Celebration – Mall Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party

Posted on April 28, 2014 by barbara

My teenager daughter’s birthday is this month and she wanted to dress-up with her girlfriends and have a limo take them to a fancy dinner. Well, my husband and I decided to add a little fun and have the girls make a quick trip to our local mall for a scavenger hunt before dinner at a restaurant nearby. After the party, our daughter said it was the best birthday she had ever had! My husband and I actually enjoyed this party, too. In this post, I will discuss what it takes to have a scavenger hunt party at the mall!!

Planning a Mall Scavenger Hunt

The basic idea for a scavenger hunt at the mall is really very simple and it was the perfect birthday party to have for our teenaged daughter and her group of friends. The 10 girls that attended the party were divided into 5 teams, two girls to each team. (Party Tip: I would not recommend this party idea for girls that are younger and need to be supervised by their parents)

To start the process of planning the party, we took a quick trip to our local mall to gather ideas and suggestions for the scavenger hunt. Our first stop after arriving at the mall was the customer service desk which quickly referred us to the mall administration office. This was a good idea because it is important to confirm the rules and regulations of the mall and another reason is that the mall security team should be notified of the party is case there are any problems or concerns. (Party Tip: When we were writing the scavenger hunt list, we made sure to include a friendly reminder to the girls about having good manners and to behave properly while participating in the scavenger hunt)

Another great reason for stopping by the mall office is to inquire about any free gift items that were available for the scavenger hunt participates. At our local mall, we were able to get a free “leather” shopping bag for each of the girls. This worked out wonderful for our party because each team had a bag to put all the items that they were gathering during the game. (Party Tip: My suggestion is when planning a mall scavenger hunt is to visit the mall office to inquiry about your local mall’s policies and procedures for parties and maybe if you are lucky you can score some free items, it doesn’t hurt to ask … you never know what they will do for you!)

The Mall Scavenger Hunt List

Our scavenger hunt was divided into three different sections and each section had a list of several different tasks:

The “find” section – a list of items that needed to be found
The “photo” section – a list of photos that needed to be taken
The “quiz” section – a list of questions that needed to be answered

(For some specific items or tasks that we used for each section, please see the scavenger hunt list that we used for our daughter’s party at the end of this post)

Once we determined the tasks for each section, we printed out the scavenger hunt list for each team. Shown in the photo below is our printed scavenger hunt list for my daughter’s party. We decided to make it into a booklet form instead of one printed page. I bought some inexpensive blank cards and envelopes at my local craft store, printed out the rules and scavenger hunt list in booklet form and stapled it to the inside of the blank card. Next, I decorated the front of the card with strips of black crystals and added self-adhesive glitter stickers to identify the different teams.

Also, in the photo shown below, is the scavenger hunt package that each team was given before the game started. As you can see, the black “leather” bag that the mall provided had a pocket which was the perfect place to store the scavenger hunt list and a map of the mall. We also proved two pens for each team in case they lost one they would have a spare. (Party Tip: If your mall doesn’t provide any shopping bags don’t worry because you can purchase inexpensive gift bags from your local craft store!)

Before sending the girls out into the mall, we met inside at the mall entrance and quickly went over the rules and confirm the finish line and designated time that the game needed to be completed. We allowed an hour and a half for the scavenger hunt, we expected the girls to take longer but most teams were done within an hour because our scavenger hunt list was fairly easy. (Party Tip: Each mall has different stores and your scavenger hunt list should be altered to fit with those stores within your mall)

Here is a sample of our Mall Scavenger Hunt list:

Rules

The Mall Scavenger Hunt will be a timed one hour event. The start time is 6:00 P.M. and the finish time is 7:30 p.m. Finish line is the same mall entrance as the start of game.
The game is divided into three sections: Find, Photo, and Quiz. Please try to complete each section. Each task is worth one point.
Bonus points can also be earned and are noted in the game.
Points are given to teams that complete the game and return to the finish line sooner but points are also taken away for teams that arrive after the designated time.
Please be polite to other shoppers and store staff while participating in the game.
Please be safe and follow the rules of the mall, no running, blocking store entrances, etc.
The team with the most points earned at the end of the game will win the grand prize!
Call us if there are any questions about the game or other concerns or problems.

Find

Please collect the following items: (use the black tote to store the items)

A perfume sample (any store)
A business card from two different stores (usually found on the check-out counter)
A napkin from Elevation Burger
A “Paint & Play” vinyl sampler sheet from Sephora with your favorite nail polish color
A small sample spoon from PinkBerry
An employee application (any store)
An unused ketchup packet
A store catalog (any store)
A Starbucks straw
A found receipt with today’s date
A plastic fork
A take-out menu (any restaurant)
A make-up sample (any store)
A store credit card application (any store)
An unused sugar packet

Photo

Using your cell phone, please take a photo of the following: (please save the photos for proof!!)

