Today we began exploring the hills and valleys surrounding
the Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains. We began our exploration on
Skyline Drive, which will eventually lead us to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Unfortunately, the day was a bit drizzly and the vistas look a bit unimpressive
in our photos, but I’m here to tell you that valley is lovely.
Map of the Day 151 Miles
Video of The Skyway in the Rain
We ended our day at Monticello, Jefferson’s home in
Virginia. I’ve heard so much about this magnificent house, I couldn’t wait to
see it. You must remember that we’ve seen a lot of grand homes on this tour and
this one was one of the earliest built. The house itself seems quaint compared
to everything else we’ve seen and a bit odd. The rooms seem arbitrarily placed –
little experiments if you will, but for the time they were wonders to behold.
The tour also fearlessly addressed the issue of Jefferson’s
slave ownership. We toured many of the structures that were used as workplaces
for the slaves Jefferson owned. Standing face to face with the conditions under
which these people were forced to live is always a powerful experience.
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