Got a relatively early start today. After breakfast at the hotel (woo-hoo! Flippy waffle iron today!), we got on the road to Charlottesville to see Monticello. Expected the trip to take about 2 1/4 hours, wound up taking nearly 4. Traffic on the Beltway was horrific, it was an hour before we were even out of the DC area. Then we missed a turn and had to backtrack. When we arrived we found that the earliest available tour was 2:40, and it was no soap getting onto an upstairs tour. We hung out at the gift shop and visitor's center for a while (got Abby a Monticello snow globe), watched a video, and finally headed up the mountain on a shuttle bus.
I've always wanted to see Monticello, and was not disappointed. Unfortunately, no photography inside the house, so pictures are a little short today. See them here. Beyond the amazing architecture and innovative engineering in the house, I was struck by the resonance of Jefferson's personality across the intervening centuries. It was clear from the tone of the questions that were asked by members of our group that Jefferson is a man deeply admired, and there was a crystalline sense of awe in the audience.
The preservation of the house is magnificent. Though 183 years dead, Jefferson's presence and touch were clear throughout the structure. Walls, floors, and much of the furniture is original, and you could almost hear a gasp when the docent pointed out that Lafayette had walked through these very doors into this very parlor and had seen that very portrait hanging on the wall. The tour included only the ground level; upper floor tours were only available on a limited basis.
After the tour, we walked around the grounds, looked at the vegetable garden, the Weaver's cottage, the flowers, and the cemetery. The Jefferson family still owns the cemetery, and are still being laid to rest there. The most recent funeral was last December. I was struck by how panoramically obvious it was that we were on a mountaintop. Views were spectacular in all directions. It was important to Jefferson that Monticello be self-sufficient, an ideal that was obvious when you saw the locations of the old sawpit, the carpenters hut, the joiners cottage, the blacksmith shop, the brewery, and a dedicated weaver's cottage.
No traffic or missed turns coming back, but we got back late. We're planning on the second half of the Air Museum tomorrow, and a bus tour on Wednesday.
I've always wanted to see Monticello, and was not disappointed. Unfortunately, no photography inside the house, so pictures are a little short today. See them here. Beyond the amazing architecture and innovative engineering in the house, I was struck by the resonance of Jefferson's personality across the intervening centuries. It was clear from the tone of the questions that were asked by members of our group that Jefferson is a man deeply admired, and there was a crystalline sense of awe in the audience.
The preservation of the house is magnificent. Though 183 years dead, Jefferson's presence and touch were clear throughout the structure. Walls, floors, and much of the furniture is original, and you could almost hear a gasp when the docent pointed out that Lafayette had walked through these very doors into this very parlor and had seen that very portrait hanging on the wall. The tour included only the ground level; upper floor tours were only available on a limited basis.
After the tour, we walked around the grounds, looked at the vegetable garden, the Weaver's cottage, the flowers, and the cemetery. The Jefferson family still owns the cemetery, and are still being laid to rest there. The most recent funeral was last December. I was struck by how panoramically obvious it was that we were on a mountaintop. Views were spectacular in all directions. It was important to Jefferson that Monticello be self-sufficient, an ideal that was obvious when you saw the locations of the old sawpit, the carpenters hut, the joiners cottage, the blacksmith shop, the brewery, and a dedicated weaver's cottage.
No traffic or missed turns coming back, but we got back late. We're planning on the second half of the Air Museum tomorrow, and a bus tour on Wednesday.
I loved Monticello. Jefferson is my favorite President. It seems as though he was so intelligent about a wide variety of things. Very interested and interesting. When we lived in Virginia this was one of our go-to places with guests. Although we tended to Appomatox Courthouse more frequently -- it was closer.
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