Living

Georgetowner •

The new year is great for my industry, because losing weight and/or getting fit is the number-one resolution in the U.S. Though it’s not in my best interest, I’m actually encouraging you not to make New Year’s resolutions, because I don’t think they work.

Resolutions are generally what psychologists call vows: solemn, often emotionally intense promises. For example, “I will work out more this year” or “I will eat better this year.” These kinds of resolutions fail at least 88 percent of the time.

What to do instead?

Reflecting on your life and goals is very important — this is a great time of year for that — and I believe your health and fitness should always be high on your priority list. Here are three keys to successfully changing the course of your health and fitness in 2016.

1. Doubt yourself. Research on smokers shows that those who are the most confident in their ability to quit are paradoxically the least successful in doing so. This is because they don’t think through what to do when they’re tired, stressed or having insane cravings. Quitting cigarettes is hard, and working out consistently — even if it’s “only” three times a week — is no different. You have an unlimited number of things competing for your time and money, and everything is more urgent than being proactive about your health and fitness. The good news is that acknowledging reality empowers you to set up strategies to keep the tired and stressed self of the future on track.

2. Make it concrete. Again according to research, the key to follow-through is writing down the answers to four questions: What? When? Where? How? For example: On Monday and Friday at 6 p.m., I will work out with a coach at True 180 Fitness, and on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., I will sprint the hill at 34th Street for 30 minutes after a warm-up.

3. Get accountability. Can you lean on a friend who is already consistent? Sticking to his or her schedule can change your life. But please don’t team up a friend who is also struggling to work out — you are likely to support each other in not changing. A good personal trainer can also be very helpful in holding you accountable. (Just don’t expect to be able to outsource your health and fitness to a personal trainer. He or she is only with you one to three hours per week.)

Have you heard some or most of this before? Probably, but hearing and doing are two very different things. Don’t wait until Jan. 1 — that’s the same old song and dance. Stop what you’re doing and invest 10 minutes to write out your concrete plan right now.

A best-selling author and fitness expert, Josef Brandenburg owns True 180 Fitness in Georgetown. Information about his 14-Day Personal Training Experience may be found at true180.fitness.

Georgetowner • December 21, 2015

Looking for something to do outside the city for New Year’s and the night before? We have you covered with a rundown of the best In Country holiday celebrations.

Easton and St. Michaels

Get away to the bay on New Year’s Eve with a trip to Easton or St. Michaels, Maryland. The two charming towns are a scenic 20-minute drive apart and have a lot to offer this New Year’s. In Easton, the town celebrates the coming of the New Year with First Night Talbot, a big event in Easton Town Centre that includes food, musical performances and fun activities for kids. The night concludes with the Crab Drop, a play on the famous Times Square countdown to the New Year — with a six-foot-tall papier-mâché crab.

Also in town, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra is playing a special New Year’s Eve concert at Christ Church, starting at 6 p.m. Tickets range from $60 to $85 and can be purchased by calling 888-846-8600. 111 South Harrison St., Easton, Maryland.

As for accommodations, try the sumptuous Inn at 202, which has rooms starting at $290 per night and open dinner reservations early on New Year’s Eve. 202 E Dover St., Easton, Maryland. Or try the Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond, with rooms starting at $585 for New Years Eve. It’s in St. Michaels at 308 Watkins Lane.

Annapolis

Annapolis is bustling with food and hospitality options for New Year’s Eve. The capital city celebrates the occasion with two firework displays (at 7:30 p.m. and midnight) and live music on the city dock in the heart of town. Try one of Annapolis’s renowned restaurants like VIN 909, a wine bar offering Italian and new American cuisine, or something more casual with views of the water, like Dock Street Bar and Grill. For accommodations, the Chez Amis B&B is the number one recommendation by Trip Advisor, and is centrally located in the historic district of Annapolis. But as I write this, there is only one room left, and it’s going for $175 on New Year’s Eve. VIN 909: 909 Bay Ridge Ave. Dock Street Bar and Grill: 136 Dock St. Chez Amis: 85 East St.

