DC Day Seven (Monticello & Travel to Williamsburg)

MONDAY -

Today we woke up kind of early and headed out to Williamsburg. (Our Comfort Inn was overall not a terrific choice. The employees were SUPER nice and helpful. It was far from town and not terribly close to Monticello and the mildew smell was OVERPOWERING.)

We toured the house which was MUCH smaller than you would think. It was fascinating to hear about Thomas Jefferson - "TJ"as our kids called him. He was beyond brilliant.

* His adaptations of inventions he saw in Europe,

* His desire to place things about the rooms to inspire interesting conversation,

* His placement of the workings of the household as much out of sight as possible (the working areas of the plantation and the servants bring food & wine etc.).

* His desire to not live alone and therefore inviting his eldest daughter and her husband and 11 children to come live at Monticello with him.

* His love for vanilla ice cream.

* His adoration of books.

* The fact that he believed in liberty and freedom and that owning "enslaved workers" was evil, and yet the fact that he owned a couple hundred slaves who worked at his homes... and he even fathered at least one child (probably several) with one of his slaves.

We walked the grounds; the garden, the "dependencies", the lawn, and the trail down to his cemetery and his grave. We also went and spent time in the Discovery Center where we could sit & lay on some reproductions of his furniture and dress in costumes and learn in a more hands on way. It was more for younger kids, but we had fun with it any way!!!

(Jade sitting on a replica of TJ's bed)

(sitting in Jefferson's "siesta chair"... Lando playing a colonial game)

(Working making nails)

(Our little slave boy)

We packed up the car and then before embarking on our 2 hour drive to Williamsburg,

we stopped by a Charlottesville barber shop where Jade got a beard trim!!!

We arrived and checked in to our lovely little cottage with the white picket fence.

We walked around, had ice cream (D had a blueberry milkshake, Deevs had a chocolate dipped custard cone, and Jade & I had rootbeer floats - my diet is a little on hold this trip... ugh! I'm going to have to get back on my "A game" - as D would say - when I get home!).

The boys/men found a beanbag game and played for about an hour.

Miss M stayed back at the cottage & rested, I walked the town a little more.

Tomorrow is the big Williamsburg day. The kids aren't really looking forward to it (they have their eyes locked on Manhattan), but I am hoping they will still be able to enjoy it!

xo