Today, even though it was raining as usual, we decided to do something Presidential. We figured a nice indoor excursion would suit us just fine, so we set our course for the James Madison home and museum that the guidebook told us was just down the road from our camp.
If you read yesterday's blog, you know that we crashed an exclusive timeshare resort and prevailed upon them to give as a nice lake-side spot for the evening. This morning, just as Savannah had promised, they called from the resort and asked if we would like a 2:15 p.m. tour of the timeshare grounds. If we would consent to listen to their spiel, they promised to either give us a free $150.00 balance on a credit card, OR they'd give us $125.00 credit card and seven free nights in the campground.
While I was listening to the timeshare lady on the phone, I was watching the water drip off the surrounding leaves. The rain had been falling heavily since the previous evening and it had only just tapered off when I came out to coil up the hoses. Drip Drip Drip, there was water EVERYWHERE. "Well," the timeshare lady said, "What do you think?"
I paused, searching for just the proper words so I didn't offend her. Thankfully I wasn't talking to the young black woman from yesterday to whom I had taken such a liking. "I tell you what," I said. "I'll talk it over with my wife and if we decide to get in on the 2:15 tour, I'll call you back in just a few minutes."
"Okay," she said, not sounding like she actually expected me to take her up on her offer, "but don't forget I only have one spot left for the tour."
I told her I wouldn't forget and rang off. Although I have had friends and relatives who spoke highly of their timeshare purchases, in my opinion timeshares were much like boats. Your happiest days with either are when you buy them, and when you sell them. Except I think it's a lot easier to sell a boat than a timeshare.
So, with the GPS primed and ready to lead us to President James Madison's home, we set off in the drizzling rain toward the small town of Orange. We had a very nice ride through the wet, rolling fields of northern Virgina and passed through several small villages of a few hundred residents each. It's hard to imagine anyplace more beautiful. Tree covered, and prosperous-looking, it's no wonder that so many Federal career soldiers, who were born in the tenth state of the Union, decided to fight for their home state rather than remain in the Union army during the Civil War.
About 10:30 the GPS announced that we had arrived at our destination. We pulled into a small parking lot and looked around. The only structure anywhere near us was a small railroad station which, a nearby sign proclaimed, had been built in 1910. I asked Concetta to plug in the Madison estate's address again. But the GPS declared that we'd already arrived there. With a shrug, I got out of the truck and walked over to the station.
The closer I got to the station the more I realized how cute it was. I reversed my steps and went back to the rig to retrieve my camera. This time as I approached I saw that half of the station was a post office, and the other half was a museum of sorts. The museum didn't look open (it actually was), so I opted for the post office.
"Happens all the time," the post office clerk said when I had explained our predicament.
"But the address is dead on," I said.
The clerk nodded. "They just haven't gotten all the guide books corrected since they put in the new million-dollar bridge. She said that last part about the bridge as if she didn't wholly approve of spending that much to get a road over the railroad tracks so visitors could visit a dead President. She went on. "Just go back the way you came until you get to the next driveway south of here. Turn left there and follow the signs."
We did as she suggested and soon found ourselves on one of the longest driveways we've ever seen. It wound around through a forest of trees and small meadows for what seemed like a quarter hour, but I'm sure was shorter. Eventually, we found the parking lot and a not-so-level place to park. I always try to find level so the fridge is the happiest, but this time there just didn't seem to be a level spot, unless we wanted to get much further away, off the blacktop, and onto a rough gravel lot to the east. We figured we'd risk the fridge and maybe stay a tad more dry in our dash from rig to building.
Concetta and I have been trying to challenge each other to pursue educational opportunities that we have passed up in our younger days. President James Madison seemed to fit that bill exactly. Before today, had we been challenged to think of something Madison was known for, we both would have had an extremely difficult time coming up with anything noteworthy about our fourth President. Today we gained a whole new respect for the man who, we learned, is known for being the father of our Constitution, as well as the architect of the Bill of Rights.
