Monticello does NOT mean "mountain of jello' in Italian

We drove to Monticello from Staunton this morning. Amy and I had visited about 16 years ago, and wow has it changed. There is now a huge Visitors' Center with a movie, museum, gift shop and shuttle buses to get to the actual house and Jefferson's grave.

Last time, we parked right next to the house and walked up to buy tickets. Our whole visit took about an hour.

Today, the computers were down, so all transactions were done by hand, and the scheduling system for the house tours was inoperable. So instead of timed tickets and small groups waiting to enter, there was a looong line with no plan for organizing people.

Our visit ended up being about 3 hours as a result, but we enjoyed learning all about Jefferson and his life and times. The company that now owns the site is busy building and restoring things to their original 1820 state and there was a lot of new stuff since our previous visit. No photography is allowed inside, so these exterior pictures are all we could take.

 We also visited the beer cellar

and museum, where an actual sculpted  bust of Jefferson dating from 1820 is housed.

Next we headed to Harper's Ferry WV (Almost Heaven!)

through miles and miles of gorgeous Virginia horse farm country. Hundreds of immaculately groomed and fenced farms, all with names, and many that are the homes of thoroughbred race horses bordered our route.

We wound through tiny 2 lane roads with one-lane bridges in places, with pretty scenery all around.

Finally we got to Harper's Ferry

and walked all around the historic site where John Brown's rebellion took place. (He was northern patriot who blew up the US arsenal there when he knew the Virginia confederate army was about to capture it. He got hanged for his trouble, but his legend made him hugely popular during and after the war.)

The fort he commanded was even dismantled and shipped to the Chicago Exposition in 1891, assembled, disassembled, and then shipped back and reassembled here again. And it's brick!

We stood on the peninsula at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers and watched the trains go by.

There is a park on the site of the original armory and lots of interesting info about the history of the area. The town has become pretty touristy, and still has some original buildings. We're thinking of buying this one and opening a B and B.

Finally we got back on the road and found the excellent Mountain Gate family buffet restaurant in Thurmont MD. We ate our fill and drove into Gettysburg. Sarah caught another great sunset on the way.

We are now ensconced in the Quality Inn Battlfield. We had a swim,

and are planning our day tomorrow. Check back then!