Monticello

Yesterday was a very long day, even though we made it home around 7pm. It was ok, could have been planned a little better, but now we know what we can and cannot handle in a day, or really, what DJ can and cannot handle in a day.

We left close to 7:30am and after a quick stop for coffee, we were on the road. I was feeling very generous and let my mom drive through the rush hour traffic on the Capital Beltway. Once we got off the worst freeway in the US, I think I drove the rest of the way. The drive was nice, for the most part. DJ used to be the master at car travel, now that he's 4 and a half, not so much. I think the DVD player with be a requirement next trip.

The weather was really nice. It was quite warm, but not the unbearable heat and humidity the East Coast is known for. The long car trip, skipping "quiet time", different meal/snack times, and walking around all day (even though we had the stroller) made for a very cranky kid. I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked, as DJ's behavior was less than desireable.

Anyway, we toured the grounds a bit. I'm not sure what area we were looking at, but it was definitely a great view.

I wasn't able to take pictures inside the house, but on the tour of the first floor and our quick walk-through the underground tunnels (where the kitchen, cellar, etc were), we were able to see how intelligent and innovative Thomas Jefferson was. It's hard to explain, but he was an interesting man.

By the time we had gotten through the house, DJ was melting down, so my mom made a quick stop in the gift shop and we got back on the road. I got the wonderful opportunity to drive through rush hour traffic on the Beltway coming home. DJ was busy dumping out the basket with his toys and books in it and then throwing books around the backseat, because he couldn't find the one he wanted.

We had originally planned a day trip to the ocean, but the drive is similar in length, so we have revised that, and are making it a multi-day trip. We also have a trip to Baltimore Inner Harbor and Baltimore Aquarium planned, so stay tuned for that.