Afternoon: Arrival and Registration Welcome & Road Scholar Introductions

Dinner: Dinner is served in the spacious Windsor Room, presented by Simply Delicious Catering, featuring the freshest ingredients available. The remaining dinners for the week will be served in this same venue.

Evening: Class: "Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe" A lively and detailed introduction to these three Virginia presidents---their world, their lives, and their friendship. Consider not only their personal lives individually, but also look at the interactions between these Founding Fathers. Explore their activities and contributions to the colonies during the Revolution and their involvement in the development of the young republic from the Constitution to the Monroe Doctrine.

Lodging: English Inn

Meals Included: Dinner

Note: Both field trips involve extensive walking and standing time on hilly ground or in the buildings. The University Grounds include terraced walkways that require going up and down steps. Those wishing to avoid the stairs can explore the museum in the Rotunda while the group walks. A tram is available at Monticello for those not wanting to walk back to the Visitor Center.

Breakfast: Start you day with a generous buffet breakfast provided by the English Inn in the Windsor Room.

Morning: Class: "A Society to Our Taste", An investigation of the world of the Virginia landed gentry and the three presidential neighbors who represented the culture of that society. This presentation will explore life on the plantations far from the colonial hub in Williamsburg. Learn how Jefferson defined the society that met his tastes and then assisted and supported his friends as they established their own places in that circle. Field Trip: "The University of Virginia" Enjoy a guided excursion to Jefferson's "Academical Village" where you walk through the Grounds, visiting the impressive Rotunda and the Lawn, both designed by Jefferson. Investigate Jefferson's vision of higher education as it unfolds in the layout of the classroom and residential buildings. View the student housing on the Lawn and Ranges, still in use today. Enjoy the gardens, serpentine wall, and pavilions, all part of Jefferson's vision and a model for university design throughout the country.

Lunch: Enjoy a box lunch with sandwich, water, fresh fruit salad, choice of potato or pasta salad and a brownie at the Café. You can choose indoor seating or outdoor seating on the Café Terrace and Woodland Terrace, a wooden deck offering views of the surrounding forest.

Afternoon: Field Trip: "Monticello, Home of Thomas Jefferson" The afternoon includes a guided walk through the magnificent mansion where you will glimpse the genius of Jefferson through the architecture he employed and the many innovative contrivances that he devised. See the furnishings, art, books, gadgets and other objects that reveal Jefferson's unique mind. Marvel at the seven day clock, the alcove bed, and the artifacts brought back by Lewis and Clark. Also enjoy free time to explore the extensive ornamental and kitchen gardens and the Jefferson family cemetery where you can read what Jefferson considered his greatest achievements, carved into his memorial stone.

Dinner: Dinner is again served by Simply Delicious in the Windsor Room.

Evening: Class: "Thomas Jefferson: Visions and Contradictions" Engage in a thoughtful consideration of the author of the Declaration of Independence, the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and a life-long slave owner. Explore his thoughts on the role of government and place of the young United States in the world. Struggle with him over the contradiction of slavery in a nation founded on individual freedom. Develop a deeper understanding of this brilliant man who both shaped and was constrained by the time and place in which he lived.

Lodging: English Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: For those not wanting to explore the plantation grounds on the many paths and walks, the education and visitor centers provide fascinating exhibits for a less strenuous experience.

Breakfast: Breakfast will again be buffet style in the Windsor Room.

Morning: Class: "Madison, Montpelier, and Constitution-Making" Enjoy an in-depth study of the "Father of the Constitution", his presidency, and his marvelous home. Learn about his 41 year political career that included serving as a state and national legislator and assisting in the writing of a new Virginia Constitution and Declaration of Rights. Discover why he earned the title "Father of the Constitution" and his role through the Federalist papers in insuring that document's ratification. Explore his tenure as Jefferson's Secretary of State and as our fourth President. Come away with a better picture of a little man with monumental achievements. Field Trip: "Montpelier, Home of James and Dolley Madison" Visit includes a special presentation, "Introduction to the House and Grounds"; guided walk through the mansion that has recently been restored to its appearance at the time it was occupied by the Madisons; free time for a self-guided exploration of Education Center, grounds and new Visitor Center. The home was owned for over 120 years by the Madison family and you will learn of the three stages of construction during their tenure as well as the various renovations completed by succeeding owners, including the famous DuPont family. The restoration of the house itself took place from 2003-2008 and efforts are now underway to furnish it to reflect its occupation by James and Dolley Madison after his retirement from the Presidency.