A photo with a car (bonus point if sitting in the driver’s seat)
A photo of team wearing hats
A photo of a fire extinguisher
A photo of the team wearing sunglasses
A photo of a sale sign (10% = 1 point , 20% = 2, 30% = 3, etc.)
A photo with a butterfly
A photo of team in one bathroom stall (bonus point for a photo of team washing hands in one sink)
A photo of team riding the escalator
A photo of team wearing tiaras
A photo of team trying on red shoes
A photo of team reading a book
A photo in front of the team’s favorite store
A photo of team cuddling a teddy bear
A photo of team with a cute guy
A photo of team in front of store that begins with a C

Quiz

Please answer each of the following questions: What is the flavor of the month at Pinkberry?
What is the name of a candy store in the mall?
In the women’s bathroom near the food court, how many bathroom stalls are there? (Bonus points – how many children sized sinks?)
What is the name of the store that is opening soon in the mall?
What is the store with a compass direction in the name?
What is the cheapest item you can buy at Chipotle?
How many colors of a Tesla car are available?
What store in the mall that is named after a fruit?
Name an optional Elevation burger topping that starts with the letter “J”.
What store has a color in the name?

Thanks for playing the game! When every task is completed, please return to the same mall entrance as the start of game.

For more themed ideas and additional information on children’s birthday parties, please click on the following links – Children’s Birthday Parites Part One and Part Two.

John Muir’s Birthday

Posted on April 21, 2014 by barbara

Visiting Yosemite for the first time in the 1980s I was enjoying our week long stay and stopped in the bookstore/gift shop to pick up something to read in the evenings. When I am visiting a place I always like to read something about the local history, so the book that I purchased was “Son of the Wilderness – The Life of John Muir” by Linnie Marsh Wolfe. Until that time I never really knew anything about John Muir (born: April 21, 1838 died: December 24, 1914) and I became fascinated with the life story of the Scottish-born naturalist, author and wilderness preservation activist. He seemed to be such a simple man that was filled with such joy and wonder on his treks into Yosemite and other places of natural beauty throughout the country. To honor his birthday today, this post tells the story of his life and will discuss his many accomplishments that changed the way many of us view our natural surroundings and our desire to save those special places for future generations.

John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland and was the third child of Daniel Muir and Ann Gilrye who had a large family of eight children. Muir was raised in a very strict religious home and this is probably the reason he was constantly in trouble for his mischievous adventures. He was a curious child exploring the countryside around his home where he developed his love of nature early in life. But his idyllic life in Scotland was soon to change in 1849 when the Muir family immigrated to the United States and settled on a farm located near Portage, Wisconsin.

Muir’s father was a very strict and dominating parent who required his children to work hard on the farm and adhere to his deep religious beliefs. When he was 22 years old, Muir finally found some freedom from his difficult life when he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin located in Madison. Muir took his studies very seriously and was proud to pay his own expenses working several different jobs. He was a good student and soon developed a life-long friendship with Professor Ezra Carr who became an important mentor to Muir by inspiring an interest in chemistry, botany and geology and also his wife, Jeanne, who encouraged Muir in his future career as a naturalist author.

Muir never completed his college education and instead followed his brother to Canada in 1863 to avoid military service. While in Canada he spent the spring and summer exploring the area around Lake Huron but when his money started to run out he rejoined his brother in Ontario and soon found work at a local sawmill. In 1866, Muir returned to the United States and settled in Indianapolis, Indiana and started work in a local factory making wagon wheels. He proved a valuable employee and was very inventive in improving the factory’s machines and manufacturing process. Unfortunately in March 1867, Muir had an accident that was to dramatically change his life. While working at the factory a tool slipped and struck him in the eye requiring his confinement in a darkened room for six weeks while he recovered from the injury. During his convalescence, Muir re-evaluated his life and decided that he needed to pursue his dreams of exploration and the study of nature which he felt this was his true purpose in life.

In September 1867, Muir set out on a trip from Indiana to Florida that he later wrote about in his book, “A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf”. His plan called for no specific route, just to wander through the wilderness across the country until he reached his destination. He ended up in Cedar Key, Florida and quickly found work at the Hodgson’s sawmill. Muir traveled briefly to Havana, Cuba to study the flowers and shells of the island and then later traveled by boat to New York to connect with another ship traveling to California.

Arriving in San Francisco, Muir soon made plans to travel to a place he had recently read about and was very anxious to see. On his first visit to Yosemite, Muir was overwhelmed by the beauty of the high granite cliffs, abundant waterfalls and meadows filled with flowers. He eventually found seasonal work as a shepherd in the valley, then at a local sawmill and he built a cabin along the Yosemite Creek where he lived for two years. Muir later wrote a book about his experiences in “First Summer in the Sierra”. While living in Yosemite, Muir would take frequent hikes into the backcountry with a tin cup, a small supply of tea, a loaf of bread and a worn copy of a book of essays by the naturalist author, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Fatefully in 1871, Emerson came to Yosemite while on a tour of the Western United States and Muir was able to meet the author that he so greatly admired.

