James Monroe’s Highland in Charlottesville, Virginia
Highland, a 535 acre former plantation resting in the hills of Charlottesville, Virginia, was the home of America’s fifth president, James Monroe. While Monroe never lived at Highland full time, he spent significant time (sometimes for months at one time) from 1799-1826 with his wife and three children. The main house was built in 1799 and the guesthouse was added in 1818. Monroe hosted several guests, including John Quincy Adams and many political figures and dignitaries over the years. There were also dozens of enslaved men, women, and children who worked at Highland for over 150 years and historians are currently conducting ongoing research and restoration to uncover the true story behind the people who lived and worked at Highland.
10 Places to Explore at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA
In addition to being America’s 3rd President (from 1801-1809) Thomas Jefferson is also known for prestigious roles include Governor of Virginia, writer of the Declaration of Independence, the first Secretary of State, the second Vice President, and the founder of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson’s Monticello (pronounced “ch-ello” not “cell-o”) is Italian for “Little Mountain” and is celebrating it’s centennial anniversary of being open to the public since 1923. Over the past 100 years, the main house has been restored and the property has been expanded to include several museum exhibits, outdoor gardens and vineyards, a restaurant, expansive gift shop, and daily programs and events to engage the entire family.
Playing “I Spy” At the Pierce Manse in Concord, NH
On a recent visit to New Hampshire’s state Capital of Concord, we wanted to learn more about the only US President to come from New Hampshire: Franklin Pierce and his estate, the Pierce Manse. America’s 14th president, serving one term from 1853 to 1857, Franklin Pierce was born in Hillsboro, New Hampshire and later served as a lawyer in Hillsboro. The seventh of nine children, Pierce’s father was a two time New Hampshire Governor in the 1820s. Pierce graduated from Maine’s Bowdoin College, where he met lifelong good friend, author Nathaniel Hawthorne.
2019 Year in Review: 65 Highlights
2019 was a year for the record books. We travelled over 25,000 miles from TopSail, North Carolina to Gloucester, Massachusetts and a ton of places in between those spots. We had a few common themes (you’ll notice them below) and no matter where we travelled, we found friendly locals, rich history, and tons of fun. We’re keeping it short and sweet here with the highlights, but feel free to click on the links for the full scoop and tons of travel tips!
Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City
Regular readers will recall my passionate enthusiasm for the National Park Service. A quick search on my blog and you will find dozens of sites we have visited- check them out here. Whenever we travel or visit a new area, I always check for any nearby site- the Park Service has an app and website for searching sites. On a recent trip to lower Manhattan to explore the Fraunces Tavern Museum and National Museum of the American Indian, we realized we were less than a half mile from Federal Hall National Memorial and decided to visit.
Mount Vernon in Virginia
Mount Vernon, home to George and Martha Washington and their family, is the most popular home in America- over one million people visit each year. The home, located twenty minutes outside downtown Washington DC in Mount Vernon, Virginia, was originally a 8,000 complex with five farms: Dogue Run, Muddy Hole, River, Union, and Mansion House Farms. Washington also built a gristmill and distillery on the property, which is on the banks of the Potomac River, with Maryland on the other side of the river. Washington took possession of the home in 1739 and completed a major renovation by 1787. After George and Martha died in 1779 and 1802 respectively, the home was passed on to family until 1860, when the home was open to the public. The now 50 acre site includes over two dozen areas to explore. We’ve included ten spots children will most enjoy.