When I was asked how I was getting around the country this summer most people did not expect a response of, a gold mini van, duh! How else should two awesome travelers get around thousands of miles and be able to pack to their hearts content?? So we loaded up the van with our organized totes, tubs, bags, coolers and a handy hanging rod for our clothes. Now, she just needed a name. Gold. Old. Golden Girl? Betty White! Betty for short. Let the fun begin.
Thank goodness Rebecca was driving because after my long stretch of miles from Denver I needed a break. As our friends would attest the sing-alongs had to start early. We found ways to keep awake by rocking though country jams, Glee, Wicked, Mumford, and of course some Disney. We knew this would be one of our longer days of driving so we kept our eyes open for some fun stops along the way. And just when we needed it the most- CHEESE. A simple billboard worth a thousand words. Betty instinctively pulled off the highway and headed to the farm. Sadly, no tours were happening due to construction, but we were able to taste plenty of samples and watch Rebecca's favorite cheese curds in action. I on the other hand chose the spiciest one I could find. Yum!
A couple hundred miles down the road and a few states later (Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee) we were ready for another break. This time we decided to stop for dinner in an adorable town, Roanoke, in Virginia. Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint was awesome. The decor was delightful with a disco ball covered in bras and awkward Barbies dangling down. A funky little place with wonderful food. We walked the town a bit before heading to the car to get a bit closer to our next destination.
Motel 6 may not be a fancy one but the room we got in Lexington, Virginia was clean and the air conditioning was perfect! All we needed was a good nights rest and then we could go see what Thomas Jefferson was up to.
Monticello was a gorgeous area to explore. The grounds were beautiful and although it was nice and hot out we walked around and saw how people lived during his time. Now I have to admit I don't know much about this founding father, so it was fascinating to learn more. He was quite the intelligent person. His house was filled with gadgets he had created and items I wish I could recreate to this day. Jefferson also wanted people to have the opportunity to educate themselves and filled his entry room with maps and objects others would not have the chance to see in their daily lives. His bed was in a small alcove with a movable wall if he wanted to just roll out of bed and head to his office to work. My absolute favorite part of his house was the wine dumb waiter in the dining room! A simple ding of a bell and a bottle was on its way up from the cellar. Now of course a lot of this work was done by Jefferson's slaves so not everything was sunshine and roses. Hundreds of slaves worked the grounds and kept the house running. Several were freed upon Jefferson's death and the entire house was sold to try to pay off the debt that was left.
After a good history lesson for the day it was time to move on to our next spot. Camping in Shenandoah National Park!
Thank goodness Rebecca was driving because after my long stretch of miles from Denver I needed a break. As our friends would attest the sing-alongs had to start early. We found ways to keep awake by rocking though country jams, Glee, Wicked, Mumford, and of course some Disney. We knew this would be one of our longer days of driving so we kept our eyes open for some fun stops along the way. And just when we needed it the most- CHEESE. A simple billboard worth a thousand words. Betty instinctively pulled off the highway and headed to the farm. Sadly, no tours were happening due to construction, but we were able to taste plenty of samples and watch Rebecca's favorite cheese curds in action. I on the other hand chose the spiciest one I could find. Yum!
A couple hundred miles down the road and a few states later (Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee) we were ready for another break. This time we decided to stop for dinner in an adorable town, Roanoke, in Virginia. Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint was awesome. The decor was delightful with a disco ball covered in bras and awkward Barbies dangling down. A funky little place with wonderful food. We walked the town a bit before heading to the car to get a bit closer to our next destination.
Motel 6 may not be a fancy one but the room we got in Lexington, Virginia was clean and the air conditioning was perfect! All we needed was a good nights rest and then we could go see what Thomas Jefferson was up to.
Monticello was a gorgeous area to explore. The grounds were beautiful and although it was nice and hot out we walked around and saw how people lived during his time. Now I have to admit I don't know much about this founding father, so it was fascinating to learn more. He was quite the intelligent person. His house was filled with gadgets he had created and items I wish I could recreate to this day. Jefferson also wanted people to have the opportunity to educate themselves and filled his entry room with maps and objects others would not have the chance to see in their daily lives. His bed was in a small alcove with a movable wall if he wanted to just roll out of bed and head to his office to work. My absolute favorite part of his house was the wine dumb waiter in the dining room! A simple ding of a bell and a bottle was on its way up from the cellar. Now of course a lot of this work was done by Jefferson's slaves so not everything was sunshine and roses. Hundreds of slaves worked the grounds and kept the house running. Several were freed upon Jefferson's death and the entire house was sold to try to pay off the debt that was left.
After a good history lesson for the day it was time to move on to our next spot. Camping in Shenandoah National Park!
No comments:
Post a Comment