While living in Yosemite, Muir became known locally for his vast knowledge the natural history of Yosemite and visiting scientists, artists and other distinguished people would hire him as a guide. When he was not working, Muir would often wander about the Yosemite Valley and the surrounding area to learn more about the botany and geology of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He soon formed an interesting theory that the ancient glaciers “sculpted” the valleys and the granite surfaces of the mountains which was contradictory to the accepted scientific theory at the time. Eventually Muir proved that his theory was valid through his observations of an active glacier near Merced Peak and encouraged by his friend, Jeanne Carr, Muir had his findings published in local and national newspapers. Over the years, Muir continued travels in Yosemite and he also ventured to the state of Washington and then into the Alaskan territory of the United States. (Remember, during this time in history Alaska was not officially a state until 1959)

By 1878, Muir’s friends were starting to encourage the constant wandering 40 year old bachelor to finally settle down. Returning to the San Francisco area, his close friend Jeanne Carr introduced Muir to Louisa Strentzel, the daughter of a prominent physician named Dr. John Strentzel. The Strentzel family lived northeast of Oakland on a 2,600 acre ranch filled with fruit orchards in Martinez, California. Then, in 1880 after returning from a trip to the Alaska territory, Muir and Louisa were married. Shortly afterwards, Muir went into partnership with his father-in-law and for the next ten years Muir managed the property and the large fruit orchards. (Travel Note: the Martinez house and a portion of the ranch are preserved by the National Park Service as the John Muir National Historic Site. For more information, please see their website at www.nps.gov/jomu)

Muir and Louisa had a happy marriage and they had two daughters, Wanda and Helen. While living at the house in Martinez, Muir gradually he began to spend an increasing amount of time writing about his experiences not only in Yosemite but also his past trips into the Alaska territory and the state of Washington where he climbed Mount Rainer. For a man that enjoyed spending his time exploring the natural world around him, Muir soon found himself developing a successful career as a naturalist author.

Over the years, Louisa began to fully understand that her husband was becoming more restless in his stationary life at the ranch and he needed to return to his travels. Muir frequently returned to his beloved Yosemite, this time bringing his daughters with him but sadly he began to see the disastrous damage caused by the overgrazing of sheep in the meadows and the effect of the extreme logging of the Giant Sequoia in Mariposa Grove during his absence. It was while on a Tuolumne Meadows camping trip in 1889 with an influential editor of “Century” Magazine, Robert Underwood Johnson, that Muir convinced the editor of the need to bring the Yosemite area under federal protection. Muir and Johnson lobbied Congress and the Act to create Yosemite National Park was passed on October 1, 1890. Unfortunately, the State of California still controled the areas of Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove but Muir was successful in persuading local officials to prohibit livestock grazing in the Yosemite backcountry to stop any further damage.

Meanwhile, Muir was approached by Professor Henry Senger of the University of California at Berkeley to attend a meeting that was being held to form a group that was to become known as the Sierra Club. That first meeting was held on May 28, 1892 and Muir was soon elected to be the club’s first president, a position that he held for 22 years. Muir and the Sierra Club continued the efforts to lobby the federal government to include the areas of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove into a proposed expanded Yosemite National Park. During a visit to the California in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt traveled with Muir to Yosemite where they camped near Glacier Point for three days. During that trip, Muir was able to convince Roosevelt about the need to bring those areas under federal control to protect them from further damage. In 1906 Roosevelt signed a bill increasing the size of Yosemite Park to include both Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove.

Unfortunately, Muir and the Sierra Club were not successful in saving another area of Yosemite. The population and urban growth of the nearby San Francisco area caused a desperate need for an additional water source. Political pressure was mounting to dam the Tuolumne River in the Hetch Hetchy Valley to create a large water reservoir. Muir was very strong in his opposition of the project and united with his fellow members of the Sierra Club, Muir wrote to President Roosevelt about his concerns. Then, President William Taft suspended the Hetch Hetchy dam project temporarily. Muir and the Sierra Club keep the pressure on the federal government and a national debate went on for years regarding the project. Eventually, President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill authorizing the construction of the dam and it became law on December 19, 1913. Muir was greatly affected by the decision and he was deeply saddened by the loss of the Hetchy Hetchy Valley.

Within in a year of the defeat, Muir died in Los Angeles, CA on December 24, 1914 after a brief bout with pneumonia, he was 76 years old. Muir is buried next to his wife’s grave near their former home in Martinez but until recently the burial site was privately owned with limited access. Currently the National Park Service has acquired the grave site and there are plans to include it into the nearby John Muir National Historic site.

Decor – Elegant Easter Eggs

Posted on April 18, 2014 by barbara

Inspired by this month’s craft project, Elegant Easter Eggs, I decide to make several larger eggs to add to my annual Spring decorations for this year. These larger Elegant Easter Eggs look wonderful displayed in the family room bookshelves of our home. I made three different ones using oversized paper-mâché eggs tied with beautiful ribbons and then I attached lovely pieces of jewelry to add some elegant sparkle. The jewelry items that I used were purchased inexpensively on Ebay, but maybe you have a wonderful heirloom broach or pin from your mother, grandmother or other special relative that could be used for a special sentimental touch. The jewelry that is selected, paint and ribbon can be customized to incorporate the colors and design style of any home. The Easter Eggs can also be made to give as a wonderful gift for family and friends or maybe a hostess gift when visiting during the Easter season and another suggestion would be to possibly give one as a teacher’s present before Spring Break.

