Since I’ve been home, I’ve been looking for the excitement and beauty in my own state of Virginia instead of only feeling satisfied by European culture. I’ve lived here since January 2001, so sometimes it can get boring. But then other times I realize how much of this state I have not seen.
Virginia may not seem like an exciting place, but Virginia is full a history. It was the place of the first permanent English settlement in the New World (I actually live in the city where they first landed), it was home to many battles in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and it is the birthplace to eight US presidents, more than any other state: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson. Four of the first five presidents of this country hailed from this great state, and it turns out that Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe were all bros.
So to keep things interesting, we have taken a few day trips to the presidents homes. In the past year we’ve been the George Washington’s Mount Vernon and James Madison’s Montpelier. I’ve been to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, but it’s been a good fifteen years or more. Hopefully we’ll get over there soon!
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon was the home of our first president, George Washington. Located in Northern Virginia, it’s a short ride outside of Washington, D.C. to the mansion. Be warned though: parking is very limited, so if you go on a weekend with nice weather, prepare to drive around for a while looking for a spot.
Tickets for Mount Vernon are $20, but you might be able to get a discount if you buy online and/or are military. The ticket grants you admission to see the house and walk around on the grounds. There’s also a video beforehand narrated by Pat Sajak!
My parents had been to the mansion a few months before, but the weather had been so hot and humid that they didn’t really get to enjoy it. So when we went, the weather was very pleasant to enjoy the environment. We walked over to the mansion. Honestly, it’s a bit modest for someone who was seen as such an important figure, definite celebrity status. As we walked up to the house, trees line the path with signs indicating their year. Some of the trees are as old as our country!
Unfortunately, photography is not permitted inside the house, so no pictures from the insides! I will tell you, the coolest bit in there was the key to the Bastille. Yes, THE Bastille. The Marquis de Lafayette stayed friends with many of the Founding Fathers even after helping out during the Revolutionary War. He gave the key to the Bastille to Washington as a thank you, and so it is hanging, framed, on the walls of his house.
You walk through the house at your own pace, but there are no tours. It doesn’t take much time to walk through the house, but it is well worth it. If you have any questions, there are plenty of people along the way to help you. After walking through, you can stop off onto the side and visit the slave portion where you can see where and how they did the laundry, the cooking, and other housekeeping activities.
Apart from the house, there are also many of acres of natural land to explore. You can see where the crops were grown, and how. Washington actually was very scientific and developed new ways of producing crops. For example, there is a cabin where he created a new way to mill wheat. Previously, people spent many hours trying to pick the seeds out of the wheat themselves. Washington developed the idea to have the horses walk over the wheat and have the seeds fall through the floor to separate the wheat from the seeds quickly. (The period-costumed guides can explain it a lot better than me!)
The acreage is also filled with a lot of nature and it’s on the Potomac River. You can take boat rides along the river, for a price, of course. And, you can’t leave without stopping by Washington’s tomb on the way down to the water. There is so much more to see, such a museum, and if you have some time, a distillery where he made alcohols.
Many famous people and world leaders have stopped by Mount Vernon over the years. You can see pictures of Queen Elizabeth, many presidents, and other politicians over the past half century. It’s a very lovely place to visit, and you yourself can add to the list of people who have made a visit to the first president’s house.
James Madison’s Montpelier
James Madison has a little place in my heart, more than most people. I am a graduate of James Madison University, so he is like a rock star to our community. I’ve always thought he was underrated, and after visiting Montpelier, I 100% believe that he doesn’t get as much credit as he should. Both he and his wife were some of the coolest people. However the Father of the Constitution is overshadowed by his BFF Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers.
I’m going to be honest. Montpelier is kind of in the middle of nowhere. It’s about an hour south of Charlottesville, home of Thomas Jefferson’s house. But, if you have a half day available, it’s worth it. First off, the surrounding nature is gorgeous. It’s nestled in the foothills of the mountains. Beautiful tree-filled mountains form the backdrop of Montpelier.
The house is probably about the same size of Mount Vernon, but unlike George Washington’s estate, tours are available! There are a few tours to choose from, from the general tour to the Dolly Madison tour. All cost $20 (discounts available). We just took the general tour and it lasted about an hour. The tour takes you through James Madison’s mother’s room, the drawing room, the dining room, a few bedrooms, and the library. Our tour guide was super cute and knowledgeable; she really wanted us to have a good experience in his house.
James and Dolley Madison were probably some of the coolest people. James Madison studied heavily previous world governments and what made them successful and what what led to their failures. He could read and write in seven different languages, meaning he could studying from an amazing array of books. With all this information, he outlined the Constitution and wrote the Bill of Rights, the cornerstone of our government to this day.
Dolley Madison, on the other hand, considered the first First Lady, was also incredibly intelligent and was always in charge of making sure the guests were entertained when they had people over at their house. When they lived in DC during his presidency, she was incredibly popular in the social circles. Even after James died, she moved back to DC and was highly sought after. She was even given an honorary seat in Congress. She couldn’t vote on this issues, but she often attended sessions of Congress. Back in that day, there were often heated arguments and sometimes even fights. Maybe we should bring that back …
There is not as much to see and experience as Mount Vernon, but there are still some cool things to see. It’s about 4,000 acres totals. There’s a garden (make sure the close the gate to keep the deer out!), slave quarters, and trails that go around the estate. There’s also an archeological site.
Before Dolley Madison died, she sold the house to the Dupont family to pay off debts. They lived in the house until the late 20th century when the heirs donated the house. Since then, they have been trying to put the house back to the way it was when the Madisons lived there. A team of archeologists continue to search for things that belonged to the house. The girl we saw was covered in mud from working in the morning. You can see some of the artifacts found in a building on the edge of the estate.
We ended our day to Montpelier visiting the graves of the Madison family. James Madison had wanted a simple grave with no markings, as it was with the rest of his family. However, people later came in and placed a large obelisk on top of his grave, and a smaller one on top of Dolley’s.
It’s sometimes hard to see how undervalued the Madison family was. He was sickly and quiet compared to his best friend (for fifty years), Thomas Jefferson. Madison, however, helped develop the country and maintain its independence, especially during the War of 1812. His wife had an incredibly personality – I want to be her friend! Now I want to read more about this family and learn more about two early heroes of this country.
And more …
Like I said earlier, I have been to Monticello, but I was pretty young then. It’s definitely the grandest of the houses, so hopefully I can return soon and appreciate it from an adult point of view. Also, James Monroe’s house is right next to Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe were all great friends who succeeded each other in office to keep their ideals running the country for the first 24 years of the 19th century.
Sometimes I forget how awesome my own state can be. I get so excited by the ancient and medieval history of Europe and forget that even though our country is more new, it doesn’t mean it is less cool. Virginia is full of diverse people, geography, and history, and it’s time to get out there and explore it!
