Nope not to that ‘deluxe apartment in the sky’… today [Saturday] the family and I took a spectacular day trip to Monticello, the home of my second favorite Virginian Thomas Jefferson. I remembered my first visit to this magnificent house as youth, and today I was just as awestruck as ever. Monticello is just a little over an hour drive from our home and it was enhanced by the turning of the leaves, which has just begun here in the 'Old Dominion.' After touring the plantation community grounds, we took a spectacular, small group tour through the mansion. Unfortunately (as is becoming the case everywhere) no photography is allowed inside the property. However, I was able to take roughly 90 or so pictures of the exterior and the family. Some of these will be posted on my Photo Album page in the next week or so.

We also spent some time at the nearby Visitors Center which showcases nearly 400 of Jefferson’s personal possessions. Although 'TJ' and I may have disagreed on some religious matters, I remain fascinated with his intelligence, talents, and a political resume that rivals all other Founding Fathers. Jefferson was also an avid chess player, so at least we would have agreed on games. These thumbnails are some of my favorite shots from the trip.

They are (left to right): 1. A butterfly on the patio trees: These guys were flying everywhere on the garden grounds and I have never been closer to them. Jefferson was an avid gardener and experimented with many different types of seeds. These trees lined the deckways that led up to the sun porches. 2. The front entranceway to the house: The domed room atop the mansion is one of the most recognizable architectural elements in the country. A self-taught architect, Jefferson used a neoclassical-approach when designing the house which took 40 years to complete. 3. “TJ” shield on the gates to the family cemetery: Jefferson’s grave is a large obelisk marker to the right. There are only three mentions on his tombstone (all chosen by him). They credit him for The Declaration of Independence, writing the statute for religious freedom, and founding the University of Virginia. 4. What I came home with: A copy of his autobiography and personal letters, a $2.00 bill featuring Jefferson’s likeness (they use these as change in the ticket office), multiple study aids used in their educational programs, and a lemon picked up from beneath his personal orchard trees, which line the property’s garden trail adjacent to the house.

It was certainly a wonderful way to spend a Saturday as a family and it gave me an opportunity to introduce my younger children (all Virginia natives) to one of our state’s greatest sons. We are hoping to take another jaunt 30-miles or so down the road and visit Jefferson’s favorite neighbor, James Madison’s estate at Montpelier. For those who are interested in touring either of these places, visit their websites: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and James Madison’s Montpelier.