The first Elegant Easter Egg I made was painted with a beautiful gold metallic color. (Décor Art paint called Glorious Gold) I found 2” wide ribbon at my local craft store in an ivory color and then I wrapped the ribbon around the egg and tied a bow. Next, I attached a gold and pearl pin that I purchased on Ebay as part of a vintage 1950s parure set that included a necklace, a bracelet and earrings.

The second one that I made was painted with a pretty green metallic color. (Folk Art paint called Metallic Peridot) I wrapped a 2” wide green ribbon which matched the color of the paint and then I laced the ribbon through a beautiful crystal pin that I also purchased on Ebay to finish the egg with an elegant touch.

The third one was painted with a lovely blue pearl color. (Martha Stewart paint called Glazing Ball) I found ribbon at my local craft store that matched the color of the paint and then I wrapped the ribbon around the egg and tied a bow. Next, I attached a crystal and blue round pin that I also purchased on Ebay to complete the craft project.

For more Easter egg decoration ideas, please check out two previous craft posts. In the first post I discussed how our way of decorating Easter eggs has changed over the years into a more elegant style since our children are now older. Instead of the mess of coloring eggs, we now decorate our eggs with crystal and pearl stickers. For more information on this easy craft project from last year, please click on the link to Jeweled Easter Eggs.

Another craft project posted this month, shows three different styles of smaller Elegant Easter Eggs, click on the link to view the photos. In the post I have included supply lists and easy instructions. These smaller eggs can be used for display, Easter luncheon or dinner table accessories or party favors and would also make wonderful gifts for family or friends.

Travel – Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

Posted on April 13, 2014 by barbara

During our family vacations around the country over the years we have been able to visit many historic homes of our past U.S. Presidents, such as George Washington’s Mt. Vernon, James Monroe’s Montpelier, and Abraham Lincoln’s home in Springfield, IL. On a road trip through Virginia in 2002, we visited Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello located near Charlottesville, Virginia and it is my personal favorite of all the Presidential homes we have visited. In this post, I will discuss the history of Monticello as well as travel information if you are planning a visit to the area.

The history of Monticello

The Jefferson home was located in Shadwell, Virginia but the family relocated to the area near Charlottesville when a friend named William Randolph died in 1745. Randolph’s will stipulated that Peter Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson’s father, be appointed guardian of Randolph’s Tuckahoe plantation. The Jefferson family lived at Tuckahoe for seven years before eventually returning to Shadwell. When Peter Jefferson died in 1757 his estate was divided and his son, Thomas, inherited approximately 5,000 acres of the former Tuckahoe tobacco plantation.

At the age of 26, Jefferson began plans for his home and since he had independently studied the principles of architecture, he based the design on a neoclassical style developed by Andrea Palladio who was a popular Italian Renaissance architect in eighteenth century Europe. The home was to be built on the top of an 850 foot mountain located on the property and Jefferson named it Monticello which was an Italian word meaning “little mount”.

As work began on the building in 1770, Jefferson lived in one of the outbuildings on the property known as the South Pavilion. A few years later, he married Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772 and construction was still had not been completed on the house. Sadly Martha died in 1782 and Jefferson soon left Monticello to go to France, undertaking a political position as Minister of the United States. The construction on this first version of Monticello was considered finished in 1784 while Jefferson was still in France.

During his time in Europe, Jefferson had an opportunity to see the classical building styles that he had only read about in books. His concept for the design of Monticello began to change and he wanted to include the design elements of French architecture. By 1794, Jefferson had returned to America to serve as the first Secretary of State for the newly formed United States. At Monticello, Jefferson’s home underwent a remodel and expansion to incorporate the design elements that he had seen in Europe. The construction continued throughout the years that Jefferson served as President of the United States. Although the building was considered completed in 1809 Jefferson continued to make improvements and changes on the existing structure when he returned to Monticello fulltime after he retired from his political life.

Thomas Jefferson died in 1826 and per his request he is buried in the Monticello cemetery. At the time of his death, estate was more than $107,000 in debt (which was a considerable amount of money at that time). Jefferson’s daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, found it necessary to sell the Monticello plantation including the house and surrounding property, she also sold the furnishings of house, livestock and farm equipment and the plantation’s slaves to pay off the debt.

Over the years, Monticello was sold to different people until Uriah Levy bought the property in 1834, the Levy family continued to own the property for almost 90 years. Levy, a former commodore in the U.S. Navy, had long admired Jefferson and he wanted to restore and preserve the home and property. In 1923, the Levy family sold the property to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, a private non-profit organization. The Foundation now owns and operates the house as a museum, maintains the grounds of the property and administrates an educational center. Monticello is a National Historic Landmark and in 1987 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the nearby University of Virginia which Jefferson had also designed many of the buildings on the campus.