Middleburg, Virginia

Your New Year’s plans can be a bit more relaxing in the Virginia countryside where great artisanal foods, sweeping meadows and a number of delightful inns await. There’s the Goodstone Inn, which has rooms with a view starting at $335. Their New Year’s Eve is celebrated over fresh cuts of meat from nearby farms along with some of Virginia’s finest wines. Or, celebrate the occasion at the sprawling Salamander Resort and Spa. Salamander hosts its Toast to the New Year Celebration from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., and offers all of its regular activities, like horseback rides and massages, on Jan. 1 so you can treat yourself for the New Year. Check in on Dec. 30 to make the most of your stay. Rooms start at $473. Goodstone Inn: 36205 Snake Hill Road. Salamander Resort and Spa: 500 N Pendleton St.

Josef Brandenburg • December 8, 2015

Remember: You can’t give the gift of fitness to someone who doesn’t want it. Giving a fitness gift to someone you think should work out is likely to backfire. But with these gifts you can support your friends and family members who have already made their own decision to pursue fitness — even if they’re just starting out.

A glass water bottle. Staying hydrated is great, but plastic isn’t. There’s significant evidence that plastic — even BPA (Bisphenol A) free — has harmful effects on your health and weight. Glass and stainless steel are the way to go. BKR makes glass water bottles that are really cute and really durable. You can find them at Georgetown University Bookstore and Georgetown Running Company.

My Zone. Wearable technology, especially for tracking movement, is hot, but most of the devices out there don’t give you feedback beyond how many steps you took while walking or running. They offer hardly any accurate data on intensity or calories burned outside of those two activities. My Zone makes movement measurable. It uses a very accurate heart rate monitor to let you know how hard you’re working relative to your own fitness levels.

A good sports bra. I used to wonder why some female clients would hug themselves during any bouncing exercises. It turns out that a well-designed, well-made sports bra is hard to find, and very important for a good workout. I’ve received a lot of positive feedback about the many different brands and helpful staff at Athleta. A gift certificate to the Georgetown store would probably be best.
Better nutrition. I see two options for gifts. One is a membership to a local CSA (community-supported agriculture network), which generally runs $25 to $100 per week. Getting fresh, organic fruits and veggies delivered to your recipient’s door helps him or her eat better. The other is a gift certificate to work with a local nutritionist, such as Julie DiBella at justbewellhealth.com.

Body work. Massage isn’t just for when something hurts or you’re feeling overwhelmed. You’ll get much more out of it if it’s part of your regular lifestyle. There are two ways to take advantage of the mental and physical benefits: self-massage and seeing a professional. For self-massage, pick up a foam roller from Georgetown Running Company and you can loosen up most parts of your body on your own schedule. But self-massage has its limits. Luckily Georgetown has some of the area’s best massage offerings at Aveda and M3 Massage, both of which have holiday gift-certificate specials.

A best-selling author and fitness expert, Josef Brandenburg owns True 180 Fitness in Georgetown. Information about his 14-Day Personal Training Experience may be found at true180.fitness. [gallery ids="102176,132253" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Winter travel has its advantages. Aside from the peak holiday-travel dates, airfares are low. You can trade cold and snow for warmth and sun. And even if you choose a place as frosty as where you came from, you’re likely to find yourself in the midst of winter festivities.
For this article, The Georgetowner decided to limit the number of destinations covered to six: one for each continent (not counting Antarctica). As different as they are, the vacation spots we came up with — Alaska, Machu Picchu, Istanbul, Cape Town, Hong Kong and New Zealand — share the qualities that make travel worth the time, expense and occasional inconvenience, even in the troubled times in which we live: natural and cultural riches, unforgettable settings and that “je ne sais quai” that makes you feel more intensely alive.

North America: Alaska

The Northern Lights in Alaska are something you never forget witnessing. What starts out possibly being a car-dealership spotlight across town turns into a writhing kaleidoscope of color, leaving those looking upon its beauty speechless. Cruising up the Inside Passage through magnificent glaciers and Gold Rush towns is fascinating; everything is gigantic in a way that makes humans feel downright small. Shoving off from the Homer Spit in a fishing charter isn’t particularly grand, but returning from sea with a cargo hold of halibut — while watching pods of whales, puffins and otters play beneath the snowcapped peaks and glaciers — is absolute magic. And meeting Alaskans is a bonus; the folks who have chosen to make Alaska their home are hearty folk, and they know how to tell stories. You’ll return from this trip with plenty of photos, footage and tall tales to share.

