Captivating Charlottesville

You have to know that something special is awaiting you in Charlottesville when you realize that three of our former presidents chose it for their homes. Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe all had their homes here. It is also the home of the University of Virginia.

We began our visit with a stop at the Monticello Visitor Center. This will give you a good overview of the man and the home. There are loads of displays, a video, and a very nice gift shop.

Monticello the home that Jefferson created can only be visited on a tour. You park your car and then buy timed tickets. You are bused up the hill and taken through in groups. The grounds, gardens, and the cemetery you may visit on your own though additional tours are also offered.

Michie Tavern is also visited on a tour but it was much smaller and very much more relaxed. We also chose to have a late lunch here which was very good and atmospheric to boot. Of course part of the atmosphere may be due to all the resident ghosts that they have.

Ash Lawn-Highland, the home of the James Monroe, is again a completely different experience and also can only be visited on a tour. Given the smaller size, the groups are limited in number. There are out buildings and kitchen areas that can be visited on your own. A very fine gift shop awaits you at the end of your tour.

Montpelier for me this was the most interesting of all the houses. To watch them restore from the studs up is a fascinating experience. Completion is expected in 2007 and I can’t wait to see the final results. I find the petite duet Dolly and James Madison a fascinating couple, they are a great example of opposites attracting.

University of Virginia take a student led tour of the quadrangle and hear intimate details of life at UV both past and present. The buildings were designed by Thomas Jefferson and you will feel his influence everywhere.

Quick Tips:

This is not an area known for big bargains however but purchasing the Presidential Pass you can save over the individual price of Monticello, Ash Lawn-Highlands, Michie Tavern, and Montpelier. The cost for the adult pass is .

After a great deal of consideration we chose to stay at the Dinsmore House B&B which is within walking distance of the University of Virginia. If you are more of a hotel person the Courtyard by Marriott is right behind the bed-and-breakfast. This is a very interesting area to be in. There are lots of restaurants and shops within an easy walk. There is always a high level of energy in a University community.

We only allowed two nights in Charlottesville and to be honest that wasn’t enough. I would highly recommend at least three but even better four nights.

To get the latest information on where to eat and things to do visit:

www.charlottesvilletourism.com and
www.incharlottesville.com

Best Way To Get Around:

The nearest airport is Charlottesville Albemarle Airport which is serviced by United, Delta, US Airways, and Northwest Airlines. It is located eight miles north of the city.

Charlottesville is on the Amtrak Crescent line with daily service from Washington DC’s Union Station .
Buses are also available several times daily from DC and Greyhound has a station in Charlottesville.

There is a free trolley that can take you from most downtown areas to the University of Virginia. Map of free trolley route and for local bus service check the following link CTS bus schedule and routes. The cost is 0.75 per one way ride. There is a daily pass and a book of ten tickets can be purchased for . You must have exact change to get on the bus.

We had a car which is necessary to visit Montpelier, Monticello, and Ash Lawn-Highland. From Dinsmore House we could walk to the campus of UV in five minutes.

If you are looking for an oasis of civility amid the chaos of the city, this is the bed-and-breakfast for you. If is right down the street from the University of Virginia. I was just a little taken aback when I saw the beautiful brick house dwarfed by the towering Marriott Courtyard Hotel which seems to surround it. This as it turns out is not a bad thing, the Marriott provides six secure parking spots for hotel guests as well as access to their pool and gym. You can then leave the cookie cutter behind and come to your private world at the Dinsmore House.

Ryan and Denise Hubbard and their very sweet dog Maggie have taken on a labor of love in restoring the Dinsmore House to its former glory. Built and designed by renowned architect James Dinsmore, the house was originally called Livers House. Dinsmore worked as a master carpenter for Thomas Jefferson on both Monticello and Poplar Forest and later was recommended to Benjamin Latrobe for work on the nation’s Capitol. "James Dinsmore a more faithful, honest and respectable man I have never known." Thomas Jefferson.

Today you have your choice of six rooms and suites. We had the Dinsmore Room for our first night and the Jefferson Suite for our second. There is a discount applied when you stay two or more midweek days. Breakfast is served from 8am to 9:30am in either the dining room or on the sun porch. It was delicious and abundant both days.

In the afternoon you will be welcomed with a wine and cheese social. I had a glass of very fine white wine and a nice chat with Ryan about the Inn. The parlor is a warm and welcome place to gather and meet the other guests. If you would like a cold drink, there is a small fridge on the porch.

The Dinsmore Room was large with an impressive king size four poster bed. There are no stairs to mount it but it was doable. We have a wing chair and an antique sofa to watch our TV. There is an armoire to store our clothes as well as an antique dressing table. The little bowl of chocolates is a nice touch as is the bottled water. There is wireless Internet access throughout the house however, in the Dinsmore room I had to climb under the bed to plug my laptop in.