A brief tour of Jefferson’s Monticello home

The Monticello plantation, which Thomas Jefferson owned for over fifty years, was the site where he had built his wonderfully designed home on a mountain top overlooking the property, there were also extensive flower gardens, a vineyard, several outbuildings used as storage houses and for various trades such as blacksmith and joinery and situated to the south of the main house were the slave quarters known as Mulberry Row.

When visitors come to Monticello today, a home tour begins at the East Portico steps where the tour guide gives a brief history of Jefferson’s home and then visitors proceed through the doors into the Entrance Hall, this is where Jefferson would personally greet his guests. Displayed in the Entrance Hall are a large collection of maps, Native American artifacts, mineral samples, the antlers and horns of several North American animals (such as: elk, moose, deer, buffalo, Big Horn sheep) and one of Jefferson’s favorite items was the jawbone and tusk of an ancient mastodon found in Kentucky. The items in the Entrance Hall were frequently used by Jefferson to inform and educate his guests about the natural history and geography of the United States.

The high ceiling of the Entrance Hall was built to accommodate a very unique feature to the house and one of Jefferson’s inventions. The Great Clock was designed by Jefferson and built to his specifications in Philadelphia in 1793. The large cannonball sized weights and pulley system operate a seven day calendar clock with marks on the south wall that indicate the days of the week, a hole in the floor was made to reach the marks for Friday and Saturday. The Great Clock not only marked time in the house but a Chinese gong on the roof struck on the hour for people working outside the home and a second clock face is on the West Portico of the building.

The Parlor room can be entered directly from the Entrance Hall and there is also access to the room from the West Portico. The Parlor, located in the north wing of the home, is the room where Jefferson socialized and entertained his guests. Just as the Entrance Hall was used by Jefferson to educate his guests, the Parlor was once decorated with thirty-five portraits of the men who influenced American and World history, these great also inspired Jefferson’s values and beliefs. (One can just imagine the interesting discussions that went on in this room between Jefferson and his guests!)

The Dining Room was where Jefferson sat down with his family and guests to eat the two main meals of the day, breakfast and dinner. Two dumbwaiters are installed on either side of the fireplace to bring wine up from the cellar. A unique revolving serving door was another invention by Jefferson to omit the use of wait staff and facilitate a type of self-service meal. The adjacent Tea Room is elegantly decorated with a collection of engraving, portrait miniatures and plaster busts of Franklin, John Paul Jones, Lafayette and Washington.

Two guest bedrooms are located in the north wing at the east front of the house. One special bedroom is known as Mr. Madison’s Room and was used by Jefferson’s close friend James Madison on his frequent visits to Monticello. The room is decorated with distinctive trellis wallpaper; the current reproduction is of a pattern originally purchased by Jefferson in Paris in 1790.

The south wing of the home is located on the other side of the Entrance Hall and at east front are the Family Sitting Room and the Book Room. The Family Sitting Room was used as a private space for Jefferson and his family to gather and relax during the day or in the evenings to play games or music. Adjacent to the Sitting Room is an area known as the Book Room of the house. At one time, this is where Jefferson’s library was located and it held one of the largest personal collections of books in the country. Jefferson was an avid reader and his interests were numerous and varied ranging from subjects such as world history, astronomy, science, natural history, horticulture, philosophy, poetry, classic literature and politics. After the War of 1812, when the British burned Washington D.C. and destroyed the White House and U.S. Capitol building, Jefferson offered his personal collection of books to Congress to replace the ones destroyed. (The sale of Jefferson’s books was a substantial start to the Library of Congress , for more information please click on the link)

Located in the south wing of the home at the west front of the house were Jefferson’s private rooms, his Cabinet and Bedchamber. The Cabinet room was where Jefferson liked to read and answer his many correspondences. In the center of the room Jefferson had a revolving chair and a writing table, the top of the table also revolved. Placed nearby are several of Jefferson’s clever inventions, on the table is a copying machine which Jefferson used to duplicate his numerous letters and next to the table is a revolving book stand that allowed Jefferson to read and reference five books at a time. The room is also filled with several scientific instruments, such as telescopes, microscopes, compasses, thermometers and an astronomical clock that enabled Jefferson to calculate solar and lunar eclipses.

Adjacent to the Cabinet room is Jefferson’s Bedchamber which features an unusual arrangement of Jefferson’s unique double sided bed that is placed in an alcove which allowed him easy access to either the Cabinet or the Bedchamber. Jefferson was an early riser and after waking he would note the time on a black marble obelisk clock located on a shelf at the foot of his bed, he designed the clock’s unique features and had it made in Paris in 1790. Visitors to Monticello always notice and inquire about the purpose of the holes seen in upper portion of the wall. Located in the area above the bed alcove is a closet space that stored some of Jefferson’s clothing and it was accessed by a steep staircase and the openings provided light and ventilation into this area.