South America: Machu Picchu

Nestled high above the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the small settlement of Machu Picchu (in what is now Peru) served as the estate for Inca emperors for roughly a century. Despite its location near Cusco, the Spanish never found it. Reports of a fabulous ruined city in the Andes cloud forest began trickling out as early as the 1870s. But it wasn’t until 1911, when Yale historian Hiram Bingham (possibly the inspiration for Indiana Jones) was led there by a local guide, that the world found out about the so-called Lost City of the Incas. A trip there, even today, is not as much a vacation as it is an endurance test. The gateway to Machu Picchu, Cusco sits at an elevation of 11,152 feet above sea level, so you should plan on spending two days acclimatizing. The actual hike, which takes 4 days, is easier. While the hike offers stunning views, nothing compares to looking down from Machu Picchu on virgin forest vistas. Note: Peruvian authorities continue to place restrictions on visits to Machu Picchu, so plan your trip sooner rather than later.

Europe: Istanbul

On the eastern edge of Europe — Asia is just across the magnificent Bosphorus Strait — the city formerly known as Constantinople is the largest in Turkey. Its incredible history under three empires, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman, is displayed on a grand level. Meanwhile, the city’s modern lifestyle expresses a passion for food, shopping, entertainment and, of course, raki, Turkey’s sambuca-like national drink. First stop, Sultanahmet Square, where a number of obelisks reach for the sky to mark Constantinople’s Hippodrome. A few blocks away are the stunning Blue Mosque, named for the 20,000 Iznik-style tiles that line its interior, and the incomparable Hagia Sophia. Originally built as a Christian basilica, Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) became a mosque when the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople in 1453. Other landmarks include the Topkapi Palace, the primary residence for the sultans, and the Basilica Cistern, a location in “From Russian with Love” and the Dan Brown novel “Inferno.”

Oceania: New Zealand

Do you consider yourself an adventure traveler? Then New Zealand’s South Island should be on your bucket list. Queenstown is the island’s main adventure hub, situated on the crystal-clear blue Lake Wakatipu. The town, reminiscent of a skiing village in the United States, has a number of outfits offering skydiving, bungee jumping and other high-adrenalin activities. Scenery bombards the senses on the trip to the island’s west coast, where you can take a cruise around the Milford Sound, ride a helicopter ride to the top of the Franz Josef Glacier or explore breathtaking coastal inlets and otherworldly rock formations in Punakaiki. Farther north, enjoy pristine beaches in Nelson, or hop over to Christchurch, which has come back strongly from a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in February 2011, or Dunedin, which offers not only Victorian and Edwardian architecture but colonies of albatrosses, seals and penguins.

Asia: Hong Kong

One of the most densely populated cities on earth, a human ant farm of more than seven million residents, Hong Kong — officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China — is an ethnic kaleidoscope of hustle and bustle. The tantalizing beat of this urban financial center, the gateway to China, will draw you in and make you a part of it no matter how brief the visit. A trip across the harbor in the Star Ferry, dinner at the Peninsula watching the laser show, having a suit made for you, people-watching in the nightlife district of Lan Kwai Fong — these are just a few of the reasons to jump ship here. Watching the massive octopus-like cranes load and unload the cargo destined for and coming from places around the globe is a mesmerizing reminder of the magnitude of Hong Kong’s port, busiest in the world from 1999 to 2004 (when it was overtaken by Shanghai).

Africa: Cape Town

Cape Town is at southern tip of the African continent, cradled by one of the most unique and spectacular mountain vistas in the world, Table Mountain. Visitors can take a gondola up to the flat surface of the mountaintop for an unforgettable view of the entire city and the sea beyond. A short boat ride from the harbor is Robben Island, the now-defunct prison where Nelson Mandela spent nearly thirty years of his life. Back at the harbor, the best of current-day South Africa is on display, with delicious waterfront cafes and open-air boutique markets. A daytrip out to the quaint Cape Dutch village of Stellenbosch, the center of South Africa’s breathtakingly beautiful and highly underrated wine region, will run down your camera batteries with its views and windswept architecture. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is nestled at the eastern foot of Table Mountain, preserving the country’s unique flora and cultivating indigenous plants. Its Boomslang is a footbridge walkway into the tree canopy. South Africa still suffers from a great deal of poverty, so any conscientious traveler would do well to take a guided tour of Khayelitsha, a township that houses nearly 400,000 of the country’s displaced and underemployed citizens. The experience, while sobering, is also inspirational.

