Note: Today you'll check-in to your room, register for the program, have dinner, attend a program orientation and reception.

Arrive To: After a short drive on a beautiful wooded entrance road, you can check-in to your room at the Blue Ridge Assembly Conference Center, beginning at 3:00 PM. If you arrive early you will find a comfortable lobby in which to relax, or you may choose to enjoy a leisurely walk around the landscaped grounds and streams to enjoy the views. There are several marked trails to enjoy. Trail maps are available in the conference center lobby. The Blue Ridge Assembly Conference Center, founded in 1906, is housed on 1,200 beautiful acres, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and serves more than 30,000 guests annually. Program registration and material pick-up begins in the Conference Center lobby at 4:30 pm.

Dinner: Dinner will be served buffet-style in the Blue Ridge Assembly Dining Hall. A salad bar and a variety of hot meats and vegetables are yours to enjoy, accompanied with drinks and desserts. Sugar free desserts are available upon request.

Evening: As we gather after dinner, you'll have time to get to know your fellow travelers and your program leaders! We always have a great time meeting one another during the Sunday evening orientation session. We will review the schedule and printed materials for the week, give you information about the campus and answer any questions you might have. After our orientation session we will convene in the conference center lobby where you'll find hot coffee, tea and apple cider along with cookies, cheeses, fruit and more for your enjoyment!!

Lodging: Blue Ridge Assembly - Blue Ridge Center

Meals Included: Dinner

Today you'll learn about Western North Carolina, the intriguing city of Asheville and America's treasure, the Biltmore House and Gardens, in preparation for your upcoming visits!

Note: Following your day of travel, you'll enjoy a leisurely day of learning about the Vanderbilts, the Biltmore Estate and the city of Asheville. Special evening entertainment will close out the day.

Breakfast: A full buffet breakfast is provided for you each morning. Coffee is available for the early risers in the lobby! Our kitchen staff is very responsive to your requests, so please ask!

Morning: We'll begin the week with an Asheville historian and expert, who will prepare you for our upcoming visit to our city. We want you to know more about the city than what meets the eye. You'll learn how it began as a crossroads for the Native American Cherokee Indians and grew into one of the highest ranked destinations in the country. You will gain knowledge of it's history of over two hundred years and of it's becoming a storehouse for music, culture, arts, crafts, and other treasures.

Lunch: Full lunch buffet provided.

Afternoon: This afternoon you will hear from an Asheville historian and expert, who will prepare you for your upcoming visit to our city. We want you to know more about the city than what meets the eye. You'll learn how it began as a crossroads for the Native American Cherokee Indians and grew into one of the highest ranked destinations in the country. You will gain knowledge of it's history of over two hundred years and of it's becoming a storehouse for music, culture, arts, crafts, and other treasures. You'll learn of the architecture of Asheville; a city which has one of the best collection of art deco buildings in the country. As you learn more about the city, you will gain a better understanding of the people, including the architects, authors, masons and artisans. You'll hear of the arrival of the railroad, and how Asheville became a mountain escape for the wealthy and was transformed into a resort town as well as a center for therapeutic health treatments in the 1880's. Learn about the Crash in 1929 that halted Asheville's architecture. It was a boom town, a home for the Vanderbilts and Edwin Wiley Grove, a resort for Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and other historic luminaries, and a mecca for rising young architects following in the footsteps of one of the masters, Richard Morris Hunt, who designed the lavish Biltmore House in 1895. These events, stories and more throughout the years will allow you to gain a greater understanding of the Asheville you will visit tomorrow.

Dinner: Full dinner buffet at Blue Ridge Assembly.

Evening: An evening presentation from the rich culture of the Southern Appalachians will close out the day.

Lodging: Blue Ridge Assembly - Blue Ridge Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: The history, culture and architecture of Asheville will come to life as you enjoy your city tour on the Gray Line Trolley. You'll have the remainder of the day to visit the sites of your choice.

Breakfast: Full breakfast buffet.

Morning: This morning you will travel about Asheville learning of her early settlers, famous citizens and authors aboard an historic Gray Line Trolley. There's no better way to discover what Asheville has to offer. It's a fully narrated journey highlighting the "history, homes and hot spots of this city of surprises!!" You'll travel through the historic Montford district as well as the stately Grove Park Inn section of the city - see the Grove Park Inn and Spa and learn of the Grovewood Gallery, a work of art in itself - see the art deco downtown with it's history sculpturally interpreted and observe the route of the city's Urban Trail - travel through the River Arts District and the quaint historic Biltmore Village. This and much more awaits you on Asheville's most popular tour.

