One huge mofo home. Biltmore Estate.

135,000 square feet. 250 rooms. 8,000 acres. Went to visit my friend Joey (and take care of some theater business) before she takes off for Atlanta in May to get her doctorate in pastoral counseling (is that right, Joey?). The Biltmore estate in Asheville, NC is the Vanderbilt "country home" and is the largest, privately-owned home in the U.S. The pictures don't do it justice (and, of course, no photos of the interior).

Ostentatious? I'm not sure. The Vanderbilts were pretty giving folk from what I've read. They just had a ton of money they needed to spend. Visit the Biltmore Estate site and there's more information on the home at Wikipedia. Click on READ MORE! for a few more shots.

 

Arboratum.