Charlottesville Off The Beaten Path

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Walking around Charlotteville's downtown I've found many examples of great local architecures (see my next pictures) and impressive, historic statue of two guys standing on a post placed in the middle of green space of Midway Park. The statue of two Virginians: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and Sacagawea was unveiled in 1919.

The Lewis and Clark expedition (1804–1806; over 8000 miles during 28 months) was the first United States overland expedition to the Pacific coast and back, led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark, of the United States Army. It is also known as the Corps of Discovery. Sacagawea was a Shoshone woman who accompanied the Corps of Discovery. Lewis was born near Charlottesville and he was appointed private secretary to President Thomas Jefferson.

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On the way to Jefferson vineyards I stopped for a while in a settlement called Simeon to visit a church built in 1892 - Saint Luke's Episcopal Chapel. But doors were closed in the late afternoon.

Scenes in Ford's novel Janice Meridith are laid in Simeon. Ive got to know from the sign (picture 3) that there was a house of Jefferson's friend Philip Mazzei in Simeon - it was called Colle. He was Italian surgeon, merchant, and horticulturist. He adapted grape culture to Virginia.

Some 300 yards south of VA-53 and VA-732 crossroads I've found the old Simeon farm store. Now it's BRIX Marketplace, a fantastic place to get lunch, I suppose but I was not hungry. Instead I amazed countryside landscape with vineyards along hills and meadows with pasturing cows.

The Saunders Monticello Trail at the base of Jefferson's little mountain is a gorgeous easy hike or even bike ride. We found it at http://www.charlottesvillewelcomebook.com/Sports_&_Outdoor_Adventures/ The wide gravel path is full of strollers but as you get higher, people start returning down but you can get all the way to top on trails and see much more with a unique perspective as opposed to parking with the multitudes at the visitor's center. You can do the trail just for the trail's sake, check out the exhibits at teh free visitor's center or even go all the way up to Jefferson's home at Monticello.

Blue Mountain Brewery is a must-do. This new brewery at the gorgeous foothills of the Blue Ridge. You can enjoy great food and take a tour of the microbrew in Afton, right between Charlottesville and Wintergreen. After your tour, lounge on the big patio and enjoy a great meal, tasty beer and a view of the picturesque countryside. Come on the weekends for local music too.

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Most visitors to University of Virginia visit the Rotunda which is a must-to-see. Apart from that I took a walk around university grounds including the area located north of main University Avenue.

I've seen a few charming, old buildings hidden behind picturesque fall trees:
1. Booker House;
2. Brooks Hall (the Anthropology Department) completed in 1877 in style completely different from the Jeffersonian tradition;
3. Madison Hall opened in 1905 for YMCA. It currently houses administrative offices, including those of the University president. It was named in honor of President James Madison, who succeeded Thomas Jefferson and became the second president of the University.

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Lee Park contains all of the land bounded by Jefferson Street, First Street N.E., Market Street and Second Street N.E. (map here).

Imposing, equastrian Robert Edward Lee Monument dominates the park standing at its highest point. The statue was unveiled in 1924. Robert Edward Lee (1807 – 1870) was a career U.S. Army officer and the most successful general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. Another famous Confederate soldier - Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson - has an equastrian monument in nearby Jackson Park since 1921.

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Walking around Charlottesville's downtown I've found a few impressive buildings in classical style. Well, copying classical ancient temples is a worldwide custom, not only American. They are pit up to house noble and important institutions like government offices, libraries, banks etc.

In Charlottesville I've seen among others:
- Jefferson-Madison Regional Library (formerly post office and court building) along the Downtown Mall (201 E. Market Street) - it's a place to access the internet (for free up to 1 hour 9am - 9 pm) if you need,
- building of the Bank of America (corner E. Main St. & 3rd St. E.).

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As usual, in especially smaller American cities and towns, I took at least 30 min. walk without a map (next time I'll use GPS not to get lost :-) just to see what's around the corner.

In Charlottesville I've found empty streets with 2-3 floor brick, square buildings and old, large advertisements written on the walls. Something I knew well from movies - boring for Americans, I suppose but may be interesting for a foreign visitor who looks at the buildings for the first time.