Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
happy nowhere else and in no other society, and all my wishes end, where I hope
my days will end, at Monticello,' wrote Jefferson, who spent 40 years building his
dream home, finally completed in 1809. Today it is the only home in America desig-
nated a UN World Heritage site. Built in Roman neoclassical style, the house was
the centerpiece of a 5000-acre plantation tended by 150 slaves. Monticello today
does not gloss over the complicated past of the man who declared that 'all men are
created equal' in the Declaration of Independence, while owning slaves and likely
fathering children with slave Sally Hemings. Jefferson and his family are buried in a
small wooded plot near the home.
Visits to the house are by guided tours only; you can take self-guided tours of the
plantation grounds, gardens and cemetery. A high-tech exhibition center delves
deeper into Jefferson's world - including exhibits on architecture, enlightenment
through education, and the complicated idea of liberty. Frequent shuttles run from
the visitor center to the hilltop house, or you can take the wooded footpath.
Tours are also offered of the nearby 1784
Michie Tavern
( 434-977-1234;
www.michietavern.com
; 683 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy; adult/child $5/2; 9am-4:20pm)
and James
$14/8; 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, 11am-5pm Nov-Mar)
, 2.5 miles east of Monticello. A combo
ticket for all three sites costs $36. Visit the Michie Tavern during lunchtime, when
its dining room, the
Ordinary
(buffet $17; 11:15am-3:30pm)
, serves lunch buffets of
Southern delights such as fried chicken with biscuits.
Monticello is about 4.5 miles northwest of downtown Charlottesville.
Sleeping
There's a good selection of budget and midrange chain motels lining Emmet St/US 29
north of town. If you're after a reservation service, try
Guesthouses
( 434-979-7264;
www.va-guesthouses.com
; r from $150)
, which provides cottages and B&B rooms in private
homes. Two-night minimum stays are common on weekends.
White Pig
B&B$$$
( 434-831-1416;
www.thewhitepig.com
; 5120 Irish Rd; r $180-190; )
It's worth the
pilgrimage to the White Pig, about 22 miles southwest of Monticello. Rooms have pleas-
ant meadow and garden views, and there's a hot tub for guests. Located on the 170-acre
Briar Creek Farm, this B&B-cum-animal sanctuary has one of the most innovative ve-
gan menus in the state.
English Inn
HOTEL$$$
