Volume 8, Number 2


Fall/Winter 2011-2012


An Itinerary & News Magazine for Tour & Meeting Planners Living History: Explore HISTORIC HOUSES of the Carolinas


Remarkable Residences Present Extraordinary Opportunities for Groups


By Sharon Cavileer


American history. A rich tapestry of historic sites, natural beauty, and unique attractions invite tour groups to return again and again. The states’ stories are best told through


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the lives of residents, and visiting some of the Carolinas’ historic houses will il- luminate the past in a way that markers, guidebooks, and battlefields cannot. If walls could talk, the great saga of Caro- lina history would be spoken in the art, furnishings, and stories of the homes built and occupied by American families. Groups will enjoy walking the gardens,


looking out the windows, and peering into the souls of some of the states’ most unique historical figures. Home is more than where the heart is; home is where history speaks.


ASHEVILLE, NC: BILTMORE The Biltmore remains one of America’s most amazing houses. Situated in the North Carolina mountains near Asheville, the 8000-acre property and 250-room chateau


Visitors to Biltmore will enjoy touring the amazing 250-room chateau, America’s largest house. Photo courtesy of Biltmore.


remain a group favorite. Begun in 1895, Biltmore continues to preserve not only the architecture and the art of the property but the élan of America’s Gilded Age. The original owners, Edith and George


Vanderbilt, have given us a fascinating glimpse of a time when industrialization led a few Americans to amass amazing wealth and to attempt to compete with European royalty. Like today’s celebrities, the lives of the couple made news, espe- cially with the birth of their only daugh- ter in August of 1900. The international press proclaimed the


birth of Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt as that of an American princess. This privileged


child became the darling of the estate and accompanied her wealthy parents almost ev- erywhere. She made friends with the other children on the estate and invited them to lavish birthday parties and celebrations. An exhibit entitled “If These Walls


Could Talk” features Cornelia’s baby car- riage and doll, along with photographs and newspapers celebrating her arrival. Groups should ask to visit “The Baby Tree” planted in celebration of Cornelia’s birth and still thriving on the property. Groups will also thoroughly enjoy the new Antler Hill Village, which connects


continued on pg. 6


Myrtle Beach Itinerary Page 4


s two of the original thirteen colonies, the Carolinas are a treasure trove of


Groups Discover a Wealth of New Attractions in


Myrtle Beach Page 3


It’s Showtime! Myrtle Beach Theatres Bring


Out the Stars Page 5


Chapel Hill Named to National Trust’s Dozen


Distinctive Destinations Page 7


PRESORT STD US POSTAGE PAID


375 Greenbrier Drive, Suite 100 Charlottesville, VA 22901


PERMIT NO 2399 RICHMOND, VA


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