Jefferson died in his bed at Monticello on July 4, 1826, he was 82 years old. The date also marked the fiftieth anniversary of the day that the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, a document that Jefferson is credited for writing, which officially marked the former British colonies freedom from England. On the same day, miles away at his home in Massachusetts, John Adams died five hours later. These two men, friendly adversaries and former Presidents, were the last surviving members of the Continental Congress to have signed the Declaration of Independence.

Travel information for Monticello
(UPDATE: note that the following information was current at the time I wrote this post, for current information and restrictions please consult the Monticello website).

Monticello is open daily year-round and there are several different guided tours and day pass packages available for visitors. For more information on dates and hours of operation as well as tour times and prices, please check the Monticello website at www.monticello.org

The Monticello Day Pass allows visitors access to the Visitor Center to see the wonderful exhibits and film about Thomas Jefferson as well as the beautifully landscaped grounds of Monticello which include the flower garden and the vineyard, the vegetable garden with the adjacent Mulberry Row where the plantation’s slaves lived and the cemetery were Thomas Jefferson and his family are buried.
The Basic Tour and Monticello Day Pass Package – The Basic Tour includes the guided tour of the first floor of the house and also included are two additional seasonal guided tours: The first one is the “Slavery at Monticello” tour which is available each weekend in February and daily from April to October. The second one is the “Gardens and Grounds” tour which is available daily from April to October.
The Behind the Scenes Tour and Monticello Day Pass Package includes everything mentioned in the Basic Tour with the addition of a guided tour of the second floor house, the Dome Room on the third floor and access to a new interactive “Crossroads” exhibit located in the cellar of the house. This is a great tour package for visitors that are interested in information about the unique architectural features of the interior and learning about the current restoration projects at Monticello. For more information on specific dates and times please check the Monticello website at www.monticello.org
The Family Tour and Monticello Day Pass Package is designed especially for families with children between the ages of 5-11, this package includes a special 40-minute guided tour that is customize for children and their parents. This package is available at limited times during the year: April, June to August, weekends in October and one week in December. For more information on specific dates and times please check the Monticello website at www.monticello.org

The Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center –

After purchasing tickets, I would highly recommend a visit to the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center either before or after a scheduled house tour, it is a wonderful place to learn about Jefferson’s personal and political life. Currently there are four interesting exhibits that inform visitors about Jefferson’s important legacy and contribution to the United States. The first exhibit is about Jefferson’s values and ideas about liberty, the next exhibit explains the various principles and horticulture techniques that Jefferson developed at Monticello, another exhibit is about the design, architecture and construction of Jefferson’s home, and the final exhibit explores the words and wisdom of Jefferson. Also while visitors are at the Visitor Center they should see the 15-minute film, “Thomas Jefferson’s World”, which explains the importance of Monticello to Jefferson and how it influenced both his personal and political life.

Mulberry Row –

When visiting Monticello, I highly recommend seeing Mulberry Row which is situated to the south of the main house. Mulberry Row was considered the center of Jefferson’s 5,000 acre plantation and it is where the slave quarters were located and the site for the plantation’s vegetable garden and also several outbuildings used as storage houses and for various trades such as blacksmith and joinery.

The vegetable garden was first planted in 1770 but by 1806 Jefferson was making improvements and the 1,000 long terrace supported by a large stone wall was built by the plantation’s slave labor to accommodate the slope of the mountain. In the middle of the garden is a pavilion built for Jefferson’s use in the 1820s and it overlooks an 8-acre orchard of 300 trees and the plantation’s vineyard. The main part of the 2-acre garden grew an abundant variety of produce, such as tomatoes, beans, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, peas and figs, an additional garden plot grew various types of berries such as gooseberries, raspberries. (Travel note: The vegetable garden allows visitors to Monticello a wonderful opportunity to see the beautiful and dramatic views of the Virginia countryside. It is a wonderful place to take photos!)

The Jefferson Family Cemetery –

When Thomas Jefferson died in 1826, his will stipulated his wish to be buried at the family cemetery at Monticello. The large stone obelisk has the inscription, “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson the author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the statute of Virginia for religious freedom and father of the University of Virginia”. The cemetery is still in currently in use as a burial site for Jefferson’s descendants.

Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday

Posted on April 13, 2014 by barbara

Thomas Jefferson (born: April 13, 1743 died: July 4, 1826) was one of our most famous Presidents of the United States and the author of the Declaration of Independence. He was a member of the Continental Congress, Governor of Virginia, U.S. Minister to France and the first U.S. Secretary of the State under President George Washington and he also served as Vice President under President John Adams.

Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Virginia and his father was Peter Jefferson, a planter and surveyor and his mother was Jane Randolph, the daughter of a ship’s captain. When a friend of his father’s, William Randolph, died in 1745 his will stipulated that Peter Jefferson be appointed guardian of the Tuckahoe plantation located near Charlottesville, Virginia. The Jefferson family lived at Tuckahoe for seven years before eventually returning to Shadwell.

