It took almost 15 years, but I finally made it to Monticello the other day! Jesse had never been there either so we decided to take a quick trip to Charlottesville, Va., to see Thomas Jefferson’s unique manse.

It was very crowded for a Tuesday morning, but it was July after all. Visitors are allowed only on the first floor of the house, the basement and slave quarters (and not the upstairs) so that was a little disappointing. But the weather was absolutely gorgeous so that made up for it.

My favorite part of the house was the alcove beds. I liked Jefferson’s idea of not wasting space – right down to the narrow staircases. Jesse’s favorite parts were the automatic French doors in the parlor and Jefferson’s closet system above his bed.

Here is a picture of Jesse outside the front of Monticello, and me outside of the back.

What an interesting man Jefferson was! There are, of course, controversies about him, but I admire his enthusiasm for education and his curiosity about a myriad of subjects.

I also liked the garden area. We saw the largest butterflies we’ve ever seen flying about the flowers in the garden.

We also enjoyed the scenic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the mountaintop where Monticello is situated. I can see why Jefferson was enthralled with the land and wanted to spend the rest of his life there.