So I feel a little guilty that I’m so jaded I couldn’t even get excited about the Biltmore. After all the hoopla, I expected to be more excited. But when you’ve picnicked on the lawn of Versailles with your closest friends, and wandered the INSANE halls of Hearst Castle, and visited the actual tapestry “factory” in Paris where most of the world’s greatest tapestries were made, something about yet another big, old house with lots of old stuff just isn’t as interesting. Either that or I’m just getting way more into new stuff these days. Walking the Sunset Idea House in San Francisco and seeing all the nifty high-tech things they had done was way more exciting to me. Not more exciting than dreaming about swimming in the outdoor pool at Hearst Castle, but exciting in a “Wow, I could actually own a place this eco-fabulous” kinda way. Walking through, I just wanted all those people to get out of my way, which wasn’t very nice of me. Although it was cool that they let motorcycles park in the closest lot, and kinda entertaining the way they make you drive through a little garden on the way out. But unless you simply adore milling about with the unwashed masses, I don’t recommend it. Far better to soak up the paradise that is downtown Asheville. Man, I love that town.

This is because they pretty much force everyone to pose for a photo on the way out. I agreed because it’s an appropriate place to wear my Gigsville “It was on fire when I got here” tee. Lucky for me, no fires broke out while I was present…