse into why the Outer Banks got the title “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” Included in the list of ships at the bottom of the ocean in the area are Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, German U-boats, and maybe even pirate ships or two. I could tell you that you don't really have any hope of finding treasure, but I won't. Hey, I'm not going to keep you from dreaming.

Best "Best Things in Life Are Free" Attraction: Fishing ships unloading their catch, Hatteras Village Marinas, Hatteras, NC

Here is a sight that will make you feel reassured that, in fact, the best things in life are free. Make your way to the Hatteras Village Marinas between 4:00 and 5:00 P.M. and find yourself a good spot to watch the local fishing boats unload their day's catches. Most of the fish you will see will be wahoo, tuna, and mahi-mahi. While the big game fish such as saltfish are all catch and release for these business ships, they will fly a flag for each of the sport fish they had managed to catch during the day, so look close to see them. You did not really come on vacation to drive go-karts around all night, did you?

Best Historical Mystery: Lost Colony Outdoor Drama and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Manteo, 252-473-3414 and 252-473-5772

Over 400 years ago, the first English colony in the United States was founded on Roanoke Island and, shortly after it was founded in 1587, leader John White returned to England for what he assumed would be a three month resupply mission. It turned into a three year excursion after his ship was confiscated by the British Navy to wage war against Spain. Once he did return, he found the colony deserted, and the word "Croatoan," referring to the local Native American tribe, carved into a post of the fort. To this day, the disappearance of the colonists remains unsolved. The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama retells the story of the missing settlers in the Waterside Theater of Roanoke Island, while the National Historic Site is a 513 acre park built to remember the 116 settlers who disappeared.

Best Place to Spread your Wings: Wright Brothers Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, 252-441-7430

On December 17th, 1903, Orville Wright climbed into the Wright Flyer that he and his brother, Wilbur, had constructed, and became the first person to fly a controlled, powered, and heavier-than-air flight. Now, over 100 years later, people zip all over the world in airplanes, but it all started on the sand dunes of Kill Devil Hills. The visitor center houses full size replications of the 1903 Wright Flyer, as well as the 1902 Glider. Best of all, it is a great place to take the family and not spend a lot of cash. Visitors 16 and over get in for just a few dollars for a seven day pass. Everyone 15 and under is free.

Best Place to Find Something You Will Not Find in History Books: The Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island, Maneto, 252-475-1506

To this day no one knows exactly where the freed slaves founded their colony on Roanoke Island, which eventually grew to a population of 3,500, but we do know that it existed. All evidence of the colony has been removed, and the historical records that have been passed down do not give any hint as to the location. For whatever reason, this mysterious colony that ended up becoming government sanctioned and protected by Union soldiers during the Civil War is left out of most history books completely. Today the often forgotten portion of history has a heritage trial dedicated to it on Roanoke Island.

Best Place to Perform a Planing Gybe: Haulover Day Use Area, Avon

Feel like trying your hand at windsurfing? Maybe kayaking? Or maybe you just like to lie around on the beach? You can do all of these at the Haulover Day Use Area, which is better known as Canadian Hole. With a public bathhouse and plenty of parking, this area has become the center of the windsurfer's world on the Carolina border. If you are not feeling that adventurous, it is also a great place to just swim and enjoy watching others windsurf.

Best Free Boat Ride: Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry, Hatteras, 252-986-2352

Not only is it the only way to get your car from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island, it is one hundred percent free (if you exclude local taxes, that is). If you are familiar with traveling by ferry, do not expect the luxury you get at other “pay-to-ferry” places, such as the Cape May-Lewes Ferry between New Jersey and Delaware. You will get a nice 45 minute boat ride between the islands, but it will actually feel like you are on a ferry, not a glorified floating bar. Get out of your car, sit on your car hood, or tail gate, and talk to the strangers around you. This is what traveling is all about.

Best Place to Stay: The Avon Motel, Avon, 252-995-5774

Being a great motel is all well and good, but if you are the best motel in the middle of the Mojave Desert, I am still not staying there. The first reason that I picked the Avon Motel as the best place to stay is the town of Avon itself. Avon is a lot further south than most Outer Banks visitors venture, and even if they do travel this far south, they usually just blow through Avon on their way to Hatteras. Being there is somewhat like finding a diamond that everyone else has missed, despite it being right where everyone is looking. The beaches are beautiful and, depending on if you are on the ocean side or the sound side of the island, either brutally rugged or amazingly peaceful. Fantastic restaurants are everywhere, or you can have a cookout on the beach, if you like.

Now, all that location is well and good, but if the hotel is not up to par, you can throw all of it out the window. The second reason that I picked this motel as the best is, oddly enough, that it is a great place to stay. Family owned and family friendly, the Avon Motel provides a place to clean all the fish you can catch, kitchens to cook them in, and great hospitality to boot. It was built in 1954 and it keeps hold of the feeling of a motel from the United State's glory days of travel without being shabby. In fact, the rooms matched the beach perfectly; wonderfully clean and beautiful, but still with a little rugged edge to it. You are, after all, below mile marker 57 on the Outer Banks.