While the Jefferson family lived at Tuckahoe, Jefferson began his formal childhood education at the age of nine with a Presbyterian minister who taught him Latin, Greek and French then later he studied history, science and classic literature. At the age of 16, Jefferson enrolled at the College of William & Mary located in Williamsburg, Virginia where he continued his education and studied mathematics, metaphysics and philosophy. While he was at college, Jefferson met a law professor, George Wythe who was to become a major influence in his life and a mentor. Jefferson was an excellent student and graduated in only two years, afterwards he went to work as a law clerk for Wythe while he studied law was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1767.

Sadly, a few years before he went to college, his father died in 1757 and according to the terms of his will, Jefferson inherited approximately 5,000 acres of the former Tuckahoe tobacco plantation. So, at the age of 26, Jefferson began making plans for his home and since he had independently studied the principles of architecture, he based the design on a neoclassical style developed by Andrea Palladio who was a popular Italian Renaissance architect in eighteenth century Europe. The home was to be built on the top a mountain located on the property and Jefferson named it Monticello which was an Italian word meaning “little mount”. (Please see this month’s Travel Post for more information regarding the history of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home)

As the building continued at Monticello, Jefferson worked as a circuit court lawyer and in 1769 he began his political career when he represented the county of Albermarle in the Virginia House of Burgess. During this time he met and married Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772. The Jefferson’s marriage was a happy one and they shared many common interests. Both loved to read and enjoyed music, Jefferson played the violin and cello and Martha played the piano. Jefferson and Martha had six children during their short ten year marriage and only two of the children survived to adulthood. (Martha, known as Patsy, was born in 1772 and Mary, known as Polly, born in 1778.)

During their marriage, as the British colonies began to fight for their freedom from England in the American Revolutionary War, Jefferson served as a Virginia delegate to the Second Continental Congress and he soon established a life-long friendship with a fellow delegate from Massachusetts, John Adams. In 1776, when the Congress began to consider the resolution of independence, Jefferson was appointed to the committee and he was given the task of writing this important document. With minor changes the Congress voted to approve the final draft and the Declaration of Independence was signed by the delegates on July 4, 1776.

Near the end of 1776, Jefferson returned to Virginia to continue his political career and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. While serving on various committees, Jefferson helped draft the Virginia state constitution, the Bill for Religious Freedom in addition to 126 bills within three years. In 1779, Jefferson was elected the Governor of Virginia and a year later he moved the state capital from Williamsburg to Richmond. During the Revolutionary War Jefferson was ineffective as a governor in coordinating the Virginia militia and the British troops lead by General Benedict Arnold captured the city. Later, when General Cornwallis failed to capture him at Monticello, Jefferson retreated to his other plantation in Poplar Forest, his actions were deeply criticized at the time and consequently he was not re-elected to a third term as governor of Virginia.

Throughout the years as Jefferson was establishing his political career, first as a Virginia delegate for House of Burgess in Williamsburg, in Philadelphia for the Continental Congress and then in Richmond as the Virginia governor, he frequently returned home to see his wife and children. In 1782, Martha, who was now suffering from diabetes, died shortly after the birth of the couple’s sixth child, she was only 33 years old. While on her deathbed, Martha told Jefferson that she could not bear to have another woman raising her children and she pleaded with him to solemnly promise never to marry again, Jefferson was to honor that request and he never married again.

Following victory against the British in the Revolutionary War, the newly formed United States of America created a new government and Jefferson was once again appointed a Virginia delegate. After Martha’s death, a severely depressed Jefferson needed to distance himself from Monticello, so he eventually left the country to take a position as the Minister to France. Serving as minister (1785 – 1789), Jefferson enjoyed his time in Paris and was greatly influenced by the culture, arts, architecture and cuisine of France. In regards to his political position, Jefferson worked closely with Marguis de Lafayette to establish trade agreements between the United States and France to pay off the considerable debt incurred by the United States during the Revolutionary War. On a personal note, Jefferson arrived in Paris with his oldest daughter, Martha (Patsy) and several of his Monticello slaves, his other children remained in Virginia. By 1786, Jefferson had met and fallen in love a young married woman named Maria Cosway who was an artist and musician, after a short time she returned to England but they continued their lifelong friendship over the years through their correspondence. After Jefferson’s daughter Lucy had died in 1785, he sent for his youngest daughter Mary (Polly). She arrived in France accompanied by a young slave named Sally Hemings and it was during this time that Jefferson began his controversial relationship with her. After a five year stay in Paris, Jefferson returned to America shortly before the French Revolution started.

Upon returning to the United States in 1789, Jefferson took the position as the Secretary of State (1790 – 1793) in the cabinet of the newly elected President George Washington. Jefferson soon developed a contentious association with the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, and they found themselves with increasingly opposite views regarding the consolidation of the federal government debts and the location of the capital. In addition, Jefferson worked diligently to secure first an admission from Great Britain that they had violated the Treaty of Paris, second that they vacate their military posts in the Northwest region of the United States and thirdly that the American slave owners be compensated for the loss of their slaves at the end of the Revolutionary War, he failed to achieve any of these goals and resigned his position at the end of 1793. Even though Jefferson had returned to Monticello temporarily ending his political life, he continued privately to oppose the policies of President Washington and specifically Hamilton.

