At 2:57pm on January 8, 2024, my ‘Through the Eyes of Jefferson’ blog reached a milestone with our 100,000th all-time view since this site began on October 9, 2019. I felt there was no better way to celebrate the occasion than with a bottle of Moxie – President Calvin Coolidge’s favorite beverage.
On October 9, 2019, at the prodding and persistence of Mr. Rick Bieth, my photographer published his first post in this blog, which was designed to inform interested readers about our journeys to Presidential sites, historical sites, and anything else we’ve enjoyed seeing. And the best part of all – I’ve been allowed to tell the story of what my experiences were like at each of the sites I’ve been taken to.
Since my very first trip on July 10, 2013, I’ve had the honor of visiting all 39 Presidential gravesites, every Presidential Library, and nearly every Presidential birthplace and home. To date, I’ve logged 69,524 miles that have taken me to 43 of our 50 states – and I’ve also visited three Canadian provinces. During the past ten years, I’ve had the privilege of not only meeting some amazing people, but I’ve also made my way into some areas most people and bobble heads have never had the opportunity to see or touch. As a matter of fact, I was once kissed by a member of Congress inside the United States Capitol.
I have to admit, the nearly seventy-thousand miles I have under my belt have taken a physical toll on me. I’ve undergone a countless number of surgeries, including the most complicated procedure which was a complete spring transplant after the spring in my neck snapped in two near the Washington Monument in 2022. I’ve also had my right arm reattached numerous times after it first broke off outside of Grant’s Cottage in 2020; I’ve had my head reattached after James Garfield’s ghost mysteriously removed it in 2013; my legs have been repaired a countless number of times after they first sustained mysterious cracks at Hoover’s birthplace in 2015; and I was nearly killed after falling to the floor near George Washington’s false teeth in 2019. I thought my injuries were life-threatening after that fall, but somehow Ol’ Humpty Dumpty was put back together again. Today, my legs remain wrapped with medical tape; my face is scarred as some of the paint has worn off; and I lean a little bit to the right. Like a Timex watch – I’ve taken a lickin’, and keep on tickin’!
Even with all of my battle scars, I’m ready to hit the road again in 2024 – my first trip of the year will begin on February 1st when I head for Green Bay, Wisconsin. After that, I’ll embark on a two-week trip starting on April 18th that will take me to the southeastern part of our country – including Key West, Florida.
On January 8, 2024, this blog reached a milestone when we recorded the 100,000th view since October 2019. I was excited when the ‘Visitors’ counter hit one hundred grand – and I knew my personal photographer and travel mate, Tom, was equally as thrilled. I laughed to myself when Rick Bieth congratulated us on the milestone and said he planned on getting us on Good Morning America where Tom and I could tell our story to Jenna Bush Hager and the rest of the world.
Speaking of the rest of the world, this blog has been seen by people from all around the globe. That’s right, folks from 55 nations outside of the United States have read about my travels – and that’s mind-blowing to this ordinary bobble head from Michigan. Which countries are in the Top Five for visits? It’s China, Canada, United Kingdom, India, and France. Even the folks in Russia have made their nation finish at number seven.
The one disappointment I’ve had during the past four years has been the lack of comments left on this site. Outside of regular comments from Bob Moldenhauer, who has been a trusted and loyal travel mate of ours since I started traveling to Presidential sites in 2013, there hasn’t been very much feedback from the other viewers at all. I’d like to know what you think. Please do me a favor – when you read one of the posts and look at the photos, let me know your thoughts – good, bad, or ugly. My photographer can always delete the bad and ugly ones. I’d also like to know if you, the reader, have visited the same sites I had talked about in the post. Please don’t be shy; leave me a comment – and I’m also talking to the folks from outside of the United States as well.
Lastly, I want to share with you my TOP TEN Presidential sites I’ve visited since 2013. Each and every one of the thousand or so sites I’ve had the pleasure of visiting over the past decade have been important and inspiring to me, but these ten had made the biggest impact on me to date. Please sit back, enjoy the TOP TEN countdown, and LEAVE ME A COMMENT!
NUMBER 10 – FDR GRAVESITE
On July 9, 2017, I had the opportunity to stand on the gravesite of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Hyde Park, New York. FDR is one of my favorite Presidents because he didn’t let his disability keep him from accomplishing many great things – including the preservation of democracy throughout the world.
NUMBER 9 – PARKLAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
This was the original Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas where President John F. Kennedy was taken immediately after he was shot at Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963. On March 22, 2014, I visited Parkland, and I stood inside Trauma Room One where JFK was pronounced dead. Just recently, in late 2023, this hospital was demolished – along with its Presidential history.
NUMBER 8 – SHADWELL PLANTATION SITE
Not many Presidential enthusiasts get to do what Tom, Bob Moldenhauer, and I did on May 16, 2021 near Charlottesville, Virginia. The three of us climbed over a fence, walked a half-mile through a field, and visited the site of the Shadwell Plantation where Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743. Thomas Jefferson is my favorite President, and it was a true honor to stand on the hallowed ground where he was born.
NUMBER 7 – DEALEY PLAZA
One of the most infamous moments in American history was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. And there’s nowhere else I’ve ever been that has brought a tragic Presidential event to life more than when I was carried to the middle of Elm Street in Dealey Plaza on March 22, 2014 and stood on the spot where JFK was riding in his limousine when he was killed on November 22, 1963. If standing on that ‘X’ doesn’t give one goosebumps, the thought of getting run over by oncoming traffic certainly will.
NUMBER 6 – INDEPENDENCE HALL
I’m standing in the Assembly Room inside Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where I had the honor of visiting on June 12, 2023. Not only did Thomas Jefferson and John Adams vote for and sign the Declaration of Independence in this room in 1776, but George Washington sat in the ‘Rising Sun Chair’ on the distant platform when he presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
NUMBER 5 – LINCOLN’S TOMB
On July 11, 2014, I was afforded the opportunity not too many bobble heads get – I stood on the red-granite monument which marked the final resting place of President Abraham Lincoln. The tomb of our 16th President is located in Oakwood Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln’s devotion to unite our nation during the Civil War preserved the United States of America and ultimately cost him his life at Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865.
NUMBER 4 – JFK’s GRAVESITE
Millions of people visit Arlington National Cemtery in Arlington, Virginia each year, including me on July 19, 2014. On that memorable day, however, I did something no other bobble head has ever done – I stood on the flat black ledger stone that marked the grave of President John F. Kennedy. It was undoubtedly one of my most solemn moments ever – especially when I saw the Eternal Flame behind me, originally lit by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on November 25, 1963.
NUMBER 3 – JEFFERSON’S MONTICELLO
Thomas Jefferson was the most influential of our forefathers who helped form this great nation of ours. For a countless number of reasons, including being the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson is my favorite President. Words cannot accurately describe what a special moment it was for me when I stood next to Jefferson’s alcove bed inside his bed chamber at Monticello where the patriot died on July 4, 1826. When I made my first visit to Monticello on May 12, 2019, my photographer was on a covert mission to capture an image of me alongside the bed as photography was prohibited inside the mansion. Although Tom did get scolded by a nosey woman, whom my photographer scoffed at, that moment will go down as one of my most cherished memories.
NUMBER 2 – JIMMY CARTER ENCOUNTER
On Sunday July 14, 2019