I really, really liked my weekend in Charlottesville that visit. Yes, I thought the house tour and grounds of Monticello are worth a visit if your are itnerested in THomas Jefferson, history or architecture. I spent over 3 hours on the grounds. You are correct in that you are limited by a led tour of the house for only 30 minutes and not allowed to wander on your own. Fascinating all the same. You are free to wander the grounds and take commentary tours of the gardens and the role of slaves on the plantation during Jefferson's lifetime. It helps to stop into the visitor's center in town before the stop out in the countryside at Monticello. On that weekend I also saw Montpellier as well as President Monroe's home and had lunch at the historic tavern. I wandered the grounds of the Unversity of Virginia that Jefferson designed; stayed at a lovely country inn and dined downtown and hit all of the used book stores. I just didnt have time to do any wineries nor drive Skyline Rd.

Cynthia Kilian in Woodstock, Illinois USA