Hey friends! We’ve got two more days to go in the Southern Series! So today we’re going to dive into Asheville, NC and onto wild and wonderful West Virginia! Woop woop! Hear about where we had an amazing breakfast, how we liked the Biltmore Estate, and where we ended up for the evening. Legooo!
Food at Cornerstone, Then on to Biltmore Estate
After we got packed up from the Country Inn (by Choice Hotels), we made our way to a local breakfast joint that had INCREDIBLE food. Seriously, if one thing kept impressing us during this trip it had to be the food. Like, almost every single time it was absolutely delicious.
We found ourselves at Cornerstone, where the hubs got the Matador and I got grilled pork chops (yes, for breakfast!?), fresh eggs, potatoes and a biscuit and gravy. Guys, seriously it was so good. Not to mention I was able to cut up and save the second pork chop for later that day to heat up in the portable crock pot. 💁♀️
Oh and the hotel? It was great. No complaints. Even though some of the facilities weren’t available at the time, we didn’t really need them and we slept perfectly fine. The price was fair and the room was clean, which is two very important things to consider when choosing your home for the night!
Once we had full bellies, we made our way to the famous Biltmore Estate, which was WAY bigger than we’d anticipated. I mean, to even get to the place itself, took like 10 minutes driving down their “driveway” I suppose you’d call it?🤔 It was pretty neat though to think about how it must have been back in the day, taking more like hours probably to travel down this road with older vehicles. The grounds were so beautiful even in the wintertime, but I bet they are just awe-inspiring when in full bloom.
Southern Series Day 14: Savannah Eats, Motel Stays, and Slowing Down
The Rain Couldn’t Stop Our Adventure
We arrived a little before our ticket time, so we chilled in the truck and found some places to stop on the way home. It was pouring out anyway, which didn’t really encourage us to move quickly from the safety of the vehicle! 😂 Turns out that we probably could have went in early though, since they didn’t check our ticket time when getting to the door. But this may just be because of the season, so definitely prepare accordingly when you go check it out!
Online, it stated that the tour would likely take around 1.5 hours, but we were through within approximately 45 minutes. We decided to skip the audio tour and just meander through the lines viewing the beauty of the interior everywhere around us. It was epic to say the least. So much detail from top to bottom, just engulfing the rooms one intricate design at a time.
It was also beautifully decorated for the Christmas season which was so awesome! The decorations just made it that much more overwhelming but like, in a good way. 🧐 The front room was probably my favorite, where the plants overtook everything and brought nature indoors. Something I’d like to portray in my own home someday. 🤞
Thank goodness for our fancy Patagonia rain jackets we got last year before hitting the Napali Coast, because we DEFINITELY needed them for this day traveling to and from our vehicle. There was a shuttle they offered to go to and from the parking lots, but since it was off-season, some of those were closed and we had to walk from the lot that we were in which took about 10 minutes or so to get to the door…otherwise, *plenty* of time to get our sweatpants absolutely soaked. 😅
We then drove the 20-30 minutes to the other end of the property, where the winery area had a King Tut exhibit!
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King Tut at Biltmore Estate
One of the coolest parts of the estate though was actually the King Tut exhibit they were hosting, which was running through March 2026. It was incredibly detailed and honestly way more immersive than I expected. They had replica relics and recreated tomb displays set up with information all throughout the exhibit explaining Tutankhamun’s reign, the excavation process, and how the tomb was originally discovered. There was even a short film that helped explain the history behind the excavation and why the discovery became such a massive moment in archaeology.
What made it even more interesting was learning that the Biltmore and Vanderbilt/Cecil families actually had historical ties to Egyptology and the excavation era surrounding King Tut’s tomb. Through family connections and diplomatic work in Cairo, the estate has a surprisingly deep connection to the story behind the discovery itself, which made the exhibit feel even more fitting for the location.
It was definitely one of those exhibits where you could spend way more time than expected if you’re someone who likes reading all the informational plaques and little details. (Which, if you’re a slower reader like me, prepare to settle in for a while 😂). There was a little gift shop afterward with themed souvenirs, plus a café and restrooms nearby which made it easy to take a break before continuing on around the estate.
Day 13: Siesta Key vs. Manasota Key and Exploring St. Augustine
What Did Biltmore Cost?
After that, we decided to head toward Bristol, but when we got there we felt like going a little further, so continued onto Beckley, WV. Arriving around 6pm this day, it was prime time to grab some good food again and head to our stay for the night. We indulged in some Mexican dishes at El Bandido, so good! And then checked in at another budget motel, a Howard Johnson, but we liked the Country Inn much better than this one.
PS- Thank you to Mexican restaurants for literally serving *the best* NA frozen margaritas!! I don’t know how they do it, but they’re always amazing and I’ve loved every one. The service was super quick too, so thank you for a great experience! 😄
Check below to find out our expenses for Day 15! With one more day to go, the budget motels were helpful, but looking back, we definitely could have included more along the way to save a little moolah. The tour is what cost the most this day, but it was a cool experience to have indoors since the rain was not stopping anytime soon. Definitely recommend checking it out if you’re ever in the area! Especially if you’re passing by in summer!
Let me know if you’d have done anything differently, and what thoughts you may have on how we spent this day. Talk to you soon for Day 16! Catcha later gator! 🐊
Southern States Biltmore Road Trip Expenses for Day 15:
- Gas station snacks: $15.72
- Vortex Doughnuts: $25.15
- Fuel: $90.00
- Breakfast: $63.82
- Hotel: $71.19
- Dinner: $71.32
- Biltmore (tour): $251.46
- Total: $588.66
