A Trip To The Biltmore Estate

What does Last of the Mohicans and The Odd Life of Timothy Green have in common? Scenes from both of these movies were shot at George Vanderbilt’s grandiose home; Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, North Carolina. If you’re unfamiliar with this location, you will certainly have your eyes opened to one of the most luxurious destination spots in the United States, that many celebrities have stayed at, including, President Obama.

Biltmore “Inn” was our next stop, and where we’d be hanging our hats for the next two days. We would be living like the Vanderbilt’s, or close enough with the 5-star hospitality, incredible award-winning cuisine, and jaw-dropping scenery at the Castle and the various other gems that make up Biltmore Estate.

No,  this is NOT  the Castle but the back of their hotel on the grounds if you can believe  it.  Just in case you might be confused.

The backyard of Biltmore Inn. All photos by: Melissa Arditti

Some interesting facts about the Estate as a whole:

• It is on 8000 acres of land (The House  is 175,000 square ft).
• Biltmore employs over 2000 workers/ 60 are just for landscaping.
• It is the 2nd largest employer in all of Asheville.
• They raise angus cattle, sheep, free-range chickens, etc.
• Biltmore has over 10,000 visitors per day at Christmas time, and generates over 1.2 million visitors per year.
• Daily operations feature several sustainable and clean energy practices, such as using solar power, planting a 60-acre canola field whose seeds will be harvested and pressed into a food-grade cooking oil and using vegetable oil as a bio diesel fuel for powering equipment used on the estate — now that is innovative thinking.

As my dad went to check in, I went around to take some photos of the stunning lobby. From the photo you can see the detailed oriental rugs, over-sized iron wrought chandelier, and vibrant flowers/plants that really welcome you into the Inn. There are also doors that lead out to a beautiful veranda that faces the Blue Ridge Mountains and the French Broad River.

This view was heavenly.

Before heading up to our room, I spotted an abundance of fresh apples by the front desk and so as the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! It was a nice healthy and refreshing snack. The little things that I notice. ;)

The Inn has 213 rooms and 9 suites to choose from. Here is a photo of our room, including a luxurious bathroom.

Speaking of concierge service, a quick story. After double checking that I had everything in my luggage for the trip, I soon realized that I didn’t pack my razor! I wanted to wear a dress that day and so I called the front desk in a bit of a panic. This was the conversation:

Front Desk: “Good morning Ms. Arditti, how may I assist you today?”
Me: “Do you have any razors that I could have, I forgot mine.”
Front Desk: “Of course. Is there a specific kind and how many would you like?”
Me: “Anything you have is great. 2 would be fine, if that’s not a problem.”
Front Desk: “No problem at all. I’ll send someone right up. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Me: “No that would be all, thank you very much.”
Front Desk: “Have a great day.”
Me: You too.

I literally put down the phone and walked toward my luggage to get my hairbrush when I heard a gentle knock at the door. I was pretty shocked at how quickly my request was granted. I have never experienced service like that before, so it certainly started the day off on the right foot. It may seem trivial, but to me, it is the little things that truly make a good hotel stay.

Another first for me was the complimentary nightly turn-down service with chocolates that the Inn offers each of their guests. After a long day walking around in the sunshine, it was nice to walk into our room and know that it was freshly cleaned and I didn’t have to fight with the covers (every hotel seems to tuck them in so tightly) I just slid right in and was ready for a restful sleep.

Plan your next stay here

Lifelong Dream Comes True At Duke Lemur Center

 Getting ready for an exciting day at the Duke Lemur Center
All photos by: Melissa Arditti

Our next destination was Duke Lemur Center in Durham, NC. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was about going here. I was counting down the hours and watching the sky because rain was in the forecast, and I wasn’t sure exactly how the touring process would go.

As you can see, I took a photo of my dad’s GPS as we arrived. It was easy to get there from our hotel (Staybridge), approximately 10 minutes or so, with moderate traffic.

There was ample signage, so we always knew that we were heading the right way.

The closer we got, the more giddy I became. Breathe….breathe….. This was my first trip to Durham ever and of course, my first time ever getting a tour of the Duke Lemur Center.

After getting out of the car and taking a swig of water, I saw this wonderful art sign. It had all my favourite prosimians! Can you name them all?

So the schedule for the day was “Painting with Lemurs” and then a private “Lemurs Live” tour. Our tour guide, Chris, was still on lunch, so my parents and I walked around the gift shop area and I had a chance to meet Robin Smith, the Communications Specialist at DLC who provided me with a boatload of information for this article.

