On the Biltmore Estate you can stay at the Inn on Biltmore; there's also a small cottage for rent. The 213-room inn was built in 2001 and offers all the luxuries of a four-star hotel, including a spa, fine dining and high tea in the afternoon. Rates vary by season, but in early fall I paid a little more than $500 a night for a deluxe room with mountain views. The inn offers early-season specials for about $200 a night and various packages.

Prices for tours of the estate and house vary. Bike rental was $20 for four hours.

House tours: Last fall, guided tours of the house were $15; behind-the-scenes tours were $15 and $17. Fall and Christmas holidays are the busiest time of the year.

Other outdoor activities: Aside from the services offered at the Outdoor Center at the Inn on Biltmore, which includes bike rental, Land Rover Experience Driving School and kayaking and rafting trips, nearby Asheville has lots of outdoor options. One of the most popular is Mount Pisgah, which you can drive up or hike. Near the top is the Pisgah Inn Lodge Restaurant and Country Store.

Other places to stay: Asheville is full of great restaurants, hotels and inns. I also stayed at the Grove Park Inn, a grand old historic hotel in a charming neighborhood just outside of downtown Asheville that was built around the turn of the past century. A massive addition and spa aimed at conventioneers was built much later; I preferred rooms in the original part of the building. The upscale Grand Bohemian Hotel was recently built in the chic Biltmore Village shopping area just outside the gates of the hotel. The Grand Bohemian includes a spa and restaurant.

JIM BUCHTA