Monticello

Our tour of Presidential Homes concluded with Monticello -- home to our nation's third president, Thomas Jefferson.

Columbus Day Weekend 2011 was summer-like with its weather. Hard to tell in our pictures, but the beautiful weather brought out hordes of those sightseeing, like ourselves. We were very patient with our picture taking and were rewarded with some beautiful shots.

We began our trip to Monticello with a 4-hour wait before the next available tour. Fortunately they had a reasonably priced cafe on site, so we had lunch, then we watched a movie, toured the Children's Museum, and finally took the shuttle bus up to the main attraction.

We left the shuttle at 3 PM, with still nearly 2 hours before our 4:50 timed ticket. As luck would have it, the Slavery at Monticello Tour started at 3 PM. Formerly called the Plantation Tour, our tour guide told us about the 100+ slaves of Monticello who lived on Mulberry Row, instead of in the mansion. Much was discussed about Sally Hemings and her family. I was surprised to learn that Sally Hemings and Martha Wayles Jeffereson (Thomas Jefferson's wife) are believed to be half-sisters through their father.

Much was said about how Jefferson disagreed with slavery, yet had slaves. Yes, our Presidents are human and contradictory, just as are the rest of us.

The outdoor tour, nearly our hour in length, was more engaging than the indoor 40-minute tour. Inside we were herded through beautiful rooms by a tour guide more interested in asking us if we had any questions than in leading the discussion, or so it seemed. It was crowded that day. Tours seemed to take place every 5-10 minutes. Coming on the heels of visting Montpelier, and spending much time in the car on scenic back country roads, it was a long day.

http://www.monticello.org/