April 29th - Lunch and Another President's Home

After leaving Monticello, we went to this neat tavern for lunch. "The Michie Tavern Dining Room features hearty midday fare offered by servers in period attire in a rustic Tavern setting. Recipes dating back to the 1700's render a dining experience rich in southern culture and hospitality for families to enjoy. The bill of fare features colonial fried chicken, hickory smoked pulled pork barbecue, black-eye peas, stewed tomatoes, biscuits, cornbread and a variety of hot and cold dishes. The dessert menu offers delicacies such as peach cobbler al amode. " (Excerpt from their ad)

The Tavern was really neat, and the food was, indeed HEARTY!!!! You picked up your first round on a buffet server, but after that, the waitresses came around with trays of food for you to choose from. The plates and cups were tin... just like 200 years ago! Unfortunately the wooden benches you sat on to eat at the table were also just like 200 years ago!!!!

To learn a little more about the Tavern, and see some neat photos of people in period dress to to http://www.michietavern.com/ They have a great website.

After lunch, we went to Ash Lawn-Highland. This was one of the homes of President James Monroe, Fifth President of the United States. James Monroe held more major offices than any other president: U.S. Senator; Minister to France, England and Spain; Governor of Virginia; Secretary of State and War: and fifth President of the United States (1817-1825). As President Jefferson's special envoy, Monroe negotiated the Louisiana Purchase in 1893, Monroe's presidency was termed "The Era of Good Feelings", and he was re-elected without opposition in 1820. Taken from his 1823 message to Congress, the Monroe Doctine formed the cornerstone of America's foreign policy.

Monroe purchased Ash Lawn-Highland (then called Highland) in 1793 because of his freindship with Thomas Jefferson. Seeking to create "a society to our taste", Jefferson selected the Monroe house site and sent gardeners from Monticello to start orchards. On November 23, 1799, James Monroe and his wife, Elizabeth Kortright of New York, moved to Highland. Their first guests were James and Dolley Madison. The Monroes planned to retire to Highland, but in 1826 finances and poor health forced the sale of their "cabin castle". In 1974, Jay Winston Johns bequeathed Ash Lawn-Highland to Monroe's alma mater, the College of William and Mary, "for the education of the general public".

Like most of these places, they wouldn't let you take photos of the inside of the home, but they also have a great website with lots of pictures and good information on the home and the President. >http://www.ashlawnhighland.org/virtualtour.htm

We did get to take some photos of the lower levels and the out buildings, but those are also shown on the website. One thing I thought was really interesting, though, was the tea brick! When they made tea in those days, they didn't use the loose leaves like we use today (or tea bags!!!!). The tea was shipped in bricks, and was shaved off the brick to make the liquid tea.
We were also treated to a display by a male peacock who was parading around the grounds. Unfortunately, by the time I got my camera turned on, he had put his tail down, but it was still fanned out a little bit.

Great day, lovely countryside, VERY filling meal, and good company with Harold and Joyce! What more can you ask!!??!!