In 1796, after President Washington decided not to return for a third term, Jefferson re-enter politics in a bid for the presidency but lost to his friend, John Adams. Jefferson became Vice President (1797 – 1801) and over the following years there were many political disagreements between the Federalist Adams and the Democratic-Republican Jefferson. But Adams was destined to serve only one term because in the 1800 election Jefferson challenged and defeated Adams by 73 to 65 electoral votes. Jefferson became the third President of the United States and he took the oath of office on March 4, 1801 in Washington D.C.

By the time of Jefferson’s Presidency, the United States had relatively few problems both domestic and foreign but many changes in the federal policies were to come during his administration. He first set out to immediately change Hamilton’s federal fiscal system which always went against Jefferson’s political beliefs. He began the process by eliminating several federal internal taxes, starting with the whiskey tax, and then he closed numerous unnecessary federal offices, drastically limited military expenses during peacetime and reorganized the national bank system.

During Jefferson’s first term as President (1801 – 1805), he negotiated the purchase of approximately 827,000 square miles of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 which almost doubled the size of the United States. In 1804, he appointed his personal secretary Meriwether Lewis who joined with William Clark to lead an exploration into the newly acquired territory. Known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the journey of the 45 men that would be called the Corps of Discovery, was important to Jefferson because it was meant to establish an American presence across the country and hopefully finding the infamous Northwest Passage through to the Pacific Ocean. Jefferson was very specific in his goals for the expedition and he personally tutored Lewis on such topics as cartography (map making) and astronomy to add navigation, natural history including botany and mineralogy to aid in documenting new discoveries and Jefferson also gave Lewis access to his extensive library of books located at his home in Monticello, VA for further preparation for the expedition. The Corps of Discovery assembled outside of St. Louis leaving in May 1804 to travel across the country with the assistance of various Native American guides, the most famous one being an Indian woman known as Sacajawea, to finally reach the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon Coast in November 1805 and successfully returning by September 1806. The Expedition not only established the United States claim to the territory but they were able to fully document and map the area and returned with numerous animal specimens and fossils as well as seeds and plants samples. (In the Entrance Hall at Jefferson’s Monticello home are displayed many of these items acquired during the Lewis and Clark Expedition)

Due to his successful first term and immense popularity, Jefferson easily won a second term during the 1804 election winning by an overwhelmingly 162 votes to 14 votes for the Federalist nominee, Charles Pinckney. Jefferson’s second term (1805 – 1809) had numerous problems and the United States political relations with Great Britain, which were never good, severely deteriorated while France, now under the leadership of Napoleon, became more aggressive in commerce trade negotiations with the United States. Another important issue during this time was the international slave trade; following the American Revolution all the states had informally abolished the lucrative international import and sale of slaves. Although Jefferson owned slaves on his Monticello plantation, he always treated them fairly but in general he felt that most owners treated their slaves cruelly and in response to South Carolina reopening its international slave trade Jefferson publicly denounced slavery as the violation of human rights. Then in 1807, Congress passed the Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves and it was signed into law by Jefferson in 1908, officially putting an end to the international slave trade but the United States domestic slave trade was still allowed and it continued to dominate commerce in the southern states.

When Jefferson’s presidency ended in 1809, he returned to his beloved Monticello. Fully retired from a political life, he still remained active in public life. Although he spent most of the remaining years pursuing his varied personal interests in the arts and science, Jefferson had always believed that education was the key to achieving greatness. By 1819, his plans to create an institution dedicated to higher learning were founded in the University of Virginia. His goal was to have the school free of church and religious influence and he also felt it was important to have it paid for by the general public thereby allowing poor students the same education as the wealthy ones. Jefferson planned the campus layout creating each individual academic department building organized around a central quadrangle. The buildings, which he personally designed, had multiple classrooms, faculty offices and student residences, even the landscape of the campus was also beautifully designed to include grass lawns and flower gardens. The University of Virginia was very important to Jefferson and he considered it his greatest achievement.

Although Jefferson enjoyed a relatively calm and peaceful life at Monticello with his family he also extensively and lavishly entertained visiting friends and political dignitaries with excellent food and drink. Toward the end of his life, Jefferson spent many hours going over his personal finances and tried to make arrangements to reconcile his massive debts. Sadly, Jefferson died in his bed at Monticello on July 4, 1826, he was 82 years old. The date also marked the fiftieth anniversary of the day that the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, a document that Jefferson is credited for writing, which officially marked the former British colonies freedom from England. On the same day, miles away at his home in Massachusetts, John Adams died five hours later. These two men, friendly adversaries and former Presidents, were the last surviving members of the Continental Congress to have signed the Declaration of Independence. Before his death, Jefferson had stipulated in his will the wish to be buried at the family cemetery at Monticello and a large stone obelisk marks the site with the inscription, “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson the author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the statute of Virginia for religious freedom and father of the University of Virginia”.

The Enchanted Manor

a lifestyle blog by Barbara Jones

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