From a Founding Father’s orchard to a former prison garden, our nation’s history crops up in the unlikeliest of places. Visit these plots from the past and get a glimpse of what life was like back then—no time machine required.
1 MONTICELLO, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA
Imagined, designed and built by Thomas Jefferson, Monticello reflects the Founding Father’s vision to this day. The grounds surrounding his grand home are filled with flower, vegetable and fruit gardens, each with hundreds of heirloom varieties dating to the 1700s. Stroll along paths that wind through shady groves to truly appreciate why Jefferson is known as “the father of American forestry.” monticello.org
2 GRAND PORTAGE NATIONAL MONUMENT, GRAND PORTAGE, MINNESOTA
The North West Co. operated a trading post at Grand Portage, Minnesota, from 1778 to 1803…