Goff Family Road Trip - Day Four

We have been staying at a place that had no internet access, so I have been unable to blog. I will write more about that place in a later entry.

For now, our 4th day was spent driving from Charleston, West Virginia, to Charlottesville, to tour Monticello. Thomas Jefferson was an amazing visionary.
When I saw that he and his family lived in this before he completed Monticello, I thought I should be able to handle living in a barn until our home is being built.

The grounds surrounding the estate are absolutely beautiful. This tree made me want to go climb up in it:

He was also a lover of nature and science. He has a beautiful flower garden with plants that he grew and some that were brought back with Lewis and Clark. Here are a few of my favorites. See if you can tell what my favorite colors are:

This fruit will break open into this flower in a couple of days:

I love this big ol' tree trunk:

In the Children's Discovery Museum, the kids got to use many of Jefferson's inventions. Sadie is sitting down to write her morning letters. This machine will allow her to write to letters at once:

He loved to write things in code. Can you read the secret code here?

Sadie doing a rubbing of Jefferson's tomb:

Lizzy getting ready to go to work in the nailery:

Silas and Sophie trying their hand at gravestone rubbing:

Jefferson didn't believe in wasted space, so he built the beds into the walls. Sammy decided to give this one a try. Jefferson was very much influenced by the french, and preferred silk bed spreads and the fashionable color of that day was a magenta, but came out looking pink.

Lizzy and Henry playing one of the family's favorite games:

Nicky helping with the cooking in the slaves' house:

Sophie setting the table:

Slave children clothing:

Nicky having fun in the slave cabin:

Sammy relaxing in Jefferson's chair;

The kitchen and the slave passage was located underneath the house:

The gardens that are kept:

Jefferson's resting place:

"You wouldn't believe how badly they've taken your letter to the Danbury Baptists out of context."

I know I have a lot of pictures on this post, but I hope you have enjoyed them. It was a beautiful place to visit.

These last pictures the kids wanted me to include. They are of a sensitive plant. When you touch the open leaves of this plant, it will immediately close up and wilt.

Before:

After: