NC Trip, continued

The ladies and I booked a private, behind-the-scenes tour of Biltmore Estate, the ginormous private home of George and Edith Vanderbilt. Just a little getaway on thousands of acres in the hills of North Carolina. It became their primary residence and this was the third time I've toured it. However, it was the first time I was able to take any pictures inside the grand manse since the no interior pictures rule was changed since my last visit in 2015.

Our premium tour included a peek into rooms that haven't been updated since Biltmore was built (above). As you can see, the original wallpaper has seen better days. Most of these rooms are used to store furniture and items that are rotated in the seasonal displays. 

Our private guide took us up to the rooftop for a view of the gardens and adjacent 8,000 acres comprising the estate. The grotesque's backside in the above pic is notable because it was a mistake. Please note this isn't a gargoyle since its purpose is ornamental; gargoyles, on the other hand, serve as water spouts. FYI - I didn't understand the difference until I took this tour! The rest of the hand carved grotesques on the roof have tails. However, the artist made a mistake on this one and instead it ended up with a butt crack.

Such a southern thing, the rampant use of monograms. George Vanderbilt was ahead of his time, putting his initials on the copper roofing.