The gift shop had so much to choose from, it was hard to just pick a few things. However, I got an adorable sifaka plushy, cute ears to match the tail that I have back home, and a postcard of a group of ringtail lemurs for my collection.

Before the painting component started, I was asked to pick the colours that I wanted the lemurs to paint with, which was fun. I chose a bright purple, pink and sparkly blue.

Here you can see the video of the lemurs painting, father and daughter. We were not allowed inside, so I apologize if you cannot see clearly. However, I will describe more in detail what went on and show more photos.

A number of canvases were placed on the ground and paint (all non-toxic water colour so it is perfectly safe) was spread around. The lemurs when they were ready would jump all around, making a “portrait” piece with their cute little feet and even their noses. As an on-going reward for all their energy spent, the lemurkeeper gave craisins galore. You can see how happy these little lemurs were getting spoiled.

The most amazing thing about “Painting with Lemurs” is that the lemurs get to show their creative sides, and work on their visual-spatial and cognitive processing skills. If you think all they do is leap around in a cage all day, think again. Duke Lemur Center provides stimulating activities on a regular basis for our wonderful primates and with 12 dedicated lemurkeepers on staff, no lemur ever feels neglected.

Some other interesting news is that mouse lemurs are becoming a top area of research into figuring out the aging brain in humans and the symptoms of Alzheimers. Pretty fascinating.

The cost of feeding 250 primates that are at Duke Center is quite expensive, as they are fed usually twice daily. The DLC organic garden is a terrific way to keep costs lower and to provide lemurs with balanced and nutrient-rich food, like kale, romaine lettuce and a variety of fruits. Sifakas sure love their dose of kale! The downside though is that not everything is accessible year-round and in certain weather conditions, it could put a drain on resources. The DLC work very hard to ensure the lemurs get a proper diet by choosing a mixture of conventional and organic produce. I would really like to see a large farm near by donate an acre or two for the Center. It would be a great way to bring the community of Durham together and to preserve the lemurs, as we all know that they are at such a high extinction rate.

After the lemurs were done painting, these were the finished products:

Continuing our tour on-foot, we visited a number of lemurs. Please note that we weren't allowed to touch the lemurs at all. As you can see from the sign, DLC has protocols for each tour to ensure the utmost safety of any visitor.

All the lemurs were quite well-behaved. Some have different temperaments, but the sifakas seemed the most out-going. This one appeared to be mimicking Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” song. Hehehe…

Despite not being able to bond more without the bars between us, we still had an amazing opportunity to have an in-depth tour around the facility and met all our lemur friends and even some nocturnal ones too. I did my best taking photos through the cages for your viewing pleasure below.  Just take a look at their eyes! Enough to make me melt.

If you'd like more information, you can go to their "Meet the Lemurs" page.

Another great initiative is taking place in Madagascar, as DLC has offices there. With a growing population of over 22 million now, lemurs are being hunted and their habitats are getting destroyed. Soon, they will become extinct. There is a dire need to educate the residents of Madagascar about environmental, agricultural and especially family planning issues. Progress is slow, but changes are happening and this really gives hope. It is not a question of “us vs them,” it is about co-existing in a non-threatening manner, valuing primates as they are the key to a lot of important research for human insight, and respecting their homes. Lemurs are truly fortunate to have a safe haven like Duke Lemur Center, where they are taken care of and there is a lesser chance of harm.

After learning more about what Duke Lemur Center offers and how dedicated the staff and volunteers are, it was important to make a small contribution. I know it will go towards the upkeep of the garden, research and development, animal and medical care for the lemurs, all the on-going activities and more. Every dollar counts, so if inclined to, make a donation here.

Travelling from Windsor to Durham, North Carolina was quite an excursion, but one that brings tears to my eyes when I think about it.

To book your tour and learn more about the Duke Lemur Center, please visit their website.

Thanks to Robin Smith, Communications Specialist and Niki Barnett, Education Programs Manager for their combined efforts in arranging these tours and making our time so special. Oh and thank you to Chris, our wealth of knowledge educational specialist/tour guide. I would highly recommend him to anyone.