Wally Greeves •

With its birthday celebrating a quarter of a millennium rolling around next year, the Omni Homestead is considered America’s first resort, which began as a lodge in 1766. It makes me feel proud to be an American and a Virginian that it existed before the American Revolution.

Daily and monthly theme-oriented activities involving fireworks, speakers, concerts, historic menus, and a lot of cake will commemorate the year. I am eagerly awaiting some kind of major ghost activity announcement. I could feel the excitement building on a fall visit this year, as I watched every employee on grounds group together for a fly-over photo.

The Homestead is one of the most timeless places I have ever been, and the drive to Bath County from Washington, D.C., is a sunroof and radio proposition. Showcasing smaller and smaller Virginia settings at progressively slower lifestyles until you finally wind between and amongst the Allegheny Mountains to arrive there, the drive gives you just the right amount of time to decompress and close down shop before you lose cell coverage, the air thickens, and you make the jump to historical hyperspace.

The main dining room is a trademark affair and should not be missed. Elegant dress, outstanding employees and traditional food greats make a wrong turn unlikely. That being said, on this visit Jefferson’s Restaurant was the culinary hand that just plain smacked me around and left me laughing on the scale the next morning … twice. A group of us ate one of every appetizer on the menu the first night, and my friend had a mouthwatering steak that was so big that even after he was done they cut it up into two sandwiches for golf the next day. A visit is not complete without a meal at Sam Snead’s Tavern, just to pay homage to the slamster himself. Stories of Sam Snead’s ability to kick the tops of door frames from a dead stand still, even into his seventies, are fun and factual.

The old saying that there is “something for everyone” has never been more true than at the Homestead. I focused on food, golf, foot massage and exploring creaky hallways, but I could have shot stuff and fished, too. I strongly encourage a tour from the historian on grounds, who entertained us with his present tense accounts of notable guests from different eras. Men and women have kicked off their shoes and had a good time at this place. The period photos really show it, and they are fun to peruse.

The Old Course, designed by Donald Ross, has America’s oldest continuous tee still in use, and many presidents have played it. This course is picturesque against the Homestead, is forgiving, and the perfect round to enjoy with a spouse or friend. The Cascades Course is one of my all-time favorites. I played it three times during this visit. Heralded as perhaps the best mountain course in the country, the fall scenery here is Virginia’s finest. The last round we walked with caddies, and a finer day of golf I have not had. I love Virginia: so walking through the mountains with a friend and playing the game I love would be a win-win, no matter the score. The added bonus of having Bart as my caddy to stop me from tripping over myself was great extra “day enjoyment” insurance.

The people at the Omni Homestead are what make the place special. I was lucky enough to play a round with the recently retired Director of Golf at the Homestead, Don Ryder. He took the time to introduce me to J.C. Snead, Sam Snead’s nephew and PGA Tour winner, who happened to be hitting some balls on the range. Retiring after 43 years of service at the Homestead, Don has had over a hundred relatives work at the resort, at last count. His cousin Barry Ryder took over as Director of Golf, while Don will still play a role as Director of Golf Emeritus. Bob Swiger of Raspberry Falls Golf Course, upon my mentioning the round with Don, stated, “A finer ambassador of the game does not exist.”

Don and I were approaching a tee box on the Old Course in separate carts that day, and all of a sudden out of nowhere he roared off down the hill at top speed. I looked around for what I was sure would be poorly behaved guests, or an emergency of some magnitude, only to see Don racing a hedgehog across the valley, through the fairway. Watching him outdistance the hedgehog, and then turn the cart around to block the animal’s forest entry with a series of right and left dance moves, just left me laughing out loud. Upon his return to the tee box, I asked him who won, and he replied, “Just visiting an old friend. I used to just reach down and grab ’em.” What can I say? This kind of catchy enthusiasm, interest, and energy speaks for itself.

I highlight my experience with Don as one example of the quality of people that make the Homestead work. It truly is an exceptional family within this small community in southwest Virginia. Celebrating 250 years is a big deal and is worthy of a place on your calendar in 2016. I always look forward to going there. The anticipation of a trip there will cause me to take pause when deciding what shirts to pack and what music to bring. I rarely use a cell phone there, and I always take the time to wash and wax the car before the trip. I laugh a lot there. My ghost will hang out there sometimes.
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Georgetowner • November 10, 2015

Don’t start making your list just yet, because the answer is one word. And that magic word is: YOU.