The Jefferson Suite had two rooms with a separate parlor where I could easily use the coffee table to hold my computer and the entrance is through a private outside door not through the house. What was nice was that our luggage was moved for us between the two rooms by housekeeping while we were out.

If you want to leave your car and take the free downtown trolley you just walk down to 11st Street and cross to the other side of the street.

Located at the Corner you can’t find a restaurant better situated to the University of Virginia. Look for Little John’s Deli, go right past it and you will find the door to Michael’s right around the corner. Located on the second floor they have what is purporting to be the best view of the Rotunda of any restaurant. I can’t verify this since I wasn’t aware of it nor did I sit outside when I was there.

Be prepared to be dazzled by their beer menu. I was and I am no neophyte. I was so impressed that I had to order a sampler. This allows you to pick four of their draught beers in a five-ounce size. I tried the La Rulles Tripel (Belgian); Guinness Stout (Irish);Fuller’s London Pride Pale Ale (English); and a Jever Pilsner (German). All very interesting and only $4.75. Now if I didn’t want a sampler your choice is far wider, Hoegaarden, Leffe Blonde, Chimay Blue Label, Duvel and Kasteel Bacchus, to just give you an idea of some of the ever-changing variety. The US isn’t forgotten either with Rogue Hazelnut brown Ale and Ace pear cider to just name two. Al had a Bud light so there really is something for everyone.

Now even if they didn’t serve food the beer would be good enough to get you here. But the food is better than good, it’s great I had an appetizer, the baked brie. It was a wheel of brie drizzled with clover honey and covered with slivered granny smith apples, sliced strawberries and fresh blueberries and toasted almonds. Served with a baguette it is one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. The combination of sweet and tart and molten cheese with crispy fruit, this is a combination I plan to duplicate when I get home.

Al had the pork tenderloin, marinated in blueberry-rum; it was served with wild rice and broccolini and topped with Maine blueberry salsa fresca which combined blueberries and red onions. It was perfect. He insisted on giving me a piece even though I was perfectly content with my brie. Needless to say after one bite I relished my slice.

Our waiter Mikie (not Mike or Michael) was perfect. He was always checking to make sure we were all right. He even took the time to discuss my different beer choices with me. He was always there when we needed him but he never was intrusive. We asked for the dessert selection and it was chocolate mousse and crème brûlée. Tempting but not tempting enough for me to try to fit it into my bulging stomach.

Michie Tavern is a very historic tavern. Originally located about 17 miles down the road it has an interesting history. Today you can take a tour, do some shopping and have lunch. Tours begin on the half hour so we decided since it was 1:25pm it made more sense to take the tour first even though we were hungry. By 2:15pm we were really hungry. There is a sign outside that says "wait to be let in", we barely reached the porch before the door was opened for us to enter.

Lunch is served from 11am to 3pm, this is the only meal they serve. It is served buffet style and I had no idea what to expect. You grab a pewter style plate, silverware, and a tray, and start serving yourself. Coleslaw was the first offering and it looked as if it had been put together within the minute, it was that fresh. It was followed by potato salad, green bean salad, black-eyed peas, stewed tomatoes, pulled pork, fried chicken, biscuits, rolls and corn bread. Drinks other than water are extra. We had water which is served in a metal cup.

So far there was nothing really unusual happening here other than the fact that one of the drink choices was cider. You take your tray and try to find a seat. Unfortunately we couldn’t sit in the more historic part we did however find a table on the porch. My only complaint is that the seats are benches. Not great on my back but really it is a very minor complaint.

I am about to rave about the food. The chicken was wonderful, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and I had a huge breast, Al had two legs. Oh did I forget to mention that if you want seconds your serving wench will bring them to you. Everything we tried was good and some of them were really good. The stewed tomatoes were... I am at a loss, divine. I don’t know what they put in them but they are sweet.

I asked our wench if the menu is always the same and she said yes, except the potato salad becomes mashed potatoes and the green bean salad becomes green beans and they add vegetable soup. For dessert they offer peach cobbler with or without ice cream and an ice cream sandwich. We shared a peach cobbler ala mode. It was wonderful, warm and sweet with the cold ice cream melting all over. I added a steaming cup of coffee again in the metal cup. Remember, don’t grab the cup, only the handle. Very satisfying. Now historic satisfaction doesn’t come cheap. The basket buffet is $14.95.

"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden." T. Jefferson

I am probably the only American not particularly enthused with Thomas Jefferson. I think it began when I realized that he had probably fathered some of children of Sally Hemings and hadn’t freed her or them. That just rubbed me wrong. That the man who had drafted the Declaration of Independence would have owned slaves was bad enough but to keep his own children as slaves... okay. Anyway I could not pass up the chance to see this wonderful house.

