Upon arrival at our campground, we saw an attractive young woman holding a beautiful white ferret. She let Nancy hold and pet the ferret, and when she saw my Santa Cruz T-shirt she told us that she was also from Northern California - specifically, from Humboldt County. She was rather heavily tattooed and the very image of what an outsider would call a California hippie. Because of her appearance and her county of origin, Nancy asked if she was a grower, and she answered yes. She and her boyfriend raise a number of varieties of weed, but business has been hurt by the recent legalization of marijuana use in California because small growers can't afford the $500K required to achieve legal status. She may or may not have donated a small amount of product as an expression of state solidarity.
Charlottesville is the site of the University of Virginia, which was founded by Thomas Jefferson. And having a college nearby our future home is important to us, for continuing education options (which, to be honest, we probably won't take advantage of) and for the plays and music and life that it brings to a community. (The beautiful home he designed and built - Monticello - is also nearby, but we had toured it in the past.)
UVA - the University of Virginia - is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the grandeur of its architecture and the loveliness of its grounds.
Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, classes were over and graduation was scheduled for the following weekend, so very few students were around. Regardless, it's always fun to look at the bulletin boards to see what's playing, what's for sale, and which issues people are excited about.
I'm a passionate Golden State Warriors fan, and they are currently in the NBA playoffs. On Monday evening, when the first game against the Houston Rockets was scheduled, one of the most violent thunderstorms I've ever experienced came into the Charlottesville area. Incredible rain hammered the roof, one scary wind gust rocked our motorhome violently, and before long electricity in the entire region went dark. Our motorhome, including the TV, can run off battery power, and we can use a generator to replenish the batteries, but in severe weather the satellite dish on the roof can't bring in our DirecTV channels, so my chances of watching the Warriors game were looking bleak. Even if it were safe to drive to a nearby sports bar, it was unlikely to be open, due to the power outages. Only rabid, neurotic sports fans can sympathize with how catastrophic that would have been for my mental health.
Luckily, the front passed through, the rain stopped, and even though the entire area would be without electrical service until the morning, we were able to watch the game, on battery power. And the Warriors took care of business.
Our last night in Charlottesville we had an extremely tasty dinner at Public Oyster House. The city has a top reputation as a foodie destination, and many of its best restaurants and shops are along the Historic Downtown Mall - a scenic eight block walkway along streets closed to traffic.
Charlottesville is a great town, in a lush and beautiful part of the country. I could live here, but Nancy thinks its weather is just too hot for her to consider as a permanent home, so we're not adding it to our list of possibles.
As we were getting ready to leave from a downtown lot, a car with California plates was parking. The couple said they had moved to Charlottesville from California. I asked how they like it here. She said, "California is better."
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