The Mariettas Visit Monticello

Jerry and Mary visited us in June and brought Rafe's cousin Lindsay. We all piled in the car and drove a couple of hours to Thomas Jefferson's estate, Monticello. Below Jerry walks Rafe and Lindsay up to the mansion to start our tour. This was the same day the U.S.A. played Ghana in the World Cup, and you can see Rafe is wearing his U.S. soccer jersey.


You can see the gardens on the hillside behind me. I am standing in a small lookout shelter in the middle of the gardens.


Thomas Jefferson's grave -- descendants of his family are still able to be buried in the small graveyard on his estate. Jefferson designed his own tombstone, setting out the three items he wanted to be remembered for: author of the Declaration of Independence, author of the document giving Virginians religious freedom, and father of the University of Virginia. You can see the University of Virginia from Jefferson's mansion. Jefferson died on the 50th anniversary of America winning its independence, July 4, 1826. John Adams (his close friend) died on the same day.


Sean gives Tom directions to the bus stop. Sean preferred Monticello over Mount Vernon (Washington's estate). Monticello is up on a hill in the middle of the mountains, and it is beautiful. I still prefer Mount Vernon, though. The support buildings for the Mount Vernon estate are still preserved or have been rebuilt (kitchens, stables, slave quarters, etc.), but no buildings are preserved at Monticello except the mansion. Monticello's mansion is more impressive, but Mount Vernon has a beautiful view sitting on top of a bluff above the Potomac River.