Jefferson's Monticello

Troy and Evelyn have been waiting and waiting for this day to arrive...the day we visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia.  When we got to the Monticello visitors' area, we watched a 15-minute film that gave us a little background on both Jefferson and his property (most of which Troy and Evelyn already knew from books they have read).  Then we grabbed a bite to eat at the cafeteria before taking the shuttle to the top of the little mountain.  We were a bit early for our house tour, so we had a chance to walk around outside.  In the picture below, Julia and Evelyn are on the back porch (the west side of the house).

 Evelyn especially liked walking around the grounds, the very place where Thomas Jefferson had once walked.  It was surreal for her to see, first-hand, the place she had been reading about.

 I love this reflection of the house in the fish pool.  The fish pool was for holding fish that had been caught from the river until it was time to clean, cook and eat them - you can't get any fresher than that!

 We went on the 1:30 house tour, which started at the front (east side) of the house.  The tour started outside, where Evelyn pointed out the clock in the wall - this clock has two faces, one on the inside and one on the outside.  Very innovative!

 Our tour meandered through the first floor of the house, where Evelyn saw even more things she had read and learned about, including Jefferson's copy machine.  The tour ended on the northwest side of the house, where Julia sat and pondered all the things she had learned.

 Next, we went on the outdoor Gardens and Grounds Tour.  There was SO much crammed into this 45-minute tour!  I don't remember the name of the flowers in the picture below, but Evelyn called the pink painted tips.

Even though we were at Monticello for almost six hours, we didn't have time to see and do everything.  We would have loved to come back for a second day and go on another house tour, the Behind the Scenes Tour, which takes you upstairs to the second and third floors.  Maybe someday we'll return.