When Ed and Rachel Barnhart retired in 2004, the intrepid RVers hooked up their Alfa Gold fifth wheel on a mission to see all that God created and man constructed…and find the best pizza in the USA. From the beaches of Seattle, Ed and Rachel set their sights on Maine. From there they would turn south toward the sunshine, only to be greeted by the worst Mother Nature had unleashed in decades. Undaunted, the Barnharts headed off into the sunset, through the southwest and across the Rio Grande to the shores of Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. From sea to shining sea and back again, all in their first year exploring the country they dubbed the “Land of Awes.” In Chapter 23 Ed and Rachel connect with revolutionary Americans and reconnect with family and friends.

Thomas Jefferson Statue at Monticello
Charlottesville, Virginia is rich with the earliest history of the United States. Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, is here as well as James Monroe’s home, Ash Lawn-Highland, and the venerable Michie Tavern, a restored 18th Century inn. There is an admission fee for each one, but you can save a few dollars by buying a combination pass to all three.

Monticello is truly amazing. Jefferson studied the buildings of ancient Rome and began constructing Monticello in 1768. Two decades later, after returning from France, Jefferson completely redesigned his home. Today, visitors are treated to clever mixture of classical design and the most innovative architecture of the day. As you stand at the front entrance you will notice a large clock hanging beneath the portico. We learned that Jefferson built the clock himself, an amazing piece of machinery that can be viewed from both inside and outside the home. It keeps seconds, minutes, hours and days of the week!

Monticello
Clock making was but one of Jefferson’s pursuits. Musically talented, he often accompanied his wife, Martha, on violin while she played harpsichord. Well-read and highly educated, Jefferson’s library of over 7,000 volumes was said to be one of the best in North America at the time. In 1815, after retiring from public life, Jefferson sold his library to the government, creating the core of the Library of Congress. Two years later, he planned the curriculum for the University of Virginia. The consummate Renaissance man, Jefferson was a statesman, writer, architect, horticulturist, ethnographer, archaeologist and astronomer. Such was his reputation that, in a speech to a room full of Nobel Laureates, John Kennedy remarked that the gathering was the “greatest assemblage of such diverse knowledge and ability since Thomas Jefferson had dined there alone.”

Vice President under John Adams in 1796, Jefferson won the office of President in the following two elections. He called the Presidency a “splendid misery,” and longed at times for the days when he enjoyed the “honorable and easy” role of Vice President. Many pivotal points of our nation’s early history happened on Jefferson’s watch. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of our nation, and the Lewis and Clark expedition, whose route we retraced across North Dakota (see chapter 3), gathered vital information about this new frontier beyond the Mississippi.

But, despite his accomplishments and prestige, like Washington before him, Jefferson considered himself, primarily, a farmer – a fact he repeatedly asserted on government censuses.

We followed our tour of Monticello and inspiring crash course of all things ‘Jefferson’ with a lunch stop at nearby Michie Tavern. Nearly as old as our Nation, the tavern was established in 1784 by Scotsman, William Michie. The social center of the community for over a century, Michie’s Tavern was moved to its current location near Monticello in 1927. We toured the old tavern and enjoyed a meal in the “Ordinary.” The homecooked fare – roast pork, fried chicken, green beans, black-eyed peas, cornbread and cobbler – was incredible…and filling!

Our tour of the tavern included dancing – slowly, after such a tremendous meal – to the Virginia Reel in the ballroom and writing with a quill pen. We also explored the private quarters of the original innkeeper and the common room, now a museum of late 18th-century and 19th century artifacts.

One of the artifacts seemed familiar, and we realized we had seen another at Edison’s birthplace in Milan, Ohio (see chapter 7). It is memorable mainly because of the interesting but apocryphal origin story attached to it. The apparatus was shaped liked a “T” with two heavy wires on either side of the swiveling head of the “T.” As the story goes, the wires were designed to hold slices of bread. When the device was placed near a fire, the person tending it would reach out with a toe to swivel the top to the opposite side, assuring that the bread browned evenly. Thankfully, the “toe-stir” has evolved over time. Of course, the true origin of the word “toast” dates back to the 1300s and means “to burn or parch as does the sun.” But, regardless of the etymological facts, this is an entertaining historical fable you can hear in many different living history exhibits related to the period.

James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland
Another artifact that leads to divergent origin stories is the winding tool used to skein yarn. We had not seen one before, and were surprised to learn that children often performed this menial and tedious task. The only difficult part of the process is that, to remain uniform, all skeins had to consist of 40 loops. The tool used consisted of a “weasel”, made of mulberry wood, arms around which the yarn spooled and a “monkey,” a peg which popped at the 40th revolution. To stave off boredom during the process, children created new lyrics for a popular English traditional folk tune, Americanizing and forever integrating “Pop Goes the Weasel” into our cultural lexicon.

James Monroe statue at Ash Lawn-Highland
Our next campsite put us in close proximity to Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. But, before we spent any more time with 18th century Americans, we decided to enjoy a few of our favorite folks from this century. Our first visit was with my daughter-in-law, Gisela, and grandsons, Andy and Brandon. Their dad, my son, Scott, was in Cuba working for the Defense Department. Because Scott’s family had only recently returned from a three-year tour in South Africa, we had not seen them in some time. I was a proud grandpa, and with good reason – Gisela was doing a wonderful job in Scott’s absence and the boys were growing into fine young men. After a grand tour of the house, decorated with authentic African décor and hunting trophies, we shared a pizza at Pizzeria Uno in Newport News. The pizza held up to our previous visit, made all the more special for sharing it with family.

Some folks worry that, if they go off full-timing, they will never see their family. In our case – and, we learned, in many others – since going full time, we now have more opportunity to spend time with family and friends from all over the United States. In fact, we will soon hook up with some friends in town from back home in Washington. They will be joining us as we continue our tour of colonial Virginia. Hope you will too!

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