It all began with a $100 loan in the 1800’s. An investment which would prove one of the most profitable in American history, and would ultimately lead me to Asheville, NC for one incredible weekend.

The loan went to Cornelius Vanderbilt of Staten Island, NY. The lender—his mother. And while $100 might not seem like a hefty sum to lend to your son these days, consider this: $100 was equivalent to the average yearly wage in New York City at the time, and Cornelius was only 16 years old.

He invested the money in a ferry and started a business transporting passengers back and forth from Manhattan. The business grew until he’d made a million dollars back on each dollar his mother had lent him. In today’s dollars, that $100 million equates to well over $1 billion. The fleet of steamships he amassed throughout his career earned him the nickname “The Commodore.” He passed the nickname on to the university he founded.

Two generations later the family had built the nation’s railroad system from scratch, and solidified their status as the richest industrialists in the world.

Last weekend my wife and I visited their country cottage. Their 8,000-acre, 250-room, ridiculously-scaled country cottage. Quaint.

Tucked into the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, you’ll find the palatial Biltmore estate just outside of the young, hip city of Asheville, about 20 miles from the Carolina-Tennessee border.

Those who aren’t familiar with the area probably wouldn’t associate the region with mountainous terrain, but the peaks of the Blue Ridge and Great Smokey mountain ranges are some of the tallest in the East, and offer a stunning backdrop to the dramatic beauty of Biltmore.

The house embodies a uniquely European feel with its intricately terraced façade, and precariously steep-pitched roofs which are tinted slightly Carolina blue as if intended to blend perfectly into the foam blue-grey hues of the mountain backdrop. It is the distinctly American answer to Europe’s aristocratic chateaus, manors, and villas—just as the Vanderbilt’s were the distinctly capitalist answer to Europe’s aristocracy.

George Washington Vanderbilt, Cornelius’ grandson, commissioned the plans to build the Biltmore estate, and construction began in 1889. The cast of contributors reads like an American history text. Richard Morris Hunt, America’s foremost architect of the era designed Biltmore house. Hunt also designed the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in NY. Frederic Law Olmsted, who famously designed Manhattan’s Central Park, was the landscape architect of Biltmore’s estate grounds and gardens. While the average home of the time didn’t have electricity or running water, George’s friend Thomas Edison saw to it that Biltmore boasted electric lighting throughout—even underwater in the 10-foot deep indoor swimming pool in the basement. To this day, Biltmore is still the largest private residence in the country.

There is an innate sense of flawlessness in the setting, where fast-running streams flow alongside estate roads which wind through sprawling oaks, tall pines, and bamboo (which actually is native to the region). This is a place of time-shift, where the mystique enchants you. Your car becomes a carriage as you twist through the valleys, passing open cultivated clearings and mountain vistas. Your North Face fleece becomes a dinner jacket and coat-tails; your favorite baseball cap, a top-hat. It is a place where you don’t have to be high-society, or act that way; you’re just made to feel that way. For the weekend, you are a Vanderbilt.

Today, the old estate house is a museum, but you can find all of the old world grandeur and hospitality at the Inn on Biltmore Estate—a four star, four diamond resort located on the grounds.

The Biltmore estate is also home to the most visited winery in the world. Just up the scenic estate road from the inn, sits the Biltmore Winery. This charming, Tuscan-style building hosts tours and tastings that are included in most weekend packages. Biltmore’s well-renowned wines have won a good deal of acclaim and are actually quite modestly priced in most categories at the winery.

Biltmore is most popular during the spring, fall, and Christmas seasons, but is no less beautiful in any. Each spring the estate launches its “Festival of Flowers,” where the entire estate garden complex, comprising of vast acres manicured grounds, is carpeted in flowers. I’ve only seen pictures. It looks absolutely surreal. It looks fake, honestly, because the colors and design seem too incredible to be alive. The fall is popular mostly because the changing of the leaves in autumn creates a spectacular landscape, enhancing the already inspiring views. “Christmas at Biltmore” carries on the long-standing Vanderbilt tradition of holding elaborate Christmas Eve celebrations at the estate with the cream of society from all over the country and the world. Each year the entire estate is decked out with miles of garland, over 30 Christmas trees, and authentic turn-of-the century decorations to recreate the authentic feel of the Vanderbilt family tradition.

January and February are definitely off-season at the Biltmore (with the exception of the weeks surrounding Valentines Day), but that means that you can also score some good deals on packages during that time. There is no ‘cheap’ time to visit Biltmore, only ‘less expensive’ times. Some of the packages which you can get at a discounted rate this time of year do have some nice perks though.

My wife and I opted for the bed and breakfast package which included free access to all of the estate grounds and activities available during the winter (good all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), and it included a free gourmet breakfast (literally the fanciest breakfast I’d ever eaten) at the inn which you could even swap for room service breakfast in bed if you wanted. The package alone ran about $630 for the weekend at the discounted rate. If you’re interested, ask when you register if they have any un-booked suites. We got our room upgraded to a balcony suite for very little on top since they had one open.

Make no mistake, Asheville is a mountain town, and despite being in the South, it is prone to mountain weather. But for those of us who enjoy the winter that can be a plus.

When we arrived at the Biltmore, we were expecting some snow. The news forecasted a winter storm headed across the state that weekend. A quick check online earlier that week predicted about 6 inches in Asheville. We got about a foot that Friday. The snow started dumping on Asheville five minutes after we arrived and sat down for lunch.

The snowy weekend made for an intimate, relaxed setting. We were snowed in on Friday, so we hung out at the lobby bar. We made friends that night that we ended up hanging out with pretty much the entire weekend.

Don’t forget to visit Asheville if you do head out to the Biltmore. This up and coming, artsy, bohemian, urban metropolis is definitely worth checking out. It’s a sort of Boulder, CO of the East if you can imagine that. Nestled in the mountains, it is a small city with a unique atmosphere of fun friendly people.

A recent study actually rated Asheville ‘the happiest city in America.’ It was a stat that I was curious to observe. What exactly makes a place happy? I don’t know. But somehow, even after being there for such a short time, I think I agree with the assessment.

Half of Asheville was shut down because of the snow when we ventured out with our new friends Saturday night. A quick note about NC cities: they don’t believe in plowing or salting the roads. Not even the ones in the mountains. We went ice dancing in a 4-Runner that night. There was a grade school snow day festive sort of atmosphere at the bars and restaurants that we visited in Ashville. It was contagious.

In the end, it’s not the destination—not even the journey—that makes a trip really mean something. It’s the memories we take away from it all. I get the sense that I won’t be forgetting this weekend getaway anytime soon.

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