Monday Morning..back at the cabin in N.C.

Well Sunday morning found us still in D.C. at the Parkview Marriott. We had a wake up of 5:30 to start the day as we wanted to visit Mount Vernon and then later in the afternoon Monticello. There was a couple hours of travel time between the two venues; so we started the day with once again a very tasty and complete breakfast compliments of the hotel. The buffet was awesome that started with a veggie omelet cooked to perfection by a chef, a waffle, sausages and then some great fruit and yogurt washed down with fresh squeezed orange juice. My what a spread they have on the weekends and that seems to be the time to come to D.C. as the industry is geared to the weekly folks to come to this area and so they try to fill the hotels on the week ends with special rates and complimentaries.

We headed south to Mt. Vernon to explore this beautiful plantation which takes about an hour or less depending on traffic. The I-95 corridor coming and going into the area was blocked with traffic even at the time of the day so we made many detours thanks to Kathryn's GPS and her ability to steer us away from the congestion. Well I must say Mt.Vernon sitting atop the high banks of the Potomac River was quite the grand place of its time and still offers a beautiful view of the gardens and the surrounding areas. We took tours through the house which was interesting, we did learn that much of the furnishing were not original but were in tune with that period of time. Washington was a rather large man at over 6'2" in height which was unusual for that time as well. We visited the grave site which was very impressive for both him and Martha and many of their family members. We also was part of the laying of a wreath between the two marble mausoleums that contained their bodies in a short ceremony. The fields and outbuildings were consistent with his first desire as a farmer with the many innovation's evident for that period.

We witnessed one of those by the use of horses trampling the dried wheat from their stalks in a round building thus threshing the grain causing it to fall between narrow cracks in the floor where it was then scooped up and placed into containers for the gristmill and later for baking bread and other dishes. This plantation was one of the finest for that period and later became a showplace for when he became the president and father of our country. We spent 3 hours and could have spent the whole day but we wanted to visit Monticello near Charlottesville which was about anther 3 hour or so drive south and into the heart of Virginia.

The drive to Monticello took us through what appeared to be horse country with some magnificent farms and beautiful old homes. We took a 2 lane road and went through some small towns with beautiful scenery as we approached the mountain top plantation at Monticello. Jefferson like Washington was a farmer at heart but was more mechanically inclined with his innovations for both his mansion and the farms. His house has more of the original furnishings as well and while it's not quite as large to the eye what you didn't see was the underground areas where much of the daily activities took place with not as many out buildings. His view was spectacular as well with the mountains off in the distance. We were able to see his private study and bed chamber where he passed away on July 4th and on the same day that his friend and adversary at times John Adams passed as well. Both Washington and Jefferson were responsible for much of the success our nation received at the early stages of independence from England and the beginnings for the birth of our nation. Jefferson to was a rather tall man for that period at well at over 6 feet in height and while his burial place is not as ornate as Washington it is on his plantation. Both of these plantations are a must too see and while restorations are being made to maintain these building which are well over 200 hundred years in age many of the original facets are in place especially at Monticello.

Well it was after 5 before we left and our feet were barking for some sit down time so we headed over to Cracker Barrel for a sumptuous supper. Wow did we ever do so walking the past 3 days. We stopped in Waynesboro to eat heartily after skipping lunch again for the third day in a row. Seems were had such great breakfasts and we were so enthralled with what we were seeing hunger never entered out minds except for an occasional icee( Patrick's weakness) and ice cream cones. We had weather that was perfect throughout the trip. One afternoon we sought a little shade on the Mall but it wasn't really that uncomfortable despite walking continuously with thousands of other tourists. We had great fortune with parking, no long lines and just an ideal trip and of course we had a fabulous time with Kathryn and Patrick and the eating was superb with great waiters throughout.

We got to their cabin around 10 and then transferred our luggage and headed to the cabin around 10:30. After a hot shower it was bedtime with lights out just before midnight. Oh how good it is to sleep in your own bed and this morning we awakened to rain on the tin roof, LATER

Just a note the active duty soldier in the red shirt standing by the marble mausoleum of Washington who had the honor of placing the wreath in a small ceremony. This was very moving to us all and what a privilege for him to tell of this instance.