Positive Liberty

I’ve returned from a marvelous quick vacation to Virginia, my favorite state, where I had the pleasure of horseback riding at Mountaintop Ranch near Elkton. Unfortunately, word is that the Ranch is being sold and that it will soon not be offering horseback riding. But I can say that I had a wonderful time riding in the Blue Ridge forest and I would encourage anyone who can to take the opportunity. Thirty bucks per person is all, and it was an excellent ride on some very nice horses.

I also had the opportunity to stay the night at the lovely Inn At Monticello, in the Jefferson Room. The Inn was once a farmhouse on a 1200 acre plantation (constructed in the 1850s), and it offers the next best thing to actually staying at Monticello. It’s such a wonderful change from California, with the wildlife (the cardinals, especially, which I really love) and the sumptuous scenery. It’s really no wonder that Jefferson loved the area so much.

Then it was up to Orange, the little town I’ve often daydreamed of retiring to someday, to visit Montpelier, James Madison’s home. Montpelier is being restored, and although it’s open to tours, it’s definitely a construction site at present. Still, I was really delighted by how much progress has been made. They’ve scraped off the awful pink stucco that was put up by the DuPont family in the 20th century, and restored the exterior largely to the original look. If you’re planning on taking a trip to the area, it’s definitely worth a stop. And if you are, like myself, an admirer of the Father of the Constitution, I hope you’ll consider joining me in supporting the worthy cause of restoring his home.

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