Charlotte’s own “American Road Trip Expert” Tamela Rich is giving a family of four a chance to win visitors passes Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

“With summer vacation season around the corner, I recommend that parents place an historical site in the itinerary,” said Rich. “Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is one my top picks because President Jefferson’s multifaceted life offers something to visitors of all ages. For example, Jefferson was interested the same things that excite modern kids, from dinosaurs to ice cream. I appreciate The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello for graciously donating the visitors passes for the drawing.”

The drawing is for four tickets (2 adult, 2 children) to Monticello and will take place on Friday, May 27 to kick off the summer vacation season and to celebrate the recent 273rd anniversary of Thomas Jefferson’s birth. Monticello will contact the winners by email and make arrangements for their visit. No purchase is required. Enter to win at tamelarich.com or on Tamela’s Charlotte Parent magazine blog, Travel with Purpose.

Adds Rich, “I’ve visited historical sites across the U.S., and Monticello is an example of their future. Monticello offers plenty of kid-centric activities and lots of interactive digital displays to make history relevant to each visitor. Every staff member I encountered was able to answer even the most obscure questions about the complex and fascinating Thomas Jefferson. This is why I’m including Monticello in my book, ‘Two-Tank Trips: 25 Road Trips from Charlotte on Two Tanks of Gas.’ Charlotteans are fortunate to be within half a day's drive to Jefferson's estate. ”

About The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation was incorporated in 1923 to preserve Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Today, the foundation seeks to engage a national and global audience in a dialogue with Jefferson’s ideas. Monticello is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and a United Nations World Heritage Site. As a private, nonprofit organization, the foundation’s regular operating budget does not receive ongoing government support to fund its twofold mission of preservation and education. About 440,000 people visit Monticello each year. For information, visit Monticello.org.

About Tamela Rich

Known as the “American Road Trip Expert,” Charlotte, N.C. resident Tamela Rich is an award-winning author, storyteller and adventurer. Tamela encourages travelers to explore the great outdoors, American history, microcultures, and roadside kitsch. She is a go-to expert on sharing road trip itineraries and family-oriented travel tips, inspiring vacationers to follow her motto: “Pack Light. Travel Slow. Connect Deep.” For more information, visit http://tamelarich.com/.