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…
Day: June 9, 2026
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…