Lunch: Lunch on your own in one of the many cozy and quaint eateries in downtown Asheville.

Afternoon: This afternoon enjoy the hop-on and hop-off services of the Gray Line Trolley. You can visit the sites that you want to see... the River Arts District, Pack Square, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, the Basilica of St. Lawrence, the Grove Arcade... you decide. Simply hop-on and hop-off at the designated stops along the tour route. Trolleys run throughout the day and pick up in 30 minute intervals.

Dinner: Full dinner buffet provided.

Evening: An Appalachian Cultural Specialist will present a program on the rich culture of the Southern Appalachians and it's Christmas traditions, highlighted with archival materials of the Victorian era.

Lodging: Blue Ridge Assembly - Blue Ridge Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Note: Enjoy a leisurely evening stroll through the sparkling luminaries and the hundred plus Christmas trees twinkling their welcome to you from the Biltmore House.

Breakfast: Full breakfast buffet provided.

Morning: Take advantage of a free morning to rest up in preparation for an evening out at the Biltmore House. A list of optional activities will be provided, including a historic tour of the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, one time home to the Black Mountain College of the 1930s, (weather permitting).

Lunch: Full lunch buffet provided.

Afternoon: We'll begin the afternoon with a visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway's Folk Art Center, the home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. En route we'll enjoy a video on "Christmas at Biltmore." We will close our afternoon with a visit to the famous Grove Park Inn. The structure, built from granite boulders hewed out of Sunset Mountain, opened its doors in 1913 and has become one of the South's most famous and celebrated resorts. A historical tour of the inn will be offered with additional time to enjoy all the festive decor.

Dinner: Dinner during fieldtrip.

Evening: One of the highlights of the week will be this evening tour of the Biltmore House with it's beautiful grand-scale Christmas decorations. Step back in time to the late 1800s as you view elegant Victorian decorations, hundreds of wreaths, bows, and poinsettias, miles of evergreen garland, and thousands of ornaments twinkling in the firelight. Each tree is uniquely decorated to match the room in which it is located. Marvel at the forty foot Christmas tree that towers above visitors in the formal dining hall.

Lodging: Blue Ridge Assembly - Blue Ridge Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy a guided behind-the-scenes tour of Mr. Vanderbilt's 250-room French château; return to your favorite places in the house or use the time to explore the beautiful gardens and grounds, designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

Note: Return to Biltmore House, Gardens, and Winery. Time allocated for both a guided behind-the-scenes visit and self-guided time.

Breakfast: Full breakfast buffet provided.

Morning: Touring of the Biltmore Estate and House continues as attendees receive a special guided behind-the-scenes tour of many rooms not open to the public. Learn what's involved in restoring a room, understand the advanced mechanical (water, heat, electricity) functionality of the estate as compared to the rest of the country at that time, and have the opportunity to ask the guide any questions you may have.

Lunch: Lunch at the Biltmore Estate! Everything at the Estate is first class and this leisurely holiday luncheon is no exception. You'll enjoy scrumptious turkey and dressing, and all the trimmings, plus fabulous homemade desserts at the Deerpark Restaurant on the grounds.

Afternoon: This afternoon we will visit Antler Hill Village, home of the estate winery. The first vineyards were planted in 1971 and eight years later in 1979 the first bottle of wine was sold. You'll have an opportunity to tour the winery complex and enjoy a complimentary wine-tasting. The remainder of the afternoon can be spent visiting the other exhibits and shops of Antler Hill Village.

Dinner: Full dinner buffet provided.

Evening: Free evening for attendees to explore the area on their own, visit with nearby friends or relatives, or make preparations for departure on Friday. An optional video, books, games, etc. available for those staying on premises.

Lodging: Blue Ridge Assembly - Blue Ridge Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: We'll wrap up our week, check-out of your room at the conference center, and say goodbye to our new friends.

Depart From: Program ends at approximately 10:30 AM.

Breakfast: Full breakfast buffet provided.

Morning: The Biltmore Estate is home to one of the largest azalea gardens in the United States. This morning, attendees will get a glimpse into springtime at Biltmore with a short Biltmore Gardens presentation, followed by an opportunity to ask any remaining questions, and check-out.

Meals Included: Breakfast