One more thing to say about July 4th. That evening we made our way back to Monticello to see the Charlottesville fireworks. As you know, we have had amazing "backstage" access throughout the trip, and that night was no exception. We spent the evening on the veranda at Monticello, in the dark, watching the fireworks from the house of the author of the Declaration of Independence. Definitely the highlight of the trip, both conceptually and libationally.
On Saturday morning, we packed up our things and hit the road. After disappointing stops at Ash Lawn, the home of James Monroe, and Montpelier, the home of James Madison, we came back to Stratford. The trip was long (and entirely composed of winding back roads), and someone made a huge mistake booking our visits, as no one anywhere seemed to know that we were coming. Our experience at the sites might have been better without sitting around outside for a while at each site waiting to see if we would stop or not.
Yesterday we had a free day, and I talked a few people into taking a drive into Fredericksburg, about 45 miles from Stratford. In the 98 degree heat (with humidity) we toured the city, Mary Washington College (who had sadly closed the bookstore for the entire weekend, leaving me completely devoid of gear), and the Civil War battlefield. I was more than happy to play tour guide and show everyone the highlights.
For those of you who haven't been back to campus for a while, they have erected a statue of James Farmer just across from Trinkle Hall. His bust stands behind a plaque listing his life accomplishments. For those of you not familiar with James Farmer, he started the sit-in movement in Chicago to protest segregation in the 1940s, led the Freedom Rides throughout the South to desegregate interstate busing, and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Freedom in 1998. In retirement he taught a Civil Rights course at MWC, which many consider (and I am among them) the richest experience of our college years. So it was nice to see that he has been immortalized on campus.
Today we begin on the lecture circuit again, with four lectures scheduled. The pace of this seminar is beginning to wear on all of us, and I think many of us have our eyes focused on the end.
I hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend. Take care of yourselves, and I'll be back in touch soon.
Paul
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