It’s not going to be your therapist, your accountant, your attorney or even your friends. Yes, your posse, of course, is necessary to the process. But at the end of the day, it is little ol’ you that is going to get you through. Let me explain…

Your therapist can help you sort through the emotions; your accountant can tell you the bottom line; your attorney will draft the MSA; your friends will listen. But you hold the cards to the one thing that will propel you to the other side, and that, my friend, is attitude.

What I am about to say will cause the hair on some people’s neck to stand on end. But before the hate mail starts coming in, I ask that you take some time to digest what I am about to say.

Divorce is just another bump in life, albeit a big bump, but a bump nonetheless. People change jobs, move from house to house or city to city, first careers don’t work out, second ones are born. Divorce is no different. How we perceive it, and then react to that perception, is what makes it different.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating divorce. I, myself, was married for 15 years before the plug was pulled. But when faced with this life-change, how you “see” it will make all the difference as to when the phoenix rises from the ashes.

Divorce can cause you to sit, fester and ruin your life OR it can jump-start it. Fact is, you got a divorce; you did not lose a limb or go blind. You can spend countless hours ruminating over something that is over, or you can look at all the doors divorce opens.

You have what hundreds of people every day get taken away from them, and that is the gift of life. Don’t squander it. Divorce has a way of making what you do and don’t want in your relationships, and in life, a lot clearer. Believe it or not, this time is a gift, so use it wisely. Don’t just live through this change, embrace it.

My son told me that we all live to learn. I disagree with him. Only the self-actualized people live to learn, and I invite you to become one of them. Use your divorce to raise you up, not push you down. Divorce robs us all. It robs our children, our sense of safety and security, our self-esteem, our finances, our trust, and our overall well-being.

So how much more will you allow it to rob you of?

We have one life, and none of us know how many chances we will get to course direct and live it the way we were intended to. So, ladies, put on your Katherine Hepburn glasses, and men, adjust those Top Gun Ray-Bans, and get out there and say, “Bring it on!”

Trained in Collaborative Divorce, Debbie Martinez is a certified Mindful Life Coach and Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator. Reach her at debbieatthepowerofdivorcecoach.com.

Richard Selden • November 5, 2015

Portraitist of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton and other figures of the American Revolution, Charles Willson Peale raised a family of painters in Philadelphia, naming his sons Rembrandt, Raphaelle, Titian and Rubens and his daughters Angelica and Sophonisba (not a complete list).

One of the major works in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s new exhibition, “Audubon to Warhol: The Art of American Still Life” (on view through Jan. 10) is Peale’s group portrait of his family: nine peaches-and-cream-faced Peales, including himself; the children’s nanny; and his dog Argus. On the green tablecloth is a still life — a tray of fruit next to a paring knife and a curled apple peel (pun no doubt intended).

On each side of this canvas, nearly seven and a half feet wide, are two small still-life paintings by Peale family members; nearby are classic still lifes by Raphaelle, one of the first American artists to specialize in the genre. His father, like many artists before and since, considered flowers, fruit, cheese, cutlery, serving ware, wine bottles, dead fish and the like more a subject for artistic training than for finished works, despite the still-life obsessions of Dutch Golden Age painters (excluding Rembrandt and Hals).

Grouping outstanding examples, many unfamiliar, in roughly chronological order under the thematic headings of Describing, Indulging, Discerning and Animating, the exhibition — the first of its kind in three decades — aims to make the case that, in the words of curator Mark D. Mitchell, “the story of American still life is the story of American life.”

At several points, context is provided in inventive ways. Plate 26 from John James Audubon’s “Birds of America,” depicting now-extinct Carolina parakeets, is accompanied not only by several of the huge folio volumes but by four specimens collected in 1843 and owned by Audubon, their colors — orange, yellow and turquoise — still bright.

In the Indulging section, visitors can explore the language of flowers at “You In Flowers” interactive stations, which generate personalized (sort of) on-screen bouquets from self-submitted adjectives.

Velvet curtains evoke the Gilded Age setting of William Harnett’s largest trompe-l’oeil (trick the eye) painting, “After the Hunt” of 1885, painted for the Paris Salon but purchased for Theodore Stewart’s extravagant New York saloon. Trained in Munich, Harnett was a genius at depicting feathers (dead game birds), fur (a dead rabbit), metal (two firearms and a hunting horn) and the life-size green door — with rusty ornamental hinges, a keyhole escutcheon and a dangling key — on which these and other precisely rendered objects appear to hang.

