ASHEVILLE IN THE FALL

In the splendor of autumn foliage season we will travel to ASHEVILLE, a delightful town located between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina. The highlight of our weekend is a visit to BILTMORE, the country estate of George Vanderbilt, grandson of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. This fabulous French Renaissance-style chateau, with its priceless collections of tapestries, paintings, sculpture and furniture, was designed by the prominent architect RICHARD MORRIS HUNT and landscaped by FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED. We will visit Carl Sandberg’s mountain farmstead, CONNEMARA and novelist THOMAS WOLFE’S boyhood home.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 - Depart Philadelphia or your home city for Charlotte, North Carolina. Upon arrival, we will ride downtown to see the MINT MUSEUM, North Carolina’s oldest art museum and nearby MINT MUSEUM OF CRAFT AND DESIGN dedicated to traditional craft mediums of ceramics, fiber, glass, metal and wood. Upon arrival in ASHEVILLE we will check into the RENAISSANCE ASHEVILLE HOTEL located in the city’s charming center. A Welcome Dinner is planned this evening at the historic GROVE PARK INN with its Arts and Crafts-style furnishings.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 - Depart this morning for the BILTMORE ESTATE, built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt. We will enjoy a self-guided tour of the house and grounds in the morning. Several optional tours at Biltmore will be offered in the afternoon including a private “Behind the Scenes” tour of selected rooms that are not open to the general public. We will visit the estate’s WINERY and shop for crafts at the HISTORIC BILTMORE VILLAGE before returning to our hotel. Suggestions will be provided for dinner for both free evenings.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9 - This morning we will enjoy an historic tour of downtown ASHEVILLE with its unique blend of architectural styles and the RIVER ARTS DISTRICT filled with working artists’ studios and galleries. We will tour the SMITH-MCDOWELL HOUSE built by antebellum North Carolina’s most influential citizens, and the THOMAS WOLFE HISTORICAL CENTER, the boyhood home of the famous novelist.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10 - We will travel to FLAT ROCK one of the oldest resort communities in Western North Carolina to visit CONNEMARA, the fascinating CARL SANDBURG HOME AND NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, and ST. JOHN’S IN THE WILDERNESS, a church which dates from 1832. Sunday Brunch is included at the nearby at the HIGHLAND LAKE INN. We will stop at the FOLK ART CENTER to shop for authentic mountain crafts made by members of the SOUTHERN HIGHLAND HANDCRAFT GUILD before returning to the airport in Charlotte our flights to Philadelphia or your home city.

COST FOR LAND ARRANGEMENTS: $1090.00 per person double occupancy. The single supplement is $290.00. We will book the best possible roundtrip airfare at the time reservations are made. THE PRICE INCLUDES three nights’ accommodations at the Renaissance Hotel including tax and porterage; one lunch, one dinner; all sightseeing as indicated in the itinerary including entrance fees; and a pre-trip packet. The trip will be escorted by a representative from EXCURSIONS FROM THE SQUARE. SPACE IS LIMITED to 34 participants. Please complete the form below and mail it with a deposit of $250.00 to EXCURSIONS FROM THE SQUARE, P.O. Box 2189, Philadelphia, PA 19103. We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Credit card payments must be made over the phone for your protection. Final payment is due no later than August 23, 2010. Full refund may be made until August 23 less an administrative fee of $250.00. Thereafter the trip is non-refundable unless a replacement is found. Trip cancellation insurance is available from EXCURSIONS FROM THE SQUARE. For more information call EXCURSIONS FROM THE SQUARE at 215-732 8487 or 800-831-3351, ellenkay@prodigy.net, www.squaretrips.com

Technical Contact: Sean Woods