A Trip to Montpelier
Today we head east to Montpelier, the lifelong home of James Madison our 4th President and Father of the Constitution. Montpelier was owned by the Madison family from 1723 - 1844 and today includes only 2,700 acres of the original 5,000.
As with our other ventures, our drive to Montpelier takes us down more narrow, windy two lane roads. Virginia truly has some of the most beautiful, tranquil, and pastural countryside I have ever seen. I love all the old homes, the rolling hills, the green grass, the trees and the farmland.
After watching a 20 minute video about James Madison and Montpelier at the Visitor Center, we walked up a red rock walkway through shade trees and finally into the open where we have our first close up view of the home.
At the front of the house, we are greeted by a docent who takes us through the house. Until 2008 the house included an added facade and rooms added on by the William Dupont family who owned the house for most of the 20th century. A recent grant of several million dollars has allowed the home to be restored to the size and shape during James Madison's lifetime. Quite an undertaking taking several years. The restoration not only required removing added structure, but also restoring the interior rooms to the same. Not much of the furniture of the Madison family has been located and many rooms are still to be furnished. The property includes about 130 other buildings.
Our docent was very knowledgeable about James Madison and we learn that he was a very small statured man, very quiet and unassuming, but spoke 6 languages and spent 5 months researching different types of government while coming up with the wording for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He abhorred slavery but never freed any of his slaves not knowing any way of life for a plantation than one with slaves. He married his wife Dolley at age 43. She was a Quaker widow with a child. Dolley's son proved to be quite a fnancial liability finally sending Dolley into bankrupty after the death of James Madison and forcing her to sell the family home along with much of the family furniture and property. Excavation and the rebuilding of old buildings are in the process on the property.
Leaving Montpelier, we return to the highway and pass this old train depot. Note the segregated waiting rooms.
Driving further north we arrive in the town of Orange which was settled in 1734 and the home of James Madison's great grandfather. There were many old homes and buildings and a number of antique stores which I love to browse in. We then turn back south along a windy two lane road through beautiful countryside with white fences, beautiful homes on many acres of farmland with horses, sheep and cattle as well as vineyards and crops.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Back to the Elks Lodge
This morning, we left the campground and returned to the Elks Lodge to stay for three more days. It really is a beautiful location and very tranquil. We invited my son Bill and family to join us for dinner at the Lodge this evening. We only have a couple more days to spend time with them before leaving. We will miss them when we leave.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Rain and Sun
We awoke this morning to a heavy downpour and thought we would have to cancel our planned breakfast with the family at the RV; however, by around 9:30 the rain had stopped and the sun was attempting to come out.
The afternoon we went on a drive with the family first to an Extravaganza at the local park which included children's carnival rides, arts and crafts, music and food. After spending a bit of time here, we drove north to a Book Fair. Bill and his family are all avid readers, as am I so it was fun to browse through all the many books available at such great prices. Of course, we did not come away empty handed. Later in the day Bill took Ron and me to a local winery where we had a chance to sample some local wines. A nice day.
This evening we see this little fellow next to an out building here at the Elks.
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