Even on a weekday in October there were a lot of people visiting. You purchase your ticket down below and take a shuttle bus to the top of the hill. We chose to walk back down on our own. You then get in line and wait to take a half hour guided tour of the interior of the house. One of Jefferson’s grandchildren complained that "people came to stare at her grandfather like a lion in a menagerie" and in some ways his house attracts very much the same attention today.

Steve was our guide and we followed him around from room to room listening to tidbits of information about Jefferson and his passion, Monticello. We learn that Jefferson was very much the gentleman farmer and beyond his ventures into politics enjoyed his time spent building the home of his dreams. He was a man who lived by a schedule and there is a clock in every room. We were there at 11:45am and he would have been writing letters at that time. The desk in his private sitting room was made by John Hemings.

A visit to his book room is eye opening. What we see are the books he acquired after 1815 when he sold his personal library to the Library of Congress. He kept meticulous records of everything he owned and where it was in his library. There is a copy of Don Quixote. He learned Spanish in order to read the original explorers travel journals.

Jefferson was a self taught architect who was influenced by the style of Paladio. The friezes on his bedroom ceiling are taken from Paladio’s book. The design of the University of Virginia was the hobby of his old age.

Monticello was sold to pay the debts by Jefferson’s grandson. It was a private home until 1923. At that time the project of returning the personal items began.

Beyond the house itself there are extensive excavations to walk through, gardens and the cemetery where the family is buried. After the cemetery it is easier to just keep going back down the hill on your own as opposed to walking back to the front of the house where the bus picks you up.

There are several very nice gift stores scattered around the property. Allow at least 2 or 3 hours to visit here.

If you have purchased the Presidential Passport then you have already paid for your visit to Michie Tavern. Tours are given on the half hour so keep that in mind when visiting. Our guide Jen King is very knowledgeable about the Tavern and certainly made the tour very interesting.

Michie Tavern was built in 1763 about 17 miles away from where it now stands. It stayed in the family for 150 years. Everything in the tavern is from the 18th century. Including a few uninvited guest who are especially active at this time of the year. I did not get any unusual images on my pictures but one man in our group of twelve did, that’s how the topic came up. This tavern would have been a stage stop between Richmond and the frontier.

The first room we visited was the gentlemen’s parlor. There is a table set for the evening snack that would have been served about 10pm here. It would include cheese and bread, pies and some sweet ginger to help with digestion. There is a gaming table in the room. 18th century men loved to play games, cribbage, dominos, checks, and all sorts of card games. Gambling was illegal but the men did it anyway. The men would have also rented a pipe from the tavern keeper to smoke some tobacco. Of course the men would have drank as well, the alcohol would have been served from behind the tap bar, in the tap room and there was always a man to tend the barred room, thus bartenders. They would have probably been drinking one of the punches which considering how much alcohol was in them packed quite a punch When it was time for sleep the men rented a spot. The chairs were then hung on pegs on the wall, the original chair rail.

Our next stop was the ladies parlor. Here the women would have rested away from the men. We learn a little about the clothes that an 18th century woman would have worn and also how to play a dulcimer. One of the more interesting facts was the language of the fan and how the ladies used them. We also got a chance to try our hand at writing with a quill. My effort isn’t too bad. If you brought your own candles the innkeeper would remind you to mind your own beeswax.

Upstairs we learned how to dance. It was great fun. We lined up in two rows and alamand to the right, the left and doe-see-doed. We then sashayed down the center under an arch of arms. Finally we formed a circle and went left, right and then center with a hardy hoozzah. I had a Jane Austen moment, it was Pride and Prejudice all over again.

The tour ends on the first floor in the keeping room. This is a very interesting and interactive tour.

"Another of my wishes is to depend as little as possible on the labor of slaves" J. Madison.

I have to say of the three presidential homes in the Charlottesville area, Montpelier is my favorite. There are several reasons for this. First I really like the Madisons, visiting the house will reinforce the fact that this was a very affectionate couple who remained close to the end of his life.

What is really appealing here, though is seeing history from the bones up. Montpelier is a work in progress or rather a work having all the progress removed. Work is underway to restore Montpelier to the house that the Madison’s lived in. Montpelier was in the Madison family from 1760 until it was sold by Dolley in 1844.

Over the years additions and alterations were made including one by Mr. Dinsmore, of the Dinsmore House B&B, I found this of particular interest. In the early 1900s the Dupont family added two wings which are in the process of being removed. The house will be brought from 55 rooms down to 22 rooms. This offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a restoration of this type up close and personal.

You will purchase your ticket to visit at the gift store which is across the street and down the road a piece. You then drive onto the property. There is a portable trailer where you get an orientation talk. You visit the house on a guided tour. Size of tours is controlled for obvious reasons, our group was 14 people. Marsha was our guide. We walk into the house where we can see down to the lathes. We are told that anything that is original and structurally sound will be left. 80% of the floors are original and almost all the doors. The bricks were made on the property and all the brick in the dining room is original.

