Shenandoah Valley and Jefferson's Monticello

By Claire and Chuck

Claire:
I need to comment on our wonderful, 4 course dinner last night.  It was a perfect setting--quiet, elegant--until I heard the voice.  Yes, the cell phone voice.  A guy, sitting alone, was speaking loudly into his cell phone, telling someone about his mother's fall and the excruciating details of her injuries and medical problems. For example:  "Yes, my mother had a fall today and she's in the hospital.  She's confused and may have A URINARY TRACT INFECTION.  I visited with her for awhile and they ran some tests to see if she has a URINARY TRACT INFECTION.  We'll get the results tomorrow about the URINARY TRACT INFECTION."  Blessedly, he finally finished his conversation and put his attention on his dinner.  Other than that...

We lounged around this morning, leaving around 9:30.  If only we'd known.  Our destination was Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home at the end of Skyline Parkway in the Shenandoah Valley.  The day promised to be gorgeous, with bright blue sky and lots of sun.  Perfect.  Except we missed a turn and found ourselves on the Zachary Taylor Highway.  We discovered this AFTER sitting in a one lane construction zone waiting for our turn to continue.  Which meant that after turning around we had to sit in it again.  At this point, we were beginning to panic.  We had tour reservations for 3 pm and according to Vicky, we were not going to make it.  I pulled out my cell phone and found the dreaded "searching..."  No signal.  For miles.  And miles.  The good news was, it was beautiful, but only 35 mph and naturally, we just wanted to hightail it out of there.  I mean, after 3 hours, haven't you seen enough?  How about driving behind a behemoth motor home.  It's like driving with a wall in front of you.  In spite of this, we did see some great things even though the colors have not reached their peak; the change of seasons officially started today and goes through October 25.

One of the lovelier sights of our trip down the Shenandoah Valley

 

 Skyline Drive, Virginia

 

Still Truckin'

 

 Colors just beginning to come in

 

 Pretty, pretty

 

 The sole tunnel on Skyline Drive, Mary's Rock

 

 Jaunty driver with sporty vehicle

 

We had a beautiful, clear day as you can see

 

 More color

 

Color

 

At 3 pm, exactly, we blew out of the valley and into the land of civilization and a cell phone connection!  Fortunately, they told me we could do the 4 pm tour instead.  We arrived, grabbed our tickets and even had time for a quick snack at the café before jogging up the stairs to catch the shuttle. 

Chuck:

I lived in Washington, D.C. for six years but never took the time to visit Monticello.  Today, I was able to achieve that goal.  Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant and unique individual; among his many talents was that of inventor and innovator.  A self-taught architect, he took 40 years to construct and revise Monticello.  He also planned the University of Virginia.  On a lesser scale, he designed many household gadgets for his home.  He seemed to love clocks and had several of his own innovations throughout the house; unfortunately, inside photography is not allowed.  One of his devices was an ice house that could keep ice frozen for up to 11 months.  In his study, he had a lazy susan bookholder that allowed him to read among 5 books by simply flicking a wrist.  But, the most fun invention was a double dumbwaiter for bringing up wine bottles from the cellar to the dining room--on both sides of the fireplace. 

Cabin Jefferson and his wife lived in during the construction of Monticello

 

 Monticello

 

Fish pond

 

Front view

 

Privy--1 of 2--inside were chamber pots

Kitchen

 

Grounds

 

We joined a garden tour after the house tour.  This is the garden pavilion.

 

 

Kitchen gardens

 

Another view

 

West lawn, or what we would call the front yard

 

Section of the flower garden bordering the West Lawn

 

 View across the West Lawn

 

Grave of the third President of the U.S.  This is a family gravesite, owned by Jefferson's descendents to this day.  Note that Jefferson chose not to include President of the United States among the achievements listed on his monument.  Instead he listed:  Author of the Declaration of American Independence of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom and Father of the University of Virginia.  It is interesting to note that TJ died 50 years to the date after the signing of the Declaration of Independence--within hours of the death of his friend and sometime adversary, John Adams.  I have always enjoyed knowing that his initials and my son's are the same--though I am the only person who calls him TJ. 

 

Our Greek Platter.  Fry's Spring Station was a fortunate discovery, prior to reaching our hotel.  We opted to share this and a pizza.  We wanted to eat outside; but, it was cool, so we sat beneath a heating lamp and nursed our hot tea while we waited for the main course.  We were greatly surprised when we were visited, in turn, first by our waiter, then the manager and, finally, the chef--each asking about our satisfaction with the meal and engaging in general conversation about our visit.

Ingredients piled on pita bread--delicious

 

The remainder of our scrumptious Margherita pizza

 

I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House - with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.  ~ John F. Kennedy  "Remarks at a Dinner Honoring Nobel Prize Winners of the Western Hemisphere." April 29, 1962.

Maryland--You Can't Go Home Again

By Chuck

Today is simply an exercise in nostalgia for me; accordingly, you are excused from further reading.

I attended the University of Maryland as a graduate student in Philosophy many years ago.  I last saw the campus 42 years ago.  Since we are passing through anyway, I had decided to see how things had changed over the years.  They had.

