Carolina Doublewide

The Carolinas are unfairly stereotyped with Bubbas, coon dogs, and doublewides. We do have our share of Bubbas, but not everyone drives a pickup truck with a gun rack and two coon dogs in the back. Coon hounds are also rapidly being relocated to Arkansas where they are still in vogue (Rumor has it a former governor of that state even married one).

Tragically, doublewide house trailers were introduced to the southland some years back as alternative housing to the uppermiddleclass poor. But there again, they are no longer in vogue in the Carolinas, and thankfully, are rapidly disappearing from the landscape. It is my understanding that the large number of them accumulated in Arkansas over the years, have recently been mysteriously relocating to New York and Illinois.

Anywho, getting to the point; it seems that these double wides became so popular that over time they became more and more extravagant as a statement of the owner’s social status and economic class. Enter George Vanderbilt. George, not to be outdone by his Carolina hunting buds, went to what is now world recognized extremes in building a double wide for his family in the Carolina mountains near Ashville.

Some years later, when George kicked off to the happy hunting ground in the sky, and left his family with the mortgage and bills for the world’s grandest double wide, they just couldn’t make ends meet and keep the place up. So, they did what any all inbred Carolina mountain folk do to keep the homestead above water. They opened a tourist trap. Hence today we have Biltmore Estate.

Why is it called Biltmore Estate instead of Vanderbilt Estate? I haven’t a clue. I’m suspicious that it was renamed to save embarrassment to the part of the family that still had money. The best time of year to visit Biltmore outdoors is spring. The gardens and greenhouses are, to put it simply, unbelievable. The best time of year to visit Biltmore indoors is Christmas. There are no words to describe.

And to think, it exists here, beneath the Carolina moon. Come for a visit. Just don’t forget to go back home.

Today's Lexicon:
Bubba – A southern nickname of endearment.
Coon hound/dog – A hound of the blue tick, red bone, blood or other such breed, used to track and hunt raccoon.
Gun rack – A device to hold hunting rifles and shotguns in a pickup truck.
Double wide – Are you stupid?
Former Governor of Arkansas – Jackass (also reference "dogs in heat")

Posted by Dread who has gone out for the day.