Family Snow Day at Biltmore Estate

Last Friday's foot of snow was a total surprise! Every weather forecast I checked said to expect one to three inches of snow, so we were thinking we'd mostly just enjoy watching it fall and be excited to get a Christmas snow so to speak. Um, no. I've never known it to snow 30 hours straight EVER! We got over a foot at our house and lost power in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Rather than be bored and cold we put our new season passes to Biltmore Estate to good use and went to play in the snow at one of my favorite places on earth!

It was SO magical! Growing up here, getting married at Biltmore, going to the House more times than I can count...I'd never seen the Estate covered in snow before! Not personally anyways. Biltmore is open 365 days a year despite weather, and their staff was there to make everybody's experience as accommodating as if it were a 70 degree sunny day.

They're also very family-friendly and kids LOVE to play all over the grounds. We took our BOB stroller all through the House with us; Mike definitely did some heavy lifting to make it work but we did it! I took some beautiful photos of the inside of the House all decorated for Christmas -- even though they said I could take photos with no flash, I'm still not sure I'm allowed to share them on here so I'll err on the side of caution and just urge you to see the Biltmore at Christmastime if you can!

Harlow loved throwing snow balls and eating the snow (we tried to find untouched patches). Mike was like a kid in the snow throwing snow balls at trees and signs...and of course one ricocheted off the wall of the Esplanade and hit me right in the stomach LOL! I swear I'm a magnet for silly moments like that :D

We went to The Inn to get a cocktail before we headed home (to a house with restored power, btw!) Mike and I are pretty sure we hadn't been back to The Inn together since we got married there in 2012 so we were really excited to go back and reminisce and be there with our daughter!

The lobby was so beautifully decorated and had a special mail box for letters to Santa. They also had a dress from the current Titanic movie costumes exhibit and for whatever reason Harlow became obsessed with the hat. Like, a large, feathered hat in the style of the early 1900s....my two-year-old couldn't get enough of it. In fact, we've had to keep pulling up this photo to show her because she keeps saying "more hat!" She's a sucker for pretty things like me I guess!

We sat in front of a big window by the fireplace and enjoyed a glass of wine while Harlow played and a pianist entertained us with Christmas carols. It was such a warm, cozy, happy experience! That's what Biltmore does -- it enchants you. From the very first time I saw it as a little girl growing up in Asheville I've been mesmerized by the Vanderbilt estate and it seems that Harlow will feel the same way! I feel so lucky to be able to enjoy such a special place with my family in our own backyard!

Hope y'all stayed warm and safe during the snow storm! Thanks to all the people who helped keep our roads as safe as possible and got our power up and running again so quickly!

Just two weeks 'til Christmas!

xxBrooke

SHOP THE POST

Me: COAT // FUNNEL NECK SWEATER // SCARF-WRAP // BOOTS

Harlow: COAT // HAT // HOODIE // SNOW BOOTS