That wraps up the best of the Outer Banks. Pack your bags, and don't forget the sunscreen. The Outer Banks are calling.

Being the best, however, often means that you have to face trials. No one runs a world record 100 meter dash their first time. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is no exception to this rule.

The story of this monster begins in 1797, 73 years before its actual construction. By then, the young Congress of the United States realized the need for aids to ships passing through and near the Diamond Shoals off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Within six years, the original lighthouse had been completed. At that time, the lighthouse stood one mile inland from the ocean. This, combined with a dismal 90 feet of height, made the lighthouse inadequate from the start.

Over 50 years, not much was done to improve the initial Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. In 1854, the height was increased to 150 feet and a first-order Fresnel lens, the best available at the time, was installed. Even with the improvements, the lighthouse was mostly ineffective. By the time the 1860's were becoming the 1870's, the sandstone structure was beginning to show growing cracks. The recommendation was that a new lighthouse would be needed.

By December of 1870, the structure still recognized today as the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was completed. Located 1,500 feet from the shoreline, it was painted with the trademark black and white candy-cane design still used today. Due to this distinctive daymark, the new lighthouse soon found itself to be a landmark of the North Carolina coast. The original 150-foot lighthouse was destroyed, but little was done to remove the rubble that remained.

Barrier islands, like the Outer Banks, are by design among the most unstable landmasses on the surface of the earth. Ocean tides, often driven by storms, erode the beaches that face out to sea. Meanwhile, sand is deposited on the beaches that face the protected sound, causing a general migration of the entire island toward the mainland. Stationary structures like lighthouses find themselves creeping inch by inch closer to the shoreline. By 1919, the ocean had reached within 300 feet of the base of the Hatteras Lighthouse.

By the early 1930's, measures were being taken to save the lighthouse from eventually falling into the ocean. Walls were installed to protect the lighthouse, but were mostly ineffective. Nine hundred feet of interlocking steel sheet pile "groins" were installed along the beach in 1930. More were installed in 1933. Still with all the work, the ocean waves were within 100 feet of the lighthouse by 1935.

The U.S. Coast Guard had been in control of the lighthouse up until 1936. Due to the ongoing futile efforts to preserve safety of the tower, they then transferred the deed to the National Park Service and abandoned the Hatteras Lighthouse. A steel skeleton lighthouse was erected one mile west in Buxton Woods to take over the function of the then decommissioned light.

Mother Nature has a way of being not only devastating, but also fickle. The Grand Old Mother decided to play pranks on the Outer Banks, easing up on the shoreline, and consequently the shoreline erosion, over the next decade. By 1950, the erosion seemed to stabilize, and the Coast Guard re-commissioned the lighthouse under a special permit granted by the National Park Service. However, shore erosion problems returned, and in 1966 three hundred twelve thousand cubic yards of sand were moved from the Pamlico Sound to the beach in Buxton. Like a sleeping giant, Mother Nature awoke with fury, almost as if she were appalled by the feeble, man-made attempts to defy her. The sand from the sound, made of much finer particles than the sand at Buxton, was quickly eroded into the sea.

It is said that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Over the next twenty years, Ma Nature unleashed hell on the Outer Banks. In 1967, large nylon sandbags, some that still remain today, were placed in front of the lighthouse to slow the erosion, to little effect. Two years later, the U.S. Navy placed three concrete reinforced groins to protect not only the lighthouse, but also their naval facility. You could say that Mother Nature was showing a little of her pride. You could also say that she was not impressed. Beach erosion continued, and the lighthouse continued to inch closer to the sea.

In 1971 it was back to earth moving, when two hundred thousand cubic yards of sand were moved from the Cape Hatteras Point to the beach by the lighthouse. In 1973, and additional 1.3 million cubic yards were added. By this time, the ocean waves were back to within 175 feet of the ruins of the original lighthouse, located only 600 feet from its "little" brother. The ocean finally reached the ruins in 1978 and began to slowly wear away the sandstone foundation. They would be washed away in 1980 when Mother Nature unleashed a freak March blizzard on the Outer Banks.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse did not escape that March without a scratch. The blizzard forced ocean water around and behind the anchor point of the southern most groin, which was the closest to the lighthouse. With this intrusion, high tide waves were able to flow in behind the steel and get to the much softer sand dunes. Every wave took more sand off the beach. As an emergency measure, rubble was placed as a substitute for the dunes in October. November saw the extension of southern groin by 150 feet. Mother Nature saw to it that the waters washed around the end of the newly extended groin one month later. Ocean waters reached within 50 feet of the base. A second emergency protection project was able to extend this to 100 feet by the end of the year.

By nature, humans are creative. The early 1980's saw several creative, but futile, attempts to protect the shoreline. In 1981, seascapes were dropped offshore in shallow water. Hollow gravel-filled tubes, they are designed to catch and hold sand particles suspended in the water. By doing this, a sandbar is created, helping to protect and build the beach. More rubble, two separate 150 foot groin extensions, 700 additional sandbags, and 5,000 units of seascape placed in late 1981 and 1982 still did not prove enough to protect the lighthouse. The Corps of Engineers played their part, designing a scour protection mat to enhance the southern groin and prevent additional ocean flanking. By the end of 1983, studies were being conducted on the feasibility of placing a seawall to encircle the lighthouse.

