Road trip!

Day One: 4:30 a.m.

I’ve been off the grid for a few days for a cross-country drive from Orange County, California to Charlottesville, Virginia.

I set out last week with my husband and my sister to help her with a cross-country move of her motorhome. With three drivers, nightly stops at hotels, and an extra day in Dallas for a great-niece’s birthday celebration, the trip went really well. We did hit some high winds in New Mexico and Texas, but we outran a major rain system all along the way.

Our quick stop in Gallup, NM

A Day in Monticello

And our first day in Charlottesville included dinner with more family members, a great-nephew’s baseball game, and a visit to a World Heritage Site, Monticello, the home of the third U.S. President, Thomas Jefferson.

It’s springtime in Virginia, and the dogwood, redbuds, and tulips are in bloom here. Since I’m hurrying to get ready for a quick trip to Colonial Williamsburg (in the rain that’s finally catching up to us!) I’ll leave you today with pictures of Monticello.

Here I am at the entrance to Monticello. Look at the tulips!

A view from the hilltop.

The Mulberry Row.

Virginia in bloom

The vegetable garden at Monticello

Tulips in bloom in the gardens at Monticello

The iconic view of Monticello (actually the back of the mansion)

Are you a fan of road trips? Have you visited any presidential homes? If so, what’s your favorite?