Lunch: Eat a delicious box lunch, including sandwich, water, fruit, chips, and cookie, in the Visitor Center’s Courtyard Café adjacent to the DuPont Gallery.

Afternoon: Interactive Class: "A Constitutional Conversation" Led by a member of the Montpelier staff, explore the development and structure of the United States Constitution, researched and worked on by Madison at Montpelier. This will be a very interactive discussion with background information provided by the staff, but much opportunity for questions and comments from participants.

Dinner: Dinner is again served by Simply Delicious in the Windsor Room.

Evening: FREE EVENING

Lodging: English Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast will again be buffet style in the Windsor Room

Morning: Class: "Presidential Plantations" Explore the self-contained world of plantation life where a few lived in relative luxury supported by the many who labored in the fields and homes under the yoke of slavery. Compare and contrast the two groups by examining family life, education, leisure, and other components of the parallel cultures. Develop an idea of the contrast between this elaborate and complicated lifestyle compared with the much simpler homesteads maintained by the vast majority of early American farmers. Class: "Presidential Plantations, Part 2" Continue your in-depth investigation of the fascinating plantation culture, with time included for question and answer time with the presenter.

Lunch: A lighter mid-day fare from Simply Delicious will be served in the Windsor Room.

Afternoon: Free Afternoon

Dinner: Dinner is again served by Simply Delicious in the Windsor Room.

Evening: Evening Program: "Violins and Fiddles" Delight in the lively performance by a talented musician who not only demonstrates the differing personalities of this single instrument, but who provides an informative commentary on music of the eighteenth century.

Lodging: English Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: The field trip to Ashlawn-Highland includes an exploration of the multi-level house that includes going up and down short flights of stairs. Participants who may have difficulty with the stairs can choose to view only the main floor then proceed out around the house on the landscaped grounds before rejoining the group.

Breakfast: Breakfast will again be buffet style in the Windsor Room.

Morning: Class: "James Monroe: Principle & Perseverance" An in-depth look at our fifth president, probably the least well-known of the early Virginia presidents. Learn about his long career of public service, beginning when he left The College of William & Mary to serve under Washington during the American Revolution. Explore his time as a member of the Virginia legislature and the U. S. Senate and his terms as Virginia governor. Then follow him to the presidency where he dealt with much more than just the issues of the Monroe Doctrine. Wonder at the strange coincidence in his dying on the Fourth of July exactly five years to the day after the passing of those two other founding giants, Jefferson and Adams. Class: "Thomas Jefferson-American Architect" Review the architectural styles already observed on the field trips to the University of Virginia, Monticello, and Montpelier, focusing on Jefferson as an architect. Consider the features of the architecture of this time and their relation to the culture of the new nation, reflecting not only the tastes and needs of the owners but also their social status and relative wealth. Learn the meaning of some of those confusing architectural terms such as architrave, belt course, metope and more.

Lunch: Historic Michie Tavern was established in 1784 by Scotsman William Michie and served as a social center of the community. Diners today journey back to the eighteenth century while enjoying a traditional Bill of Fare. Expect good Southern cooking! (Speak like a local---Michie rhymes with sticky.)

Afternoon: Field Trip: "Ashlawn-Highland, Home of James Monroe" This small, homey dwelling is an interesting contrast to the stately mansions of Monroe's friends and neighbors. Discover how the house has evolved through the centuries with different owners. Explore the elegantly furnished rooms of this "cabin-castle", including the study and children's room added during the tenure of the Monroes from 1799-1828. Stroll the grounds to see the gardens, reconstructed slave quarters, and original Overseer's Cottage while taking in the spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

Dinner: Dinner is again served by Simply Delicious in the Windsor Room.

Evening: FREE EVENING

Lodging: English Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart From: Program will end in mid-morning with time for check-out and individual arrangements for lunch before departing for home.

Breakfast: Breakfast will again be buffet style in the Windsor Room.

Morning: Class: "Silent Voices: Women, Slaves, and Free People of Color" History books are full of information about the Founding Fathers, but the society could not have functioned without the silent companions to these famous men. Discover the hidden stories of the women who supported them, the slaves who provided the foundation of the agrarian society, and the free people of color who struggled to maintain their freedom and rights in the new country where "all men are created equal". Performance: "Colonel Monroe" What better way to end your time in Charlottesville than with a visit from one of the Founding Fathers that you have been learning about all week? A very convincing historical interpreter gives you a first person perspective on James Monroe and his celebrated friends of the Virginia Piedmont. Engage in a unique conversation with one of the important players from the early years of our nation before you return to the 21st century to head home.

Meals Included: Breakfast