Vacation in Washington, D.C.!

Monticello

Monticello is a two hour ride from D.C., but if you're a engineer or have an interest in classical architecture, you should make the trip. Thomas Jefferson built his plantation on top of a small mountain (hence the name), which I'm sure greatly irritated the people who had to work there or make deliveries. He spent a great deal of time on the landscaping, making sure that there were always plants in bloom at visually pleasing intervals. He died greatly in debt.

Where Mt Vernon is socially ostentatious, Jefferson's Monticello is intellectually ostentatious. He had a veritable natural history display in the foyer, so that guests could learn something while they waited for him. A man after my own heart.

Jefferson founded and designed the University of Virginia. This is the main building, the "Rotunda" (note the similarities to his residence, above). His original campus buildings still survive, and the student rooms are greatly sought after by honor students, even though they got running water only three years ago. And that was just sinks; they still have to leave the building to use the toilet or take a shower.