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| A tickets I've wanted to have for a long time...(Admission to Montecello Estate, Charlottesville, VA) |
“Complicated,
flawed, human,” and with those words, the tour guide for my visit to Thomas
Jefferson’s Montecello Estate helped me better understand the real Thomas
Jefferson. When you hear those words clearly stated in the very house that the
American legend himself built, you must come away understanding that all of the
players in history read from the same script, the human script. I am not
suggesting that everyone behaves or does the same thing, that that individual
behaviors are filled with infinite possibilities and outcomes. This is the
reason I truly enjoy studying individuals and groups. You never know what
you’re going to get, and you’d better be ready to accept your discoveries.
If
George Washington was the tactical genius for our new country, Thomas Jefferson
was one of the country’s political geniuses. For me touring the Montecello
estate has long been a dream of mine ever since I realized that I loved
American history. It was the home of the man who drafted the Declaration of
Independence, guided early colonial politics through the heady storms of
revolution, and stayed in the game long enough to become the third President of
the Unites States. Aside from that, he was the ambassador to France for the
United States, the Governor of the state of Virginia and he founded the
University of Virginia. His presidency is certainly noteworthy as he brokered
the Louisiana Purchase and subsequently sent two guys named Lewis and Clark out
to see what he just bought. He's the type of guy a history buff would like to shake his hand...
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| Preparing to tour Jefferson's Montecello Estate in Charlottesville, VA |
So,
what type of house does a guy like Jefferson build for himself? A house that is
so unique and beautiful it’s one of the rare times where pictures that I take
actually do justice to the subject. Join me for a look around…
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| One of the most famous views in American architecture... |
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| Column and frieze details...brilliant. |
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| A stroll on the beautiful grounds... |
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| An impressive vista, just waiting for you to explore... |
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| Fresh and fragrent... |
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| History alive..ruins of a building from his early structures on the property. |
After
my tour of Montecello, and after asking a few locals for input, I headed over
to Michie Tavern, just outside of the Montecello grounds, for lunch. Michie
Tavern has been serving food to its customers since 1784 and its food is
legendary. I was wary at first, because it had all the markings of a tourist
trap: Buffet lunch (boring), servers dressed in period costumes (got my guard
up), and well-restored period construction buildings on site (selling me things
I don’t need). As wary as I was of Michie Tavern, I thought I’d ask the ticket
agent at Montecello about her opinion of their fare. She replied in one word, “Wonderful.”
That’s all I needed to hear…
Michie
Tavern serves up a southern feast that features the following items: Fried
chicken, smoked pulled pork, green beans, mashed potatoes, chick peas,, corn
bread, biscuits, and coleslaw. You go through the line once and take your seat
and dig in. After your first bites, you’ll quickly realize that you’ll want
more of everything. Lucky for you, your server will circulate with all of the
buffet items ready to serve your seconds (thirds, fourths…) tableside. Here’s
my summary of the meal: The BEST fried chicken I have EVER had, TREMENDOUS
pulled pork, and the sides each get an Oscar for best supporting actors. To
make the meal complete, Greg was our server and he was pleasant, prompt, and
gracious. I always feel that you can only have a great meal if the food is
great and service is great. Kudos, Greg, you’re awesome! Michie Tavern is a
legend and is nowhere close to being a “has-been” establishment. It’s good
enough to visit again and I know I’ll make the effort to get there, because, my
dear readers, it simply was THAT good.
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| Loving Michie Tavern! |
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| A plate of Southern hospitality...! |
Although
I wasn’t hungry for the rest of the day, another restaurant server from the
previous night’s dinner suggested I visit a place called Beer Run. All I needed
was a snack to get me through to breakfast the next day. What I found instead
was a heavenly sequel to lunch, an order of nachos that capped off my great
day.
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| Nachos good enough to show up in a social studies blog... |
In
the end, I know that my fellowship often focus on American history and geography.
Certainly a day spent at Montecello will easily become one of the highlights of
my studies, but the simple fact is that while history is important, today
certainly matters. It’s great to find the local spots, new tastes, twists on familiar
themes, and eateries different from the vin
ordinaire eating that is currently popping up at every exit.
Wherever
your adventures take you, choose your food wisely, you’ll never regret finding
a place that becomes special to you. Especially if you can have a laugh along the way...
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| My hat's off to you, President Jefferson! |
Thanks
for joining me today…~Mr. K.
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