My times here in Washington D.C. is coming to a close and while I will always cherish my experience here I sorely miss my family and I can’t wait to get back to Las Vegas. Before I leave I wanted to comment on a few sites that I have not previously mentioned. Last week the foundation took a trip to Charlottesville Virginia to visit Monticello the home of Thomas Jefferson. A few years ago I went to Monticello as a Barringer Research Fellow to study and write lesson plans concerning Jefferson and the west so it was nice to visit again. Not much has changed since I was there last except they are in the process of building a new visitor’s center. We also had lunch at the Michie Tavern just outside of the property and it would be no exaggeration to say that they serve some of the best fried chicken I have ever easten. That same day we went to Montpelier the home of James Madison the father of the Constitution and the foundation’s namesake. The home is in the process of being restored to its original 19th century state so as a result the house did not have furniture or other ornamentation, but they have completed most of the interior construction and I believe the house will be officially complete within a year. They have built a wonderful visitor’s center and museum, when they are finished this is going to be a fantastic historical place to visit and learn more about American 19th century culture.
In My final excursion into Washington D.C. I visited two outstanding Museums the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the United States Holocaust Museum The Smithsonian is a fantastic museum that chronicles the history o flight. I was particularly taken with the space portion of the museum and found the space suits to be particularly interesting, I also enjoyed going into the space lab and getting feel of what living in space would be like.
The Holocaust Museum was, as one would imagine, a somber occasion but I am glad I had the opportunity to visit. The Museum was very educational and presented the history of the Holocaust through documentary films and exhibits. I feel that because of the experience I will better be able to teach the complexities of this terrible chapter in human history. The slogan of the museum is “think about what you saw” and honestly I haven’t stopped.
