muddart

Well if all goes well it looks like this one might actually happen. I have a trip planned for July. Haven’t purchased my ticket yet so it does not seem real, but barring unforeseen circumstances, I think it will happen.

If it’s summer and you are planning to go to both Monticello and Ashlawn-Highland, you might want to go to Ashlawn first. It’s smaller and more modest, but the lines at Monticello are much longer, and you will wear yourself out at Monticello and not be able to appreciate Ashlawn. (I used to work at Ashlawn, and people who had gone to Monticello and stood in line were obvious by the glazed look in their eyes.)

Also check out the webpage for special events near the time you are visiting. The 4th of July “colonial days”, the wine festival, and the summer music festival are worth the visit.

Related to other tips mentioned: be sure you know if there is a UVA home game playing (just check local sports page). If so, keep away from University area pre-game and post-game (unless you happen to be attending the game). The traffic is horrendous, and if they win there will be a similar “red plastic cup syndrome” as another poster mentioned.

I went here to celebrate the completion of my dad’s novel. Two of our party had lamb curry, one had a lamb kabob (I forget the menu item name), and I had Vegetable Korma with a glass (well to be honest 2 glasses) of Campo Viejo, a delightful Spanish wine.

Everything was wonderful. There are Indian restaurants that give you the basic taste of India, and then there are restaurants where the food seems to be seasoned “just so”. This was the later. Everything was delicious! Besides my spectacular vegetable korma, I also sampled the other dishes which were equally enjoyable.

Afterwards I ordered rice pudding, which was good, but I also sampled the fried cottage cheese. Sounds odd perhaps if you’ve never had it (though I love Indian cuisine, this was the first time I ever saw it on a menu). It was very good, and nothing like what I expected. If it hadn’t said so on the menu I would have never guessed it was cottage cheese. The consistency, color and texture gave the impression of a baked plum. The flavor likewise fruit-like (I believe it has been marinated in rose water). In any case, a great place for a nice meal.

Charlottesville is packed with history. The University was founded and initially designed by our third president, Thomas Jefferson. There are also 3 presidental homes within a 25 mile radius:
- Monticello – Thomas Jefferson’s home. Pronounce “Mont-i-CHello” if you don’t want to immediately be pegged as a out-of-towner. It’s just about 15 minutes outside of town
- Ashlawn-Highland – James Monroe’s home. Only about 5 minutes from Monticello.
- Montpelier – James Madison’s home. About 25 miles from Charlottesivlle (if memory serves me).

Other attractions are the University of Virginia which has gorgeous Jeffersonian architecture, The Rotunda building at the University, Historic Michie Tavern (close to Monticello and Ashlawn), Historic Downtown Mall (good for shopping for interesting items and for eating), plus many other little places. Be sure to visit the visitors center which can give updated info on happenings, and interesting places.

Nightlife is also pretty decent with musical entertainment provided at a number of the local eateries, as well as several clubs that provide live music. Charlottesville has some of the best restaurant selection that I’ve seen in a city it’s size. Don’t go for the usual travel fare, since there are really excellent restaurants here. Ask locals for their favorites. I lived in or near Charlottesville for 7-8 years, and still go there regularly, so when I have time, I’ll try to put up some of my favorite Charlottesville eateries here on 43places.

The palace in Shenyang is actually from the Qing Dynasty (the last Dynasty of China). The Manchu rulers ruled from here first, but later moved their main capital to Beijing.

I’ve added another place, Shenyang Imperial Palace, which is the same as this one, but doesn’t have the historical error contained in the name.

In summer (but usually not in August because it’s too hot), there is a wonderful theatrical production that tells the story of the marriage of the Manchu prince and a Mongolian princess. It’s much smaller than the Imperial Palace in Beijing, but still worth the visit.