Leaping Into Love With Lemurs

Many people ask me, Melissa what it is about lemurs that intrigue you so much? They see my posts on Facebook any time there is interesting news on lemurs, a lemur has been born, or random cute pictures of lemurs. “They are just monkeys with long tails, right?” NO. Lemurs are NOT monkeys. I think I need to buy this shirt. When I hear someone make this comment, I have to educate others, even though I realize most are just unaware, but there is an important distinction. Lemurs are primates known as ‘prosimians’ which basically means ‘pre-primates’ or ‘before monkeys.’ They live on the islands of Madagascar. Anyhow, in the next few blogs, you will certainly learn about these wonderful endangered creatures.

Black and white ruffed lemur
 All photos by: Melissa Arditti.

However, in this beginning blog, I will go back to what they mean to me and why I am so attached.

It all started with my brother actually. He was the very first person to bring me a lemur. Before you think that he brought me home a real one, no absolutely not. Lemurs are not meant to be pets, they need proper habitats to thrive, and so this was a plush one. No matter where my brother went on his excursions, he’d always come back with something that he knew would bring a smile to my face.

Intrigued, I started looking up some information provided on the tag about these lemur creatures. As I started to read more about them, I read phrases like “Lemurs are misunderstood primates by others and often viewed as unusual.” This hit a soft spot for me, as I have always felt very different from other people.

With one hurdle after the next to overcome, came about a number of other incidents that were pretty traumatic. Fast forwarding though, the saying ‘time heals all wounds’ may not be exactly accurate, but through various methods, I started to heal from the inside out. My interest in lemurs grew and whenever I needed to feel loved, I would toss on my favourite movie Bridget Jones’ Diary and cuddle with my lemur. I was kind of known as the “lemur girl,” which suited me just fine. They were tough to find though as every toy store had other exotic animals, but rarely ever lemurs. I would carry a photo of a ring-tailed lemur in my wallet, which I still have today, and show others what I was looking for.

I even had a wonderful opportunity to visit Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens here and have a ring-tailed lemur on me. It was an exciting experience and I was beaming for months.

However, the more research I did, I realized that aside from visiting Madagascar which would most likely never happen for me, a place in North Carolina called Duke Lemur Center was my next vacation spot to see so many different kinds of lemurs and take part in a variety of programs they were offering at the time. Forget about sitting on sandy beaches, or shopping, I wanted to see lemurs. My parents though I was a little nuts, but they won’t understand until reading this article why lemurs meant so much to me and still do. We had toyed around with the idea many years ago of visiting Duke, but my world once again got turned upside down.

If I hadn't suffered enough, add on the sudden onset of health issues and a bed-ridden Melissa who was in insurmountable pain, without a cause for a long time. My only ‘outings’ were to doctor’s appointments and hospitals. Drained from all the blood taken out of me, getting no answers, and wondering why God was punishing me, my escape was Youtube videos of lemurs. Leaping from tree to tree, eating grapes, and nuzzling up with the other primates was joyful. I loved them all. Ring-tails, Sifakas, Indris, Ruffed, etc… You can see many types of lemurs here. I knew that travelling was out of the picture, except for my weekly visits stateside to get treatment that would help alleviate the pain I was feeling and allow me to enjoy the simple pleasures that life has to offer. God bless them.

As I started to feel better, I set aside my wish to visit Duke Lemur Center, hoping that maybe someday I would have the chance to go. However, my fascination with lemurs continued and even the slightest glimpse of one on tv, or in movies (Zoboomafoo, Madagascar series, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, John Cleese’s documentary called Lemurs, etc…) made me feel on top of the world.

I began socializing more and a mutual friend introduced me to a really cool girl who I ended up finding out loved lemurs. Her name was Melissa too. She was battling cancer, but what a fighter. She made me a beautiful lemur rock and we were planning on making a lemur-themed garden. We also loved Madagascar the movie with King Julian, so she’d always be sending me funny videos of the hit song “I like to move it move it.” Sadly, she passed away, but the time we had together will always be cherished.

Thankfully after dealing with such sadness, I am happy to say that my health has improved tremendously and I have been with a wonderful man who makes me incredibly happy. We’re approaching 6 years this September. He’s intelligent, funny (after all he is a professional comedic entertainer) supportive and so much more. He embraces my love of lemurs and as you can see from the photo, has contributed to my growing collection.

He even bought me King Julian’s Rules for Ruling The Zoo and read it to me many times, especially when I was very ill and feeling like things would never get better.

So there you have it, a small glimpse into why I am so passionate about these primates. I am also thrilled to say that I will be visiting Duke Lemur Center this summer, so I am beyond excited and will have plenty of pictures and information to share.