Monday we visited Ash Lawn-Highland, which was James Monroe's home. Then Josh joined us and we all went next door to Monticello, which was Thomas Jefferson's home.
After all that we needed a break, so we tasted wines at the Jefferson Vineyards, where TJ and Mazzei first tried to make wine in Virginia. From there we took another short break at my apartment (being a tourist is tiring), then headed to the downtown mall for dinner. However, Labor Day was a terrible day to find restaurants open, so we ended up at Mellow Mushroom for delicious pizza, followed by a walk around the University of Virginia campus. UVA was founded by TJ so it's also historic, and we made the obligatory stop by Edgar Allen Poe's dorm room.
Tuesday we headed out of Charlottesville in the early afternoon (after my parents bought me a new TV!) and drove to Lexington. We checked into a hotel, but then drove on to Natural Bridge.
See? There I am in front of it. If you're not familiar with it, Natural Bridge is a big natural rock bridge, and while it's pretty neat and has more history (George Washington surveyed it and carved his initials in the side, and TJ actually owned it), it's also a giant tourist trap. Dad and I visited the Natural Bridge Caverns, which were caverns but weren't that great (have you been to Carlsbad?!), but we passed up on the wax museum, toy museum, monster museum, safari, Foamhenge (we saw it from the road), dinosaur park with a Civil War theme, etc. etc. etc.
I know it's hard to believe we passed this up, but we did.
After dinner, we went back to Natural Bridge for the night light show. I assumed there would be lasers and silly ridiculousness, but it wasn't that bad.
This morning (Wednesday), we woke up in Lexington and went over to the Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University. Robert E. Lee was president of the school right after the Civil War, and they have a nice little museum about the Washingtons and Lees and the school. From there we headed next door to the Virginia Military Institute, where Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was a professor. They also have a little museum, complete with the mangy remains of Jackson's horse, Little Sorrel.
Of course after all this we also had to visit the cemetery where Jackson is buried. If case you haven't heard, he's a distant uncle of mine. See the resemblance?
After lunch in Lexington, we drove on to Lynchburg, where I had great hopes of visiting Poplar Forest, TJ's vacation home. Unfortunately they close at four and we arrived at four, so that was a giant disappointment (I'll go back later). Instead we simply drove on to Richmond, but we passed through the Appomatox Court House National Historical Park on the way, so Dad could read more Civil War stuff.
Now we're tired. But it was a good time.
1 comment:
First, I like your shirt in that first picture. Second, I remember going to the natural bridge a long time ago with my mom and brother. Looks like you guys had a great time!
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