Today we took a spin on Skyline Drive. 105 miles long, winding along the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with numerous pullouts for admiring views and hiking trails for attaining summits. With a speed limit of 35 mph, we thought perhaps we’d take in the first 20 miles or so then turn around. We discovered…
IX
Yesterday, after our Monticello visit, we had a couple hours to kill before our dinner reservation at an establishment called The Local so we drove back into Charlottesville and took a wander to the IX park (as far as I can tell, one pronounces it “Icks”). A place for murals with a brewery and a…
Clever Thomas
Our visit yesterday to Monticello was surprising in a number of ways. I had not realized how clever he was. He invented several gadgets that were on display. Jefferson positioned his bed in an alcove between his bedroom and study so he could roll out of bed into either room, maximizing work time. And when…
The conflicted splendor of Monticello
Thomas Jefferson, the brilliant but conflicted (some might say hypocritical) man. This was the subject of our outing today. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, located on a hilltop just south of Charlottesville, encompassing 5,000 acres. Above: from the pond at the visitors center The epitaph on the obelisk marking Jefferson’s grave and etched as dictated by Jefferson…
Marvelous clouds
A little walk yesterday evening
Glass and Mead
Uncomfortably hot and humid, we opted not to attempt a hike today. After a low-key morning walk we decided to visit a local glass blowing studio called Glass Hollow. A glass shaping lesson was in progress so we only watched for a few moments and then stepped into the air conditioned gallery. The gallery is…
Elderly mountains
While there are a few thousands of years of human settlement here (the Monacan Nation and other indigenous communities) the Blue Ridge Mountains, forming the eastern front range of the Appalachians, date back roughly 460 million years and stretch about 550 miles from southern Pennsylvania down through Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and into northern Georgia….
West to Virginia
Our route took us from Bethesda, Maryland, past Dulles airport and westward for a first stop in Middleburg. As mentioned previously, Middleburg is a tiny town with a population of 700. White, wealthy strongly right leaning politically but situated within a county that is fast moving left. Our intention was to stretch our legs and…
About those liquor laws
I got seriously addicted to Aperol Spritz’s while in Belgium and wanted to recreate the drink for my friends. All part of the lounge and sip program. We discovered the liquor laws in Maryland made it more difficult to scout out Aperol. Today we head to Virginia so where would we find this lovely elixir?…
Into Africa
We took another DC outing yesterday, Parking in Bethesda is problematic so as we did the day before, we hailed an Uber to a Red line station and hopped on the metro ending in DC a couple blocks from The Mall. What should have been a short walk across the Mall to our destination turned…
Wait…what? No wine at TJs!
Yesterday, we stopped at a Trader Joe’s in Bethesda for some groceries and wine. All part of the lounge and sip plan. We were shocked to find not a single bottle of spirits, wine or beer. Why? We asked a clerk. Maryland is one of only a handful of states that bans the sale of…
A DC Day
We experienced the DC metro…it’s not so bad. Our AirBnB is in the Chevy Chase area of Bethesda. We Ubered to the nearest metro station with Narta who hailed from Haiti. I asked how she was and for the rest of the ride we heard all about her life – the theme being one should…
Space, the final frontier
Or so says the Star Trek intro. The National Air and Space Museum, Steve Udvar-Hazy Center sits fittingly at the edge of the Dulles international Airport. Having time to kill before my companions arrived (see previous post), I hailed an Uber and alit in front of this giant hangar of a building. Inside, it was…
A brief foray eastward
I’m watching the sun rise through a smudged window on the 5th floor of the Hampton Inn in Sterling, Va. if you are not familiar, Sterling borders Dulles which is home to the Dulles International Airport (IAD). Right next to Washington DC. I am meeting my 3 college roommates for a fun time. Margaret, Nancy,…
Last day
Traveling brings me joy, discovery, education, surprise, anxiety and challenge. This trip did not disappoint. Many tourists / travelers give Belgium a miss. Except Brussels and Bruges. Even my Dutch friend, Hendrik, wondered why we made Belgium a destination. Belgium doesn’t market itself well, nor does it have that singular big draw, like the Eiffel…