From Wikipedia we learned that: "In 1789, Madison became a leader in the new House of Representatives, drafting many basic laws. He is noted for drafting the first ten amendments to the Constitution, and thus is known also as the "Father of the Bill of Rights". He worked closely with President George Washington to organize the new federal government. Breaking with Hamilton and the Federalist Party in 1791, he and Thomas Jefferson organized the Democratic-Republican Party. In response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, Jefferson and Madison drafted the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions arguing that states can nullify unconstitutional laws."
"As Jefferson's Secretary of State (1801–09), Madison supervised the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the nation's size. Madison succeeded Jefferson as President in 1809, was re-elected in 1813, and presided over renewed prosperity for several years."
"After the failure of diplomatic protests and a trade embargo against the United Kingdom, he led the U.S. into the War of 1812. The war was an administrative morass, as the United States had neither a strong army nor financial system. As a result, Madison afterward supported a stronger national government and a strong military, as well as the national bank, which he had long opposed."
It was still raining when we made our way out of the small theater, where we'd watched a short film on Madison's life, and started the long trek across the soggy grounds to the President's life-long home and "workshop" where he'd done his writing and studying before helping to frame our country's government, a government that has lasted now for over two centuries. The grounds, which were later owned and maintained by the DuPont family, the last private owners, are just breathtaking. Nothing but tree-covered glades and gently-rolling grasslands as far as you can see. We got a little wet, but the walk turned out to be worth the discomfort.
The house, built in 1760, started out as a simple affair, actually designed as a duplex in its earliest rendition, so that James Madison senior and his wife could be in one half, and James Madison junior and his wife Dolly (Todd) Madison could live in the other half. After James Madison senior died, the future President's mother still lived in half the house, but James junior began to enlarge and upgrade the house to more effectively reflect his continually improving station in life. In this period the house gained more square footage in the form of additions on both sides, as well as a more regal entrance. Later on the DuPont family would more than double the size of the house, but when the National Trust for Historic Preservation gained ownership, the DuPont family additions were removed.
The house we entered today was restored to the period of James Madison's Presidency. Once again, photographs were not allowed. Though I was just itching to shoot something surreptitiously, I didn't do it. I would have loved to show you just what the interior looked like. Though James had very conservative tastes, the same could not be said for the First Lady. I remember the dining room for it's spectacular green and white wallpaper full of floral designs, as well as all the tufted furniture in flashing emerald and gold. The drawing room had a deep red flocked wallpaper that covered the walls all the way to the 12-foot ceiling. Huge paintings of Greek heroes and beautiful maidens adorned the walls around us.
After our tour of the mansion we retreated back to the RV and had our lunch. Then we set our course for the town of Front Royal where we hoped to find a vacancy in the local KOA campground. But had we much more time, and had the weather been more conducive to outdoor activities, there is a tremendous number of
In addition to all the historic sights, there is a simply fabulous visitor center which contains a theater, a large book collection to tempt you, the usual patriotic souvenirs, some locally made items including jams and wines, and a rather nice cafeteria when you don't happen to have an RV along for your lunch. Concetta couldn't resist a newly released book on Madison, and I found an irresistible entitled, "Lost Crafts," which I hope will teach me even more about the crafts and crafts people we saw at Colonial Williamsburg.
We were a little disappointed with the KOA here in Front Royal. The place sort of looks like the last work that was done on the camp was a couple of decades ago. All the sites need fresh gravel, the electrical tower needs refurbishment, and the sewer line appears to be overly small for the job. The grounds are more weeds than grass, the roads are made up of disintegrating asphalt, and the "store" is shabby and sort of junked up with unnecessary detritus. Other than that, we got hooked up okay, and since we're only staying here one night, we don't really care if they take good care of the camp or not. Right now we are the only "over-nighter" here. Everyone else is a long-term resident. KOA should probably come and give this camp the once-over.
But don't let the occasional run-down camp dampen your enthusiasm for travel. Overall, most camps are pretty darn good. So get out there and experience a few of those places you've been meaning to see all your life. You're not getting any younger. Until we meet again, we wish you Happy Travels!
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