Blog on Day Trips from Nelson County

Monticello

One of the great things about Nelson County and Wintergreen Resort is its location close to many interesting historic and educational venues.  Often, families who visit Wintergreen Resort for an extended period of time tell me that they usually take a day-trip to one of these locations.  We will be taking these day trips from early Spring through next Fall.

One of the most popular is Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.  I highly recommend this trip from Wintergreen Resort and Nelson County.  It is educational for the entire family and it is in a beautiful setting with amazing views.  Bring your camera on this day-trip.

You may even want to prepare your family for the trip by using some of the educational materials found on the Monticello web site, www.monticello.org.  They have an entire web site section called The Monticello classroom with supplies and information for kids and parents/teachers.

Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom.  He was also the third president of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia.  Monticello has often been voted one of the most historic sites in the United States, and it is only a 45 minute drive from Wintergreen Resort and Nelson County.

Monticello is open every day of the year, except Christmas Day.  I suggest starting your visit at the Visitor’s Center and Museum.  They are open March – October from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  This center also has the film, Thomas Jefferson: The Pursuit of Liberty Film: Shows daily 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. year-round, and on the hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the summer; all viewings are subject to change. Free.

I also suggest that you arrive at the Visitor’s Center early and that you purchase tickets for the tours and events on line.  We always take a day-pack with snacks, drinks and supplies.  (don’t forget a journal and a pen—or maybe even some art supplies to make a quick sketch in the gardens)

There are many tours of Monticello itself available that cover many interests.  There are special kid’s tours, grounds and gardens tours and house tours.  Tickets can be purchased either on location or up to two hours in advance from the web site, www.monticello.org

In addition to the many tour options, there are also shops in the Monticello complex.

Mountaintop Museum Shop (along Mulberry Row)

Monticello Visitors Center Museum Shop

Garden Shop at Monticello (near the Ticket Office) 

Visitors may get food and beverages at the Little Mountain Luncheonette. Located near the ticket office, the Luncheonette is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and serves salads, sandwiches, hot dogs, chips, cookies, ice cream, and beverages. Seating is available at nearby picnic tables. The Luncheonette accepts cash only and is open April 1 through October 31. Snacks, water, and sodas are available at the Monticello Museum Shop year-round.  Of course, you can always stop by the many shops and restaurants on Rt 151 in Nelson County and create a picnic for this day-trip.

A Visit with The Waltons

The Waltons is a TV series created by Earl Hamner, Jr. and it is based on his book Spencer’s Mountain and a 1963 film of the same name.  The series pilot was a TV movie named The Homecoming:  A Chirstmas Story first broadcast in 1971.  The TV series first ran from 1972-1981 on CBS.  The story was actually about Earl Hamner’s family living in Schuyler, VA.  The series won many awards including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1973.  Many of the actors and actress also won Emmy awards.  Today, re-runs of the series can be found on cable networks as well as dish TV networks. 

Earl and Mary Frances Hamner actually had eight children, but CBS could not afford eight children so the character Ben is a combination of the two youngest Hamner boys. 

If you watch the series, then you know the Bladwin Sisters and their “recipe” which was actually Nelson County moonshine.  The sisters were actually modeled from a real mother and daughter who lived in Schuyler. 

The series The Waltons is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, during the Great Depression.  The story is told through the eyes of John Boy Walton (Earl Hamner, Jr).  The series follows the family through the Depression and WWII.

The Waltons Mountain Museum is now located in Schuyler, right across the street from the original Hamner home place.  The museum opened in 1992 in what was Schuyler’s elementary and high school.  Earl Hamner, Jr actually went to school in the building that now houses the museum.   The museum attracts as many as 90,000 guests each year. 

The museum has replicas of John Boy’s bedroom, Ike Godsey’s Store and the Walton’s kitchen and Living Room. Hundreds of photographs are on display.  The museum also shows a thirty-minute video that includes Earl Hamner, Jr and the cast of The Waltons.  There is also a gift shop.    You can also walk across the street and take a picture of the original Hamner home place. 

Only a portion of one episode of The Waltons was actually filmed in Schuyler.  The rest of the series was filmed on a set in Studio City, CA.  When Earl Hamner, Jr was growing up in Schuyler, it was a booming town.  More than 7,000 people lived in Schuyler and many worked at the soapstone plant.  Today the population of Schuyler is only about 2,000 and it is a quiet rural town. 

The Waltons Museum is located 40 miles north of Lynchburg and about 30 miles south of Charlottesville.  Take Rt. 29 South from Charlottesville.  Take Rt. 6 East (Irish Road) for 5 miles; take a right on Rt. 800 (Schuyler Road) for 2 miles to the stop sign.  Turn Right on Rt. 617 (Rockfish River Road) and the museum is on the right in the old school.

Caution:  For those driving on Rt. 29 North from Lynchburg, the first Schuyler sign will take you through a winding country road.  The second Schuyler sign is more direct. 

Take a step back in TV history and visit The Waltons.