Even with all of the protective measures, the lighthouse was only 120 feet from the ocean by 1987. Originally, it had stood inland 1,500 feet. The “Move the Lighthouse Committee” secured funding and presented documentation for relocation, which relied heavily on technology not previously available. A year later, the final decision was made: The lighthouse should be moved.

The moved was mapped out, and the final sight was being developed. In 1990 and 1991, the structural integrity of the building was repaired, allowing it to withstand the rigors of being moved. Meanwhile, sandbags were put in place for temporary protection. This would occur again in 1994 after Hurricane Gordon passes within 100 miles of the Cape Hatteras area, and again in 1996 to prevent further erosion that would make the move impossible.

On June 17th, 1999, the time for the move had come. Eight hundred tons of granite base were replaced with steel support towers and hydraulic jacks. The jacks lifted the structure six feet, allowing addition steel support beams to be installed as a temporary foundation. The sand of the beach was compacted and covered with crushed stone. Steel mats were then placed to form a temporary roadway for the lighthouse to move across. Five additional hydraulic jacks were uses to propel the lighthouse inch by inch toward its new home. The tower moved at less than 10 feet per hour. Once it arrived, it was lowered onto a new concrete foundation.

The Lighthouse was moved 2,900 feet. It arrived on July 9th, three weeks ahead of schedule. The move was named the 2000 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement by the American Society of Civil Engineers. More importantly, it seems to have even impressed Mother Nature… for now.

Still operated by the National Park Service and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is open for climbing most of the year. Note that children fewer than 42 inches tall will not be allowed to climb the lighthouse, even with parental supervision. Be prepared for a workout, as the 248 spiral stairs equate to climbing a 12-story building with no air conditioning. In short, it is hot, humid, dim, and quite noisy. If you can make it, the view is well worth the effort. For more information, contact the National Park Service at 252-473-2111 or visit them on the web at National Park Service website.

Don't be afraid. It's only 248 steps to the top. Then you can say, with pride, that you've climbed the tallest.

Can you rethink a winter vacation? Can you crave cold? I did and I had a quiet respite from people, clocks and deadlines. Factoring in global warming and early January temperatures in New York hovering around sixty degrees, it seemed like the perfect time for picnics on the beach (we brought a thermos) and it seemed we grabbed it just in time; temperatures in my hometown, New York City are suddenly plummeting back to seasonal (read: thirtyish and the Hudson River winds doth blow…)

January in Florida, Arizona, Belize, Ecuador, anywhere there’s a Club Med? Right? Well of course, those are given…it’s prime-time for a winter escape. But since the East Coast has possibly never consistently served up an April-in-December like the one we’ve just had, follow the quirky weather and think outside the box, as it is too often said. And can you maybe…stretch the map? Can you chart a course off the beaten track? Bundle up a bit and head up to Maine or Vermont for a starkly beautiful midwinter night’s sojourn? Hike New Hampshire? For some Southern comfort, how about quaint Charleston? Or the ruggedly beautiful Outer Banks, out-of-season and unseasonably warm?

Canada’s long been recognized as a jewel, a bit of Europe in North America. From Quebec to Vancouver, Canada is also a constant surprise. Discover fishing villages or artsy cities, it’s big country up there. And why not consider Alaska? The final frontier, at least for most Americans. Prices for all these northern destinations could not be better and once you’re there, you’ll likely redefine “exotic” – and get cozy in some of the most beautiful spots on earth.

What about skiing the West? It won’t be completely crowdless, (forget Park City, Utah, with the Sundance Film Festival taking over) but some savvy surfing the web may surprise you with some jewels in our U.S. crown. Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a warm and snuggly alternative to Utah.

Trek to Europe? Oui, si, quite right, excellent….yes now…when post-holiday London and …Paris are tourist-quiet and friendly. About.com recommends the sophistication of Venice, Italy, as well as Greece, for some very reasonable rates. They also suggest Mexico for some unexpected bargains.

But all of Europe awaits you, with great air-and-hotel packages in unexpected places. This year Scandinavia is a hot spot – in as much as it can be! – for delightfully new places to explore. Some of our planet’s most extraordinary naturally beautiful resources,mountains to lake, will tempt you….especially if you’re a ski-fiend, always seeking new horizons.

From hotels.com to travelocity.com to orbitz.com, Shermanstravel.com, the opportunities are all over the web; those are just a handful of on-line travel guides.

Just “pick a spot that’s just a dot on the map” as an old Sinatra song advises, put in under an hour on the web and you’ll be packing—and quite likely, putting away some well-earned travel dollars for surf-and-sand under the sun. Then get going…spring will have sprung before you know it. Go forth…and conquer, and consider something offbeat. Wherever you decide to venture, tote your imagination and make it a very sweet and bon voyage!