[pdizzle]

Here's some pics from a December 2006 trip from IL to Asheville, NC with a stop half way between in Clarksville, TN.

Downtown Asheville
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/PackSquareAsheville2.jpg
Pack Square

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/JacksonBuildingAsheville-1.jpg
The Jackson Building

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/CourthouseandCityHallAsheville.jpg
Courthouse and City Hall

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/AshevilleCityHall.jpg
City Hall

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BuncombeCountyCourthouse.jpg
Buncombe County Courthouse

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/AshevilleCityHall3.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/AshevilleCityHall2.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/AshevilleCitySeal.jpg
Asheville City Seal at city hall


The Biltmore Estate
(from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltmore_Estate)) The Biltmore House was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1888 and 1895. It is the largest privately owned home in the United States at 175,000 square feet. Still owned by Vanderbilt's descendants, it stands today as one of the most prominent remaining examples of the Gilded Age.

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreFront2.jpg
The main house straight on

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreHousefromtheWaterGarden.jpg
The main house from the water garden

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltomreHousefromtheGarden.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreHousefromTerrace.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreRooftops.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreRooftop2.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreRooftop.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreStables.jpg
The stables

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreGrandStaircase.jpg
The grand staircase

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreGargoyle.jpg
Gargoyle

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreGardens.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/BiltmoreConservatory.jpg
The Conservatory


Clarksville, TN

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/MontgomeryCountyCourthouse.jpg
Montgomery County Courthouse

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/padegrys/Asheville%20Trip%20December%202006/CustomsHouseClarksvilleTN.jpg
Customs House

[xzmattzx]

Nice pictures of the old buildings in Asheville. It's too bad that you only have 2 pictures of Clarksville, I was looking forward to seeing that place for the first time on here.

[pdizzle]

Yeah, the Clarksville stop was just a real quick stop through on my way back home. I think I have a few more pics from there somewhere.

[10101000]

WOW, very, very NICE! Thanks

[Ex-Ithacan]

Asheville is a gem tucked away up in those mountains. And though I've never been to the Biltmore, from what I've seen it's a one-of-a-kind place.

Never been to Clarksville either, but the pics of the downtown don't show what I would expect from a city of over 100,000.


Thanks for sharing your trip with us.

[Troyeth]

What is amazing about Biltmore is that the entirety of the forest surrounding the home is man-made and planned by the wonderful Olmsted.

What you see was not there 125 years ago.

[pdizzle]

What is amazing about Biltmore is that the entirety of the forest surrounding the home is man-made and planned by the wonderful Olmsted.

What you see was not there 125 years ago.


Yeah. I thought the man-made forest was one of the more impressive things about the whole estate. There were so many non-native trees and plants like Douglas Firs and Blue Atlas Cedars that made me feel like I was out west. It sucks that it costs so much to get in, though. Unfortunately, as you can see from the photos, it was freakin' packed with other tourists.

Never been to Clarksville either, but the pics of the downtown don't show what I would expect from a city of over 100,000.


I agree. Clarksville was rather strange in that regard. From what else I can remember, the downtown was very small and dead for a city of its size. From what I can gather on google maps, it appears that its large population is only due to its large land area.

[stax]

I used to live in Clarksville when I was stationed at Fort Campbell. It's a weird town in the fact that it almost feels like 2 separate towns: the part by the interstate, and the part by the post (Fort Campbell, most of which is on the Tennessee side). This seems to be because of the 2 roads that connect the two parts of town together: 41A and the 101st Airborne Division Parkway. The downtown isn't much to speak of, but I always thought that Riverside Drive was pretty cool.

Oh, and Asheville is AWESOME!! I just hate the drive out of that place with all of the curvy roads :eek:

[MidTenn1]

A few photos from my files;

The tallest bldg (whopping 8 stories)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/pth3rd/clarksville024.jpg

Austin Peay State University near downtown
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/pth3rd/clarksville032.jpg

The greenway between the Cumberland River and Riverside Drive
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/pth3rd/clarksville041.jpg

A downtown street
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/pth3rd/clarksville049.jpg

[Skyliner]

I live only 45 minutes away from the Biltmore Estate and one of my employer's benefits is a pair of free tickets annually to the estate anytime I choose to go. The Christmas holiday season is probably the best time to be there, in my opinion. Close proximity to the estate is just one of many great reasons why I love living in Greenville.:tup:

[Halovet]

I used to live in Clarksville when I was stationed at Fort Campbell. It's a weird town in the fact that it almost feels like 2 separate towns: the part by the interstate, and the part by the post (Fort Campbell, most of which is on the Tennessee side). This seems to be because of the 2 roads that connect the two parts of town together: 41A and the 101st Airborne Division Parkway. The downtown isn't much to speak of, but I always thought that Riverside Drive was pretty cool.

Oh, and Asheville is AWESOME!! I just hate the drive out of that place with all of the curvy roads :eek:

Stax, you aint liein about that driving!:koko:

anyway, FYI, George Washington Vanderbilt II is the Grandpa of CNN 's ANDERSON COOPER, who's mom is the infamous GLORIA. He's "DA MAN" as far as The Vandy fortune goes, just keeps it lo key cause he's real liberal and gives away tons of loot for animals in danger and shit like that!:tup:

[Ex-Ithacan]

^^^ @ MidTenn1 - thanks for the additional pics. I't not like the downtown looks bad (it actually looks OK in those pics), it just looks kinda small for a city that size.

[MidTenn1]

A significant part of Clarksville's population includes the military base (30,000 +/- ?) and is somewhat transient. They don't require a lot of City services and probably don't add much to the tax roles, either. Almost a ghost population.

There is a lot of development along the highway (Ft Campbell Parkway), however. You can indeed drive on US 41 for at least 20 miles through thick commercial, industrial and retail development and get a better sense of the City's size. And the proximity to Nashville (45 miles) has encouraged a lot of commuting for basic shopping, entertainment and even jobs.

A third point is the most of the growth is new growth and comes in the form of sprawl, not enhancement to the downtown. Also, the karst geography of the area (ie; numerous sinkholes) precludes the building of high rises.

So, no, the downtown is not as big as you might expect for a City of well over 100,000. But it is spread out.

[Ex-Ithacan]

^ Thanks for the explanation. :)