Thankfully there were no live stink bugs in our hotel room overnight. Kent told me not to look on the closed patio, which he said had many dead ones. After our make-your-own waffles breakfast that is all the rage, we left Lexington, Virginia behind. Off to Monticello we went.
Not surprisingly on a Saturday, it was busy, and we were waived in to the furthest parking lot, actually the staff parking. Yes, there was a line at the ticket desk, but it went quickly, the staff was quite friendly and welcoming, and the food at their restaurant was tasty and not horribly over-priced (more to come when I go in depth on this issue with Colonial Williamsburg later).
With the crowds and the valuable objects in the home, it is by timed tour only. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide. I couldn't take pictures or film inside, so you'll have to go yourself. I loved the library and his bedroom with the bed in a nook (which functioned better than the bed in the guest room). His grounds made me think of Biltmore with their rich variety and lushness. I was struck by how large his gravestone was compared to all the others in the family burial site, but I suppose that's to be expected.
After seeing all we could see at Monticello, we went in to Charlottesville and did our own tour of the University of Virginia, which Jefferson designed and looks a whole lot like Monticello. It apparently is in the midst of historic preservation, but that didn't stop a wedding couple from having their photos taken near the arcade.
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