The superb selection of trompe-l’oeil works in the Discerning section includes “Reminiscences of 1865,” the movingly subliminal tribute to Lincoln painted in 1904 by Harnett’s contemporary John Frederick Peto, which shows a black-and-white portrait of the president and various forgotten scraps of paper tacked to a wooden panel in which ABE and his birth and death dates are carved.

The later works under the theme of Indulging (which overlaps with Discerning) show the influence of Japanese art, both directly — as in Robert Blum’s virtuosic “Flower Market, Tokyo,” of 1891–92 — and indirectly, by way of the French Impressionists.

Finally, the galleries featuring 20th-century art give example after example of modernism’s embrace of the genre. By including works by modern masters with distinctive personal styles — Charles Sheeler, Georgia O’Keefe, Stuart Davis, Paul Cadmus, Andrew Wyeth, Jasper Johns — the curatorial team compels us to ask “How does this work fit into the American still-life tradition and what does it add to it?”

Several of these works are sculptures, such as Andy Warhol’s seemingly trompe-l’oeil “Brillo Boxes” of 1964. Screen-printed on three wooden cubes, the piece actually proclaims its artifice through the imperfections of its handmade process.

One of the most beautiful works in the show is by an artist, like Peale, with Philadelphia connections: Alexander Calder. “The Water Lily,” c. 1945, constructed from sheet metal and wire, is black with a gray base, as far as could be from the colorful flower canvases in the preceding galleries. The flat piece of metal representing the lily’s seed pod, punched with holes, would never trick the eye, yet it is instantly recognizable, a triumph of observation to rival Audubon’s.

Chuck Baldwin •

The first Saturday in November means the Montpelier Hunt Races are running — as they have for the last 86 years. Set in the Piedmont foothills at the home of James and Dolley Madison, race day draws visitors from Washington, Richmond and all over Virginia for traditional hunt-country festivities.

With the first post time 12:30 p.m., seven races are run: two on the flat and five over fences. Most of the races are more than two miles long and offer exhilarating views of equestrian action.

Besides the main draw, other activities entice on race day — and not just for the well-dressed grown-ups in attendance. There will be Jack Russell Terrier Races near the flat track at 10:30 and Stick Horse Races for children ages 2 to 11. The children’s races will take place on the course in front of the race tower, but kids must enter at the Montpelier Tent by 11:15.

The Tailgate Contest is also quite popular, with lots of prizes handed out. Judge and jury is Jerome Thalwitz, owner of the Bavarian Chef, a highly regarded German restaurant in business since 1974 on Route 29 north of Charlottesville. He’s looking for best use of a theme, best presentation, best taste and most fun. The contest is free, but let the office know in advance of race day. Chef Thalwitz will need to know where your spot is located so he can find and judge you, starting about 11 a.m. Bear in mind that no grills or open fires are allowed.

One of the most entertaining non-horse-related events is the Hat Contest, for which the criteria are elegance and best race theme. There is a prize for groups, so put your heads together and cap them. Also on the racecourse in front of the tower, this contest occurs right after the finish of the second race.

The sixth race is the premier race: a steeplechase run over Montpelier’s live brush fences. The seventh and last post time is 4:30.

Vendor’s Row offers unique shopping opportunities, perfect for the holidays. Race-day souvenirs and merchandise are available at the Montpelier Museum Shop tent.

The Montpelier estate, the lifelong home of our fourth president and first first lady — Dolley Madison is credited with defining the role — will be open at reduced rates for visitors who wish to experience the mansion, the other historic structures and archaeological sites, special exhibits and the gardens and forest trails on the grounds.

William DuPont purchased the Montpelier Estate in 1901 and made substantial changes, enlarging the house, renovating the gardens and adding additional outbuildings and stables. His daughter, Marion DuPont Scott, a fine horsewoman, inherited the property and turned it into a top thoroughbred breeding and racing facility. She opened the Montpelier Races to the public in 1929.

The Montpelier Hunt Races will take place Nov. 7 at 11407 Constitution Highway, Montpelier Station, Virginia. Gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Tickets at the gate are $20 and parking is $30. Tickets bought in advance start at $15, with $20 parking. To register for the Tailgate Contest, call 540-672-0014 or email info@montpelierraces.org. For more information and advance tickets, visit montpelierraces.org.