Jeffersonain living in Charlottesville, VA

Ok, I'll be honest with you. I'm a little bit prejudiced. Come on, I WENT to the University of Virginia. Virginian by birth, Cavalier by the grace of God. :) (my favorite bumper sticker sold in the bookshop).

But I've got to say that one of the primo highlights of a trip to Charlottesville is to see a football game in Scott's Stadium. I'm sorry, that would be David A. Harrison Field at Scott Stadium in the Carl Smith Center. (Thanks to donations, we have the longest name ever for a football stadium). You get caught up in the action, whether you're a football fan or not, and you find yourself on your feet rooting for the home team (you'd better, if you're in C-ville.) :)

Another highlight is most certainly standing on the lawn in awe of the Rotunda and the pavilions stretching down the lawn. It has rolling hills, but it was done that way on purpose, so that if you stand at the Rotunda and look down the lawn, it looks as if it's straight. :) That Jefferson, what a genious!

Quick Tips:

Become a student for a day. Grab a backpack, fill it with lunch, and walk your way around the University. You'll have much more empathy for those that do it on a daily basis. My parents, the first time they visited me, bought me new walking shoes after seeing the distances I covered. :)

It's really hard to drive/park around the University of Virginia campus. Find either nearby street parking or park at the bookstore (they just re-did it with a new parking garage.). Either way, you'll want to park and walk so you can see everything.

Also, if it's Fall, that's the best time to take the back ways around the city and look at the fall foliage. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a good route, also Rt. 250 out in the country.

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving is pretty easy around the city, except for at the University. Park in a garage and walk through the University. Also, watch out for pedestrians, it's a college town, you know. They have the right of way around campus.

St. Maarten's is the only place, that I know of anyway, that makes my favorite drink, a Berry Collins. (Like a Tom Collins with a raspberry flavor) I guess that's why I like it so much. Plus, it was one of my haunts when I was a fourth-year student at UVA. Don't be scared off, though, because the clientelle at St. Maarten's is a little older than at some of the other bars in the area. It's on the far end of what Charlottesville residents call 'The Corner' so a lot of students never make it there. It's got a Jimmy Buffet kind of atmosphere, and a wide variety of mixed drinks and shooters, which are colorfully displayed on a placemat and framed on the wall in each booth. It's sort of a 'nook' place, and there's not a whole lot of room to move around, but it's worth it. Their specialtes are their hot wings, which are rated from one to five chillis, with five being the 'burn-your-eyes-out' variety, and the cajun cheese fries (my favorite). The fries are the waffle ones, with cheese melted on top and cajun spices sprinkled on. MMMMMM. You dip both the fries and the wings into some excellent, cooling ranch sauce and savor the experience. They also have great burgers. Burgers of all sorts, with all sorts of toppings. Mushrooms, BBQ, etc. Plus, you can become a frequent customer and earn yourself a pewter beer stein with your name engraved on it. It's hung over the bar and filled at special prices. (or you can just buy one for $35)

There are no bagels like Bodo's Bagels, believe me, I've looked. The smell when you walk in is enough to make your mouth water. There are your standard choices of bagel flavors, with your choice of toppings. You can choose their homemade cream cheese flavored with things like strawberries or chocolate chips, drizzle them with honey, ply them with peanut butter, smother them with lox or make them into a deli sandwich. Mornings are, obviously, peak time, and you may find the line coming out the door. But the lines move quickly, and you'll smack yourself for not waiting.

OK, I'm a little prejudiced, being a Virginia graduate and all, but in my opinion, there's nothing quite as magical and historical as walking down the Lawn in the center of the campus of Jefferson's Academical Village (UVA).

At the far end is the majestic Rotunda, designed by Jefferson and based on the Parthenon, which he meant to be used as a library. Stand on the Rotunda steps and look out down the lawn, with the Lawn rooms and the Pavilions lining the edge. The Pavilions were meant to be houses for the professors, and the students would live in the Lawn rooms, so that they could mix and discuss classes and issues of the day. The Pavilions are joined by a walkway, which was supposed to be so that the professors and their families could interact without running into the students, for some quiet time. There are tours that show you the inside of the Rotunda, times vary.

Several famous people have lived on the Lawn, including Ralph Sampson and Edgar Allen Poe. Look out at night, however, because it's a UVA tradition to 'streak' the Lawn during your time there. If you see a nude person run by, don't be frightened.

The best way to see the Lawn is to take a University-guided tour, so you can learn all the neat stories about the Lawn rooms and Jefferson himself, but just to walk down the lawn in quiet reflection is an amazing experience.

Here are some of the stories and tricks I actually remember from my college days.

1. At night, if you sit on the steps of the Rotunda and lie backwards, it looks like a dark, quiet river. (a little bit of alcohol helps this effect along)

2. While students apply to live in the Lawn rooms, and they usually go to those with the best resumes (editor in cheif of the newspaper, etc.) they give up a bit of luxury. There are fireplaces in the rooms, but no showers. To shower, they don their robes and slippers and walk outside and down the stairs to the communal showers. (even in the cold.)

3. When streaking the lawn, the streaker removes his clothes and hands them to a trusted friend (leaving them is perilous, you might not get them back.) The object is to start at the Rotunda, run all the way down to the statue of Homer, kiss his butt, and run back. Careful to avoid policemen, lawn residents with flashlights, and the occasional chains that cross the lawn. One friend of mine tripped and broke his leg because of a chain!

Thomas Jefferson is rarely given the credit he deserves for being an extrodinary American. Yes, there's scandal, but that's not what Jefferson was about. That's quite obvious at your first look at Monticello, which mean's 'little mountain.'

His home is full of intersting and unique ideas. Such as the clock over the entrance that measures the days of the week and the month of the year, as well as the time. (He ran out of room on the wall, cut a hole in the floor, and Saturday and Sunday are marked on the floor below.) He kept fossils that he found and other interesting artifiacts that he enjoyed.

It's also neat to learn that Jefferson didn't like to waste space with stairs in his architecture, so the staircases are very small and out-of-the-way. The gardens are also fabulous, and the slave history is facinating.

The tour usually ends with a visit to Jefferson's grave. His tombstone recognizes him for three things, the Declaration of Independence, and Father of the University of Virginia, to name the two I remember. President of the United States isn't one of them, which I think is a very humble approach to his life.

This is a whole-day activity, and fun for everyone in the family. Many aspects are hands-on.

The Downtown Mall is unique because it's not a mall at all, but rather shops lining a brick walkway. Each shop is an array of gifts and 'knick-knacks' and antiques. There's even a shop for cat lovers, and a paint-your-own pottery store (you pick out an un-painted plate, cup, etc. and then use their materials to paint and design the piece, and then they fire it.) Then, you can eat at the Hardware Store restaurant, which has a great candy shop, and foot-long beers.

During the fall of the year, Charlottesville is transformed. It''''s not the leaves or the change in weather, it''''s FOOTBALL. Home of the University of Virginia Cavaliers, Scott''''s Stadium has recently undergone rennovation. 20,000 seats were added, along with some architectural elements that make it blend in more with the rest of the school''''s Jeffersonian look. On any given Saturday, you can hear the roars from the stadium a mile away,especially if UVA is winning. If you''''re a college football fan, a game at UVA is certainly a way to enjoy the Charlottesville atmosphere.