Today marked our 10th wedding anniversary. We decided to celebrate our anniversary with a trip to Monticello- Thomas Jefferson’s home.
Monticello means little mountain, and it was built by slaves. The land was inherited by Thomas Jefferson from his dad, along with loads of debt. Yet, the debt did not phase Jefferson. He figured he would continue to make money and invested money to make more money, which did not pan out quite as planned. He was a genius self made architect and he designed Monticello by himself. He was 25 when he stated that he would build a house on the mountain. Slaves leveled off the mountain and cleared it to prepare it for a home. They also dug out the cellars.
One thing that is worth mentioning is that some of the hobbies that Thomas Jefferson has in common with both me and Raul are: clocks for Raul and gardening and culinary arts for me. I bet we would have gotten along just fine! Too bad for him we were born just a century or two too late! Hehe
Even though a lot of Jeffersons belongings were sold off, some artifacts remain and are now proudly displayed at Monticello. His home has been restored and there are some genius features that were incorporated into this property, such as a dumbwaiter for wine in the dining room, and a clock system in the main family room. Enjoy the pictures of the home below.
As you can tell, Jefferson had a fascination with gadgets, including clocks, and even a device to measure the distance traveled. I also found evidence of his passion for the gardens and gardening right on his nightstand!
Speaking of gardens, I was able to capture some amazing pictures of the gardens as well…and of course I purchased some seeds!
We had a great time and finished our trip with lunch at Michie Tavern, which lies right outside of the Monticello grounds. The food there is like the old days… simple and delicious!
Inga’s Creations 