Join us on a journey to visit four homes of the first five presidents! In honor of Presidents’ Day, we have mapped out an exciting weekend for you to visit four presidents’ homes and immerse yourself in the history that surrounds Meander Plantation.
All the while, you get to stay at another 18th century plantation to fully experience a presidential weekend! When you stay at the Inn at Meander Plantation, you stay in 80 acres of quiet and rolling hills. Not only are you cozied up in warm rooms and cottages, but your stay is adorned with gourmet food and paired wines. Guests staying overnight at Meander are met with our Elim Restaurant, where some of the finest colonial-inspired meals are served.
Friday
Mount Vernon: Home of President George Washington
As you make your way down to the Inn at Meander Plantation from Washington, DC, stop along the way to experience the Mount Vernon that George Washington knew.
Only an hour and a half from Meander, Mount Vernon was George Washington’s home for forty-five years, from 1754 to the turn of the century. As one of the most important and iconic homes in early America, Washington knew he had to design the building to impress. At Mount Vernon, you can explore the different trades Washington set up at his home, such as coopering, blacksmithing, and weaving. And while walking through the various fields and gardens, you can visit the final resting place of our first President and First Lady. Plus you can see what it’s like to be George Washington for a few moments through their interactive exhibit!
After your visit to Mount Vernon, check into your room at the Inn at Meander Plantation. Get excited for the rest of your weekend!
Saturday
Start your day off with a trip to Charlottesville. Take a stroll down the Historic Downtown Mall. Do some shopping and get a bite to eat here before heading to the next stop of your weekend, Monticello.
Monticello: President Thomas Jefferson’s Home
Just a short drive from downtown Charlottesville, you can also see Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. With tours ranging from the House Tour to the Evening Behind the Scenes Tour, you’ll come only inches away from many of Jefferson’s collections and innovative designs. Monticello offers acres and acres of gardens, beautiful open fields, and history restored to life. Walk through the house Thomas Jefferson designed and discover hidden treasures and lives of the home. See for yourself what a huge collector our third president was—from Native American pelts to his expansive library.
President James Monroe’s Highland
While you’re in Charlottesville, you could also visit James Monroe’s Highland. Home to the Monroes for nearly 25 years, the plantation now serves as a museum that offers daily tours as well as a performing arts center and a farm for the Charlottesville area. Highland is smaller than the other presidential homes you can visit. But archaeologists have recently discovered an addition to the home as well as artifacts from Monroe’s era. Reflecting this find, tours have changed so as to give more insight on Monroe and his family’s private life. The home of our fifth president is open over the weekend from 11am to 5pm, with the last tour given at 4pm.
Head back to the Inn at Meander Plantation after your compelling day trip and decompress with a meal at Elim Restaurant. With its expertly created seasonal menus, featuring ingredients from local Virginia farms, Elim invites you to delve into American history as you enjoy an exquisite four-course meal. Did you know that in 1823, Thomas Jefferson and Henry Fry held a gala dinner for General Lafayette to celebrate America’s new independence in our very dining room? Elim Restaurant will fit right in to your weekend’s presidential itinerary.
Sunday
Your weekend does not end when you check out of the Inn at Meander Plantation on Sunday morning! Make one last stop at Montpelier.
President James Madison’s Montpelier
And finally, you can visit James Madison’s home, Montpelier, only a fifteen-minute journey away from the Inn. Located in Orange, Virginia, Montpelier is filled with tours spanning over eight miles, including acres of wooded paths where Madison himself walked. Madison’s home had doubled in size during the president’s time, leading to troubles with preservation and restoration over the decades. But Montpelier is mainly still in the same state as it had been when James Madison was president—accepting guests now just like it did two hundred years ago.
Take advantage of our Meet the Madisons Weekend Package to get complimentary Montpelier tickets, 10% off at the Montpelier gift shop, a picnic for two, dinner for two, and more! We are very excited about this package, and welcome you to join us and get cozy with America’s history.
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