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“The work itself indeed is nothing more than the measure of a shadow, never stationary, but lengthening as the sun advances, and to be taken anew from hour to hour. It must remain therefore for some other hand to sketch its appearance at another epoch.”  ~ Thomas Jefferson.

That is how Jefferson characterized Notes on Virginia: his description of his home state could never be complete, because people and places are always changing, just as a shadow constantly changes its length.

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I often get asked how we did our travels (or, by bolder friends, “can you plan my next trip for me?”). Here is some practical advice if you, too, want to travel like Jefferson. From time to time, I’ll post ideas about what to do, see, and eat in the places Jefferson highlighted in Hints to Americans Travelling in Europe. I’ll also include some places in the U.S. that Jefferson described—you don’t have to go far from home to have a meaningful travel experience.

I’m sure you’ll make your own finds along the way. Feel free to “sketch the appearance” of what you see—no doubt different from what I found on the road—for all of us. Drop a note in the click below!