Poplar Forest

On Saturday, Cissi and I were supposed to be going for a flying lesson. We were really excited but when we got there, they said it was way too windy! :-( So we are going to have to wait until March. But as we were in Lynchburg anyway, we ended up at Poplar Forest, which is Thomas Jefferson's private home. In September I went with mom and dad to see Monticello which is his main house. I have been wanting to see Poplar Forest since then. Some things were the same (like the alcove beds which are cool) but there were as many gadgets as in Monticello as he built it late in life and probably didn't even see it finished.

Front entrance to Poplar Forest

Jefferson's holiday home

Layout of the main floor

We got a tour inside the house but you can't take any photos. When it was sold after Jefferson, the new owners altered it to update it and make it more user friendly for their needs. The preservation society are trying to put it back to the original, using the same methods used 200 years ago. They are still renovating the house so it is not as done up as Monticello but it means you can see all the building methods which was interesting.

Walkway over the wing 

Walkway to the house

Undercover walkway near the kitchens

We had a walk around outside but it was really cold! So we didn't stick around other than to take a few photos. The shop was great though. Jefferson liked wine, reading and science. So a lot of the things related to those 3 subjects. I like this guy! He was also obsessed with symmetry so every felt very elegant. It's thought he was going to put a second wing on the house because, just one wing would annoy even me! He also had what looked like a pizza oven in his kitchen which was used to baking.

kitchen

Pizza oven

Wine cellar covering ~1/4 of the lower floor

There is a sunken garden at the back of the house, which was dug out by one slave (paid to do it) and would have been lined with roses. The dirt removed to make the garden was put at the end of the wings  and used to hide the out door toilet. The toilets mirrored the same design as the main house (this guy was detail obsessed) and even had a little toddler's potty for his grandchildren!

Outdoor toilet

Toddler's potty!

After, we headed to Toys'R'Us for Cissi and then home, where we got stuck in traffic. :-( Which meant I was late meeting a friend for a very nice sushi dinner. But I am looking forward to going back to Lynchburg to do the flying lesson in March! :-)

Monticello

My parents have flown over (finally) to spend a few weeks here. They arrived on Monday (Labor day). I was so excited, I got to the airport nearly an hour early. We didn't do much on Monday and all got an early night. They had been traveling all day and I was up early cleaning and tidying. I got nearly everything cleaned except my floor as the vacuum kind of exploded a little and then just sparked. So the floor looked worse!

Tuesday we went to Red Robins for lunch which my mom really liked. She has already ready asked to go back before they leave! Then we headed to Target to get a new vacuum. Not exactly exciting shopping but needed. We ended up just chilling the rest of the day.

On Wednesday we headed into downtown to meet Duncan for lunch at Gillies. I also showed my parents around downtown, which took 2 minutes. :-) Then we went back to Target. After some research last night we had decided and found the best deal for my x-mas present. A new DSLR camera!!!!!!! I love it! And we got a great deal on a zoom lens. On the evening I took them to my wine tasting (where I go every other Wednesday). They had a great time and it was lovely for my friends to get to meet them and vice versa. And they picked out 2 lovely wines, a red from the Cotes de Rhone (my dad's favorite) and a French white (I can't remember which one - mom's favorite). I don't know if they are going to take them with them, if they last that long. :-)

Thursday was the start of our road trip. We are headed over to the coast but decided to split the drive there up with a stop at Monticello, which is just outside Charlottesville and on our way. Monticello was the house of Thomas Jefferson, and considered the second most important house in the the USA. 

Monticello garden entrance

We couldn't take any photos inside the house but the tour was really interesting. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and was president for 2 terms. But he was also really cool. He was a scientist, astronomer, inventor, conservationist, historian, and teacher. He founded the University of Virginia, and the Lewis and Clark expedition. He had a dumbwaiter just for his wine to be brought up from the cellar. As well as separate wine, beer and cider cellars! Respect!

One of Jefferson's wine cellars

Basement kitchen

Covered walkways under the house

Jefferson's private greenhouse

Though he did entertain. A lot. The house was often full with many guests and all of his family staying. And he had 6 children with his wife Martha and then loads of grandkids so that was a lot of family. He may have had another 6 children with a slave called Sally Hemmings, but it's still unclear. Her children were definitely be one of the Jefferson family but they can't be sure who. However Thomas Jefferson was at the house 9-10 months before the birth of each of her children. So.... 

Still it is hard not to like him. He had his own book room, a bright yellow tea room, an amazing desk with a rotating book table, and a huge wine cellar. :-)

After the tour of the house, we wondered around the gardens a little before the next tour. The gardens were lovely and the weather was amazing! 

The second tour was on slavery at Monticello. Although Jefferson was anti-slavery, he was a slave owner all his life. The tour guide was very good and talked about what they knew about the lives of the slaves and how they know. She told us some stories about some of the slaves and where they ended up.  Although Jefferson was good to his slaves and his family were very close to some of them, he only freed 5 slaves in his will and very few others during his lifetime. He couldn't afford to free them as he was in huge debt (over $100,000) at the time of his death.

It was a really interesting tour and I am very glad we went. On the way down (we got the shuttle bus up the hill as the house sits on the brow of a little mountain), we pasted Jefferson's grave where he is buried under an obelisk with other members of his family. At the bottom we watched a film on Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence, which was interesting, and I got my picture taken with him. :-)

Me and Thomas Jefferson

We were only going to spend a little time there but ended up there for over 4 hours! I recommend it. We then had to head for another 2.5 hours over to Kilmarnok where we are staying for a few days.

Dad at the wheel

Bridge over the Rappahannock

Chesapeake Bay

It was a long day but fun. We had Italian for dinner and an early night.