Monticello

After a lovely time in Great Smoky Mountain National Park we left North Carolina and drove into Virginia.  We got just across the state line and stopped at a beautiful Welcome Center where they were very helpful.  They had several suggestions and provided some brochures to help us in our journey.  We drove just up the road and spent the night in a nice KOA in Fancy Gap, Virginia.  The next morning we started up the Blue Ridge Parkway which had an entrance just outside of the campground.  The Parkway is a beautiful drive, we had driven some of it in North Carolina without the the Dancer but we had the Dancer in tow on this portion of the Parkway.  We were assured at the Visitor Center that about 100 miles of the Parkway from Fancy Gap to Roanoke, Virginia was not too bad to pull an RV on and there were no low tunnels.  They were right and we were treated to some spectacular scenery.

The first place we stopped was Mabry Mill.  It was a restored water powered mill that an enterprising person had built and operated until the park took over the area.  The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Monument along it's entire route.  The mill had a sawmill in one end, a grist mill in the middle and a woodworking shop in the other end.  Mr. Mabry had everything he needed to live, work and build his needs for his little settlement.   It was all powered by the waterwheel you see in the picture with belts and pulleys running everywhere inside to operate the various machines.  Here is a picture of the mill and it's overshot(the water flows over the top) waterwheel.

We stopped overnight near Lexington, VA after being nearly rear ended by a semi while stopped in a traffic jam.  We decided it was time to get off the road and there just happened to be a campground right at the exit we were stuck at so we headed for out nights lodging place.  The next day we traveled to Charlottsville, VA and got settled into a KOA a few miles out of town. 

The next morning we traveled a short distance to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.

This is a beautiful place which continues to give testament to Jefferson.  He was a thinker, a farmer, a statesman and the third president of The United States.  The grounds of Monticello(pronounced like the musical instrument, chello) are maintained by a nonprofit organization.  They have done an excellent job of maintaining the integrity of the structure and the grounds surrounding it.  They also have a great Visitor Center with displays, a theater, a cafe as well as a gift shop.

This is a view from the rear of the home.  I think it is actually prettier than the one from the front.

The above is another from the back of the home looking across the large lawn Jefferson maintained.  His office was in the lower right of the back of the home so he could look out across the lawn which had flower beds all around it and beyond that trees from various regions he had brought in and planted.

This photo is of the garden or more accurately the field.  The home was built on a mountaintop which fell away on all sides.  His complete attention to detail in all things was in evidence here.  He laid out a huge garden, 1000 feet long and 80 feet wide, built into the side of the hill with the bank acting as a reflector to warm the soil with it southern exposure.  This picture was taken May 6th and you can see how far along the plants are already.  The garden is still used to supply food for the cafe as well as the volunteers who work at Monticello.  Below the garden were grape vines and berry patches to supply these for the farm.

The property on which Monticello sits is now owned by the nonprofit that takes care of it.  There is a burial plot on the property which is still owned by the family of Thomas Jefferson.  That is the monument at Jefferson's grave. 

We had a great time here and I cannot begin to describe all of the things Jefferson did in creating this beautiful home.  I would highly recommend a stop here by anyone if you are ever in the area.