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Exploring Shenandoah

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

September 27th-28th

Shenandoah National Park, one of the first big East Coast parks, is within 100 miles of Washington D.C. and is a popular destination for many city dwellers looking for a breath of fresh air. The most popular time to visit is late September and October when the fall colors are in full force. We were there in prime time. The trees were starting to turn from their summer green to amazing reds and oranges. We saw lots of deer and a bear run across the road. The only downside to our visit was the weather- it was cool and foggy and we had a fair amount of rain. Most of the viewpoints were obstructed by the fog, but we managed to do some nice hiking and filled our lungs with plenty of fresh air. Herbert Hoover kept his summer White House in Shenandoah and we hiked to the site where the buildings are…most of them are restored and used for meetings and employee housing. We also explored the visitor center where we learned about a darker side of National Park story- hundreds of people were evicted from their lands when the park was created.

The weather finally cleared up as we were leaving the park, so our final views were of bright blue skies. We’ll have to return another time to fully appreciate the myriad of colors and views.

Discovering Thomas Jefferson and Shenandoah National Park

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

September 26th

Chronologically, our American history tour was starting to make a big zigzag. The next stop on our trip was Monticello, the beloved home of Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States. From my childhood, I remembered visiting the house on a school trip- it’s not an ordinary plantation house- it was built on the whims of a somewhat eccentric man. The house itself is built in the shape of an octagon. It’s full of 18th and 19th century gadgets with which Jefferson had an obsession. Throughout the house and the accompanying museums we’re reminded of the conflicted nature of Mr. Jefferson: his endless fight for freedom, yet acceptance of slavery and his difficulties managing money. Yet, as a person stricken by wanderlust myself, I find him very inspiring. I guess that I’m not alone because the tours were full on this cool autumn day.

From Monticello we stopped at the Michie Tavern, a restored 18th century tavern nearby, just to have a look and then drove to Charlottesville, home of the University of Virginia. We parked downtown and had a walk along the pedestrian mall which was full of quaint cafes and restaurants. This is something that most U.S. cities could use more of. On the way of town we drove through the UVA campus, also conceived by Thomas Jefferson.

Our destination for the evening was Shenandoah National Park. We picked up Skyline Drive, the beautiful road that brings people out of the cities and into the mountains. As soon as we got a little higher in altitude, we were in a thick fog. By the time we settled in to our campsite for the evening, everything was cloaked in a damp, thick fog. We felt like we were cast in the Blair Witch Project- so needless to say it was not a good night for ghost stories around the campfire.

The Shirley Plantation and Richmond, VA

Thursday, October 20th, 2011
September 25th We checked out of our hotel (back to camping) and continued the road north. We stopped at Shirley Plantation on the James River. It is the oldest still functioning plantation in the United States and has stayed in the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg, VA

Thursday, September 29th, 2011
September 24th We were staying a couple of miles from Colonial Williamsburg so we decided to venture there on Saturday morning. We were overwhelmed by the Disneyland-esque visitor center and $40 admission fee to the sites, so we decided to ... [Continue reading this entry]