Rosewell Plantation

Molly and I have been talking about taking the kids on a few day trips this summer, to get away from our comfort zone of library and splashpad and park, to explore some destinations a little further afield from Hampton Roads. Our first trip was to Rosewell, an 18th century plantation house in Gloucester, Virginia.

At one point in time, Rosewell was known as the most beautiful house in the American colonies. Built by the Page family in 1725, it encompassed over 12,000 square feet of living space plus several outbuildings. For almost 200 years, Rosewell hosted some of the country's most elaborate and luxurious parties and balls. Thomas Jefferson was a frequent guest, and actually wrote a draft of the Declaration of Independence while staying there.

The house burned down in 1916, and today, only ruins remain. Not much besides the four corner chimneys and some of the exterior walls are left standing, but we still found plenty to see while we were there. Unbeknownst to us, the ruins themselves are off-limits (there were no signs posted, so we just waltzed up the stairs and poked around inside -- oops), but two walking trails leading through the woods to nearby Carter Creek and to the old ice house are perfect for a kid-sized hike.

After exploring, we had a picnic lunch under the trees. The kids ran out some energy and had a mock swordfight or two on the grounds of the old Page family cemetery (nobody's buried there now -- the graves have been moved to a nearby churchyard). On the way out, we stopped by the small gift store and museum, which features artifacts found in and around the house during a recent archeological dig.

Bring boots (the grass isn't mowed), bring bug spray (ouch, is all I'll say), and watch out for poison ivy. But make the trip, it's worth it.

Happy weekend!