China pattern. This is a photo of the "salt dish"
Today we started early. Up before 7am, out the door before 9am. We wanted to get up to Monticello (home of Thomas Jefferson). Arrived at the top of the mountain by 9:15am and got tickets for the 9:40am tour of the house.
Before the tour started......at Monticello
We couldn't take any pictures inside the building, so this was from the side of the house after we finished the tour. Aside from Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson has always been one of my favorite presidents. He was the 3rd President of the US.
Tulips on the grounds were in full bloom. They were beautiful. It has been extremely hot in this area, and this followed a few days with lots of rain. Temperatures are suppose to drop 20 degrees in the next day or two, along with perhaps rain & wind, so today was probably the last day for tulips in their prime. They were spectacular.
Carol & Phyllis in front of his home.
Jefferson was very interested in agriculture. They still plant a huge garden on the grounds. While the seeds are different than 200 years ago, most varieties are the same.
Cemetery of the Jefferson family. I thought this arched tombstone was interesting and unique.
Carol & Phyllis standing with a bronze statue of Thomas. And he didn't move the whole time we were standing there!
Carol, Aunt Gerri & Phyllis - sitting at the pool in front of the visitor's center at Monticello. By the way, you may click on any photo to make it larger.
Driving up to James & Dolly Madison's home (4th President of the US) at Montpelier in Orange County Virginia.
Before touring Madison's home, we stopped for a picnic lunch on the grounds. After I finished eating, I laid down on the grass and took this photo of the trees & sky.
We didn't have a blanket, so we spread out a bunch of paper towels. Lunch consisted of ham & cheese sandwichs, grapes, apples & a glass of white wine. Oh yah, we were really roughing it!
This picture was the view Madison had from standing in front of his home at Montpelier. Very peaceful here.
Some of the huge trees in the back of Montpelier. The planks around the tree in the foreground represent the size of a slave's home. Two families lived in a home this size.
Carol standing in front of a huge old tree at Montpelier.
Our time in Keswick is drawing to a close. We leave in the morning after breakfast. And we're going to have waffles with strawberries. I've been craving waffles this entire trip. And we talked this morning about waffles. Then at Monticello I found a package of waffle mix and that's what we're having. We've definitely been eating our way through the south. Had steak last night and lasagna tonight. But we've been walking quite a bit too.
Oh, and we also went geocaching. Introduced my aunt to the sport. We only searched for one cache and once again it was within 5 miles of Gerri's house and she had never been to the site. I just love caching.
Final stop on this trip tomorrow. We will arrive in Urbanna, where Carol has a job starting Friday. Trip is winding down. More later.
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