One of the really wonderful discoveries during the restoration was an original door that connected James Madison’s bedroom with. It had been hidden by later construction.

After touring the house you can walk in the gardens or go to the museum where you will see a video called "Discovering Madison". There are also rooms constructed here as they will look when the house is complete and there is original furniture on display.

We decided that we would also walk to the Madison graves. Let me warn you ahead of time that this is a very long walk. Maybe half a mile on a dirt path. By the time we realized how far it was it was too far to give up and turn back. I’m glad we went but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

There is also a slave cemetery along the way. There are several ongoing archaeological sites being worked. Thomas Jefferson called his friend "The best farmer in the world".

Work is scheduled to be completed in early 2008 when I hope to return.

Founded and designed by Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia was the project of his old age. Not only was he an active contributor but he hosted dinners for the students at his home Monticello. The design of the university is unique. He planned 10 pavilions where professors would live upstairs and teach downstairs and these were connected by one level high student housing. At the head of the lawn would stand the library, at most universities it would have been the chapel. It was founded on logic and knowledge and here was no religious affiliation.

We walked up to the campus from our B&B. It is a beautiful campus and the Rotunda is outstanding. Guided tours are offered by students of the University and we opted to take the tour. Jesimel Jenkins, a third year student, was our guide. We met in the Rotunda. Here we learn that this is not the original building. In 1895 the Rotunda burned to the ground and what was rebuilt was an exact replica.

While we are touring the Rotunda we get to see the ‘hot seat" the chair where doctoral candidates read their dissertation. If it isn’t up to standards they take it from your hands and throw it in the fire. You need to be able to climb stairs to take this tour. We went up three flights of stairs.

After touring inside we walk out to the lawn to hear about the "Code of Honor" and the student housing along the lawn. 54 4th year students receive the honor of living in the lawn housing. We were lucky because one of Jesimel’s friends has housing here and he opened his door and let us see his room. They are very nice and historic but they have no plumbing. Students must use public bathrooms and showers. (That’s a bummer.) Professors are also chosen to have the Pavilion housing, they however get to stay until they want to move out.

The University was founded in 1825 and had 123 students. In 1995 there were 18,000 students. The University remained open during the Civil War and even though the enrollment dropped to below 100, it was able to survive. The first Afro American student graduated from UVA in 1953. Today the University of Virginia is ranked #2 in Public Universities in the U.S. and among private and public #24. Mr Jefferson would have been proud.

The guided tour takes one hour but allow more time to tour the Rotunda on your own and to walk around the campus.

If you are expecting something on the scale of Jefferson’s Monticello or even James Madison’s Montpelier you will find Ash Lawn a severe disappointment. We went in knowing very little about what to expect and were indeed very pleasantly surprised by the simplicity we found.

From the outside Ash Lawn looks a great deal more like John Adams home in Quincy Ma. than any other presidential home I have visited. That being said the grounds are lovely and of course John Adams didn’t have slave cabins.

One of the really interesting things we learned on our tour, and the house must be visited on a tour, is that Eliza Monroe went to school with Hortense Beauharnais, the step daughter of Napoleon Bonaparte. Her portrait as well as her brother Eugene’s hangs at Ash Lawn. There is also a portrait of their headmistress Madam Campan. The women remained friends for life and Eliza even named one of her daughters Hortensia Monroe Hay.

Kristine was our guide. We arrived just as a tour was forming but the size is controlled so we waited for the next tour, which turned out to be much smaller. While we were waiting we toured a small room with some interesting items, including an 1830 engraving believed to be the last from life likeness done of the president. There are seven ongoing archaeological projects going on at Ash Lawn and these are covered in this room as well.

Tour leave about every ten minutes and last 40 minutes. Group sizes are usually between 15 and 20 and this can make it seem quite crowed in some of the rooms.

Ash Lawn really is two houses that have been basically stuck together. A fire devastated part of the house in 1880 and a new Victorian wing was attached; the wing is quite a bit larger than the original house.

Kristine was very knowledgeable about the Monroe’s and we learn a lot about his early life in Westmorland County, his time learning law with Thomas Jefferson and his service in the Revolutionary War. He was wounded at the battle of Trenton and the bullet remained in his shoulder for the rest of his life.

We move through the parlor, the drawing room, the study, the master bedroom and the children’s room. Much of the furniture that we see in the rooms has been donated or is on loan. Many of the pieces belonged to the Monroe’s including the cradle and President Monroe’s desk where he wrote the Monroe Doctrine. Also a mirror in the bedroom is original to the White House.

The tour continues to the Kitchens which are entered from outside and then you are free to tour the cabins and grounds on your own. There is a very fine gift store. Allow about 75 minutes to make a thorough visit.