I’ve been meaning to visit Richmond for years, and this was finally the year to do it. Here are the five favorites from that sunlit weekend. (1) The Virginia State Capitol. Designed by — who else, with that neoclassical look? — Thomas Jefferson, the Capitol is impressive when it comes into view: an immaculate Roman temple atop a … Continue reading
“Walls,” this week’s Where’s My Backpack travel theme challenge, made me think of Barboursville Ruins, tucked away along Virginia’s Monticello Wine Trail. This yawning brick skeleton is all that remains of the grand mansion designed by the local demigod, Thomas Jefferson, for his friend James Barbour, Governor of Virginia and, later, the US Secretary of War. The … Continue reading
As you fly into DC, a bizarre structure greets you, monumentally confusing in its architectural references. I saw it as a Greek temple with the Ark of the Covenant stacked on top and opened up like a Russian matryoshka doll to issue a garland of diminishing square vessels into the sky. It is an eyeful … Continue reading
