How do! Hope you had a chance to do something just for *you* this past weekend!
We took a 5-hour drive down to Charlottesville, VA for a quick & much needed family getaway. If you like old, Main St. communities with lots to see & do, very walkable downtown areas, good eats, nice parks, rich history to explore and hiking nearby, then this might be a city for you to visit. We stayed in a cozy rental right in town, which we found via Stay Charlottesville; it was awesome! We were really lucky with the weather! Sunny and 60 both days (next day they were getting snow - we skedaddled!).
University of Virginia is a big part of Charlottesville, and we took some time to walk around the campus while there. Reminded me a lot Penn State. We spent most of Friday at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. That's where the pics below were taken...
Above: Sewing-related items, explained below. Always interesting to learn more historical information about one's chosen craft. Makes me feel both semi-insignificant as well as pretty good to carry the torch.
Above: Tulip poplar once located just to the left of Jefferson's home below. It lasted from late 1700s until 2008. The opening is so large that my son could stand inside it!
Below: Jefferson's home. He designed it - not nearly as big as I thought from looking at the back of a nickel all these years. We took the tour & learned some incredible details on why / how Jefferson designed it the way he did. He had a special calculation for determining how much natural light each space should have based upon cubic measurements. Lots of portal windows and skylights! Love all these angles coming together.
Above: Garden. Every row was marked with a wooden label. I hadn't heard of half of the plantings! I purchased 2 seed packets from the gift shop, which they procure at the end of each growing season.
If I lived here, I would start every day with a few hill runs on those switchbacks in the background. Husband and son agreed!
Above: Cemetery is on-site at Monticello, and still in use by descendants. Jefferson wrote his obituary and epitaph himself; he did NOT want to be remembered for being President. He called it a "splendid misery."
Jefferson quotes:
"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing."
"Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you."
Above: Spring is on its way! Glad to see this harbinger of warmth as we left Monticello, even if we are still a month or so behind this growing zone.
Below: Hike in Shenandoah National Park - about 20 miles from Charlottesville. We hiked Turk Mountain Trail and the Riprap Trail to Chimney Rocks! Good ones!
Thanks for taking this little tour with me! Have a great week!
If you know of cities / towns like this, please let me know! We are always on the lookout for a great new spot to explore!!
