My husband and I have always wanted to explore the mountains in Virginia and see Monticello.
The weather was bad, but nothing can put a damper on Monticello.
I recommend getting there early and maybe in the rain. It holds off some of the hordes.
What was best about the house were its proportions and scale, which felt uplifting but not grand; Monticello is actually smaller than a typical MacMansion. Jefferson's architecture is all of commodity and light, with sufficient ornament and space to allow clarity of soul and mind.
Below it, he built whitewashed, windowed tunnels for the slaves.
Beyond it all, he built flowerbeds and vistas for visitors
Plus gardens
Below is the grave of the mother of the Jewish family, the Levy's, who saved Monticello till the WASPs got around to taking care of it.
And a burial ground for Jefferson and his descendants, that unfortunately does not include Sally Hemmings or her descendants.
I recommend a trip to Monticello for any citizen of the US. The beauty of the place, the achievements, interests and complexities of the man and his world, and the complexities of us, the American people, come together here.
I walked away with a sense of how extraordinary Jefferson was, but also how many human beings had to be counted as less than fully human for Jefferson to be able to be Jefferson. Without their labor and misery he would not have been able to develop, to think, to write, to serve and to rule. He was their unwilling achievement. We owe the Declaration, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Louisiana Purchase, the Statutes of Virginia, the University of Virginia, and much more, to them as much as him.
And so we departed for the Blue Ridge Highway.
It was fog-bound, which is a bit chilling as you pass open precipices. Luckily a band of motorcyclists were just ahead of us most of the time, so we could follow their light.
Mike said we were fine with just the yellow line, but I got comfort from their lights.
It cleared a bit and we got off at Lexington to see my Dad's college, Washington and Lee.
It is a beautiful town and campus. But we were dismayed by the size and placement of Lee's effigy in the Chapel. We then followed what sounded like a full marching band playing "Shenendoah" and came upon the VMA parade grounds, where the cadets were pulling out all the stops for Parents Day.
As I have a weakness for men in kilts, I enjoyed it. We then had our best meal of the trip, at a place called Le Bistro in downtown Lexington. All I can say is ...peacan pie and bourbon ice-cream.
We then put up for the night in a generic motel and went the next morning to Poplar Forest, Jefferson's "country" retreat, or where he went to dodge all the visitors at Monticello.
It really is a mini-Monticello, built on much the same modified-octagon plan. Because it is smaller, less crowded and less furnished you really feel the power of the classical proportions when you are in the rooms. Our tour-guide, as were all the guides we heard on our trip, was amazing.
And from there we headed up to see a Lodge in the mountains we presumed closed.
Except that it wasn't. And we got to spend the night there.
It's called The Peaks of Otter, and it is wonderful: not to expensive, comfortable and low-key, and flush with nature, with trails leading up, down and around.
It would have been nice if the fog had lifted so we could see the mountains, but I do not think my husband or I felt any the less cheer for the lack.
I do think though, we have to go back to Virginia at some point when the sun is actually out.
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