Saturday, March 7, 2009

Charlottesville, Virginia: Monticello


That's right. The one that's on the nickel.

Thomas Jefferson remains one of our most fascinating founding fathers, a man of intelligence, curiosity and contradictions. His house just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, reflects that. It's on top of a small mountain with a fine view, and has some other buildings and gardens that come with the tour.

Visitors park about a half-mile away, pay for tours -- change is given in $2 bills, the one with Jefferson on it -- and head to the complex. It might be worth it to walk back, passing Jefferson's grave along the way. As you probably remember from school, he died on July 4, 1826, 50 years to the day after the founding of the country and on the same day as John Adams' death.

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