Charlottesville and Monticello

It has been a great day for ducks here in Charlottesville!  It has been very chilly and misty most of the day.  After breakfast, we decided that the best plan of action was to head up to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson-our third President. It wasn't really raining, just a heavy mist. We wanted to be able to walk through the gardens before the heavy stuff came down. 

The drive up the mountain was rather uneventful. We were prepared for a very steep incline, but that wasn't the case. The countryside was absolutely beautiful!  Dogwoods, rhododendrons, and squill were blooming.  The road was very curvey. 

We arrived at the new Visitors Center about 11. We had some time to kill, so what better way than a bit of retail therapy!  We enjoyed perusing the many books about Jefferson and his magnificent gardens.  I bought a few gifts and a pin for my Model A vest.  We enjoyed the video presentation about Thomas Jefferson and Monticello, then it was time for our tailgate picnic.  I mean literally - we had a picnic lunch from the tailgate of Buster, the Austin's 1930 Model A Pickup in the parking lot of Monticello.  We enjoyed barbecue sandwiches, chips, okra pickles, homemade cookies, fresh fruit, poundcake and sodas.

Soon it was time to tour the house. We went in through the front door, not the facade which is so photographed - the same image which is on the US nickel.  Once inside, we were in a two story foyer with many Indian artifacts, clothing pieces, antlers from several different game animals. We progressed into the private rooms of the Jefferson family. Jefferson's library consisted of hundreds of books in the 7 different languages he was fluent in. Jefferson's home was a beautiful example of his architectural genius. There were dumb waiters for transporting wine bottles to and from the wine cellar beneath the main floor and to transport food from the kitchens to the dining room.

Once we finished touring the home, we went out into the formal gardens. There were beautiful paths lined with peonys, various spring bulbs, French Lavendar, and many other species of Spring perennials. 

We further wandered down to the household garden. There were vegetables and herbs of just about anything imaginable.  Below were the vineyards and orchards, all perched on the mountainside.

Our last visiting place was to Jefferson's grave. It is set at the edge of the woods in a quiet and peaceful spot.

Our visit concluded back at the Visitors Center. 

We left Monticello intending to follow the directions - but got turned around, so we decided to follow Garmin's directions and took the scenic route through a beautiful old neighborhood. There were many turns, but we enjoyed not driving on the Interstate in the rain!

Upon return to the hotel, we joined many other Model A'ers in the Executive Lounge before going to supper in the main ballroom of the hotel. We enjoyed a great cookout spread of hotdogs and hamburgers. Then we were enlightened to the history and sights we would encounter on our drive this week.  After a few Longevity Awards and closing remarks, we decided to call it a night and will meet up in the morning. 

Tomorrow we are bound for Roanoke. Lets hope the rain lets up a bit, because right now it is pouring cats and dogs!