The entrance is far more grand than what I remember.  But, this is definitely an improvement.

 

Our first view of the campus--a green area where we used to play football. 

Rossborough Inn, on campus, was built about 1804 and I imagine it had a front row view of the War of 1812, wherein the White House and Capitol were burned by the British.

Ritchie Colesium.  This was the venue, on one occasion circa 1965, for a forum on issues concerning--as I recall--good, evil and the question "Could the horrors of Nazi Germany ever occur here?"  It was thrilling to hear intellectuals of the day--including Hannah Arendt and Norman Podhoretz--debate weighty issues.  Arendt was a political theorist (and philosopher) who escaped from Nazi Germany & Paris and who spoke to the 'banality of evil.'  Podhoretz was for many years editor-in-chief of Commentary magazine.

The Dairy & Visitors Center.  The Dairy looks different; but, they still sell delicious and creamy ice cream.  I had Coffee Chip, yesterday, and Fear the Turtle, today.  Unfortunately, we are eating at a real restaurant, tonight, so I will be unable to have another helping.  I loved that the Visitors Center, in the same building, has 5 minute parking so you can get information.  In our experience, other campuses are not so helpful.  But, we were able to walk from our motel, today.

 

Memorial Chapel.  I associate this building with 3 memories:  1. My first year here, I was on my way to the Chapel to hear The Messiah at Christmas, when I both feet came from out under me and I landed flat on my back before I knew what happened.  2. The organ for that recital was awesome, in that limited space, filled with so many people.  3. I joined a book-discussion group associated with this interdenominational church.  I was looking both for variety of intellectual content and personal contact, not religious instruction.  Since our department's idea of Philosophy was pretty much the analysis of language, and most people interested in the subject at that time were looking for a values-based approach that wasn't traditionally religious.  Also, I had never been out of California before coming here--except for Tiajuana and the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe--so, I was alone and lonely.  I got to read some Existentialist works by Kierkegaard, Kafka and others.

\

Approaching Skinner Hall, home to the Department of Philosophy

Skinner Building, front view

Old grad student with former professor and advisor, John Brown.  We had a nice chat with Professor Brown, who is 81, still teaches one class per year and has focused on aesthetics from a philosophical perspective in his teaching and writing for many years. 

Off to explore the rest of the campus

 McKeldin mall, looking toward the library

The Omicron Delta Kappa Fountain, with quotes from FDR and MLK, Jr.  This was not here in 1970, but it is a lovely addition.  That is McKeldin Library in the background.

 The Sundial is a gift from the class of 1965.  But, it had not been installed while I was here.  Nice touch.

 McKeldin Library

Student docents telling prospective freshmen about the campus tradition:  It is good luck to pat the nose of the campus mascot, a bronze Terrapin named Testudo.

Notice that even cyclists honor the tradition.  I remember watching an undergraduate student with severely impaired vision, when I was here, walk out of the library every single night, stand in front of the terrapin, and salute it with his white cane, with briefcase in his other hand and his giant monocular tucked under his arm.  It was quite touching.  I have often wondered what ever became of him.

Claire was impressed with the campus topography.  We did note that there were no bike lanes on campus, though there were occasional bike racks.  Also, the campus runs along a major highway--US 1--on one side; bicyclists traveling that route must compete with pedestrians for space.

About to enter the Student Union, I stop for a chat with Jim Henson and friend.  He graduated from here a few years before I arrived.

Student Union

I did not eat at the White Castle burger joint very often; but, it had cheap food and long hours; I am sorry to see it gone--the logo is missing at the top and there is a 'For Lease' sign in the window.

 Greek Row, a horseshoe of 14 fraternity and sorority houses

Couple with two fresh haircuts

 Closer view of Greek Row--there seem to be two types of building, some with 4 pillars, others with 6

Fear the Turtle is both an ice cream and a sports motto at UMD.  They bite ferociously, but can they run?

Almost all buildings had changed from the inside.  The library was unrecognizable, as was the Student Union interior.  There were no computers back then, just desks for studying; I did have a locking carrel to myself, which allowed me to stash books, safely, and sleep without being noticed.

There are many new buildings, of course, and the whole campus seems just outsized.  There are roads that have been expanded or even created.  I am certainly glad I came; but, it's true:  You can't go home again.

But, we can go out to dinner again--and we did.  I decided that Claire deserved a nice dinner, so I scouted out the Calvert House Inn, exquisite seafood--a Maryland tradition since 1963.  She had a warm shrimp cocktail appetizer, shared with Chuck; the Cajun Tilapia; a cup of seafood chowder; a calcuminto salad - cucumber, fresh mint, tomato and onion in a light oil and vinegar dressing; and, for dessert, a raspberry mousse torte!  Wine was a Pinot Grigio.

I had mostly the same, but my entree was A Symphony of Seafood--Broiled selection of:  a crab cake, a stuffed oyster, petite fish filet, two sea scallops and two shrimp.  My dessert was a passion fruit mousse torte.  We should do this more often.

The time spent learning lasts a lifetime.  ~ Anonymous (Quote from plaque on UMD sundial)