Asheville, NC - Biltmore Estate

 This is my second time going to North Carolina and let me just say North Carolina and Vermont are pretty much my favorite places on the East Coast. They are gorgeous! I would totally live in NC if it wasn't so humid (it's bad). I don't think I will ever get use to humidity! I tried to take pictures of the gorgeous scenery, but I was too busy looking at it! I know not normal for me, but can you blame me!

 We drove from Tennessee to North Carolina and the route we took was so picturesque. I guess this area is known as the smoky mountains and for a reason! It looks like we are in the clouds. There was so much fog, but it was such a cool effect. 

 We woke up really early and we got there right when they opened at 9am. I wanted to make sure we got our money's worth and we were one of the first ones on the grounds, so there was no one around!

 Love the symmetry of everything here. 

 View of the Biltmore Estate! Built in 1895 with 179,000 sq. ft. and 250 rooms. If you know me I am obsessed with large opulent totally ridiculous houses. This one certainly fits the bill and temporarily eased my craving for Europe. 

 I have wanted to go to the Biltmore Estate for a really long time. It is one of the Vanderbilts houses and the only house of the Vanderbilts that is still privately owned. All the rest of the them are now in the hands of trusts. 

 This place is huge! You can't take pictures inside, but it is gorgeous and has a really homey feel (who knew that was possible in such a huge place). There are 33 guest bedrooms. Who even knows that many people you would want to invite over?

The estate is on 8,000 acres and they sure are gorgeous! The guy who landscaped the area was the one who landscaped Central Park, which I thought was interesting. 

 Loved the gardens. While everyone was going to the house right when it opened we toured the gardens because it was hot and I knew it would just get hotter as the day went on. 

 Doesn't this look like a Mandrake from Harry Potter! I loved it and of course made me want to watch the HP movies. 

 This part creeped me out a lot. They look like statues of squirrels. I just stared at them and tried to understand how this was possible. They still freak me out!

 I mean seriously. I am in love! I want a house like this :D

View from the deck of the backyard...

Strom King Art Center - New York

Went to the Storm King Art Center. I had never heard of this before I had gone, but it is about an hour away from NYC and has small to large sculptures just chilling outside that you can walk around and see. I really enjoyed the scenery and some of interesting pieces of art. 

 These are cercopithecus. Yes...why I don't know. I don't get abstract/modern art whatever this is :D

 Weird. 

 I liked this sculpture.

 They have made this area into waves and it looks really cool from higher ground and right next to it. 

 We were trying to figure out how this is possible. Still don't know for sure. 

 When I took this picture all I could think of was teletubbies. This reminds me of their house or where they use to live. I haven't seen it in a loooong time, but that is what I thought of when I saw this. 

So green! I love it. 

This is actually made of wood and really cool close up.

NYC - Empire Hotel

Inside the lobby of the Empire Hotel. I decided to have a little staycation for a night just for a little something different. 

The style of the hotel is very masculine, but the beds were comfy and we had a good view. 

The only problem is that the bathrooms are tiny! If you want to be able to get ready in your bathroom not going to happen! The shower also has only a glass door on one side and the rest there is nothing, so water gets on the floor. I know NYC is known for small bathrooms, but this is ridiculous! 

View from the roof top. 

We had dinner at the restaurant around the corner called the Rosa Mexicano and had expensive guacamole. 

View from the street. 

Iceland - Blue Lagoon

 The Blue Lagoon is seriously in the middle of nowhere, but the drive there was sure gorgeous!

There are small geothermal pools around the spa and it is so picturesque. 

 The inside the spa is really nice and clean. It is worth the money!

So much fun and such a great experience. This was my first time being at a spa and I quite enjoyed it! The water was heavenly. Even though it was cold outside once you got into the water it was so relaxing. 

They have little bowls around the pool where you can get some mud and make a mud mask. They also had a bar in the water where you could order drinks. When you enter they give you a little band to go over your wrist and it opens your locker and you can use it to pay for your drinks and when you leave they ring up the total. 

 If I lived near here. This would become a obsession.

The water is so blue and agaisnt the black rock with the snow! We were lucky we had such nice weather. We picked the perfect day to go and we went right before we headed to the airport, so that was a relaxing way to get ready for the plane ride home.