I’ve been wanting to visit Biltmore for more than 20 years, ever since I did a piece on the 100th anniversary of the Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1995. I don’t know why the Gilded Age fascinates me so much, but it does.

I was unaware of how technologically advanced Biltmore was for its time – fully plumbed and electrified during its construction, it also has a steel understructure designed to make it fire-proof.

It’s still pretty ostentatious, but the views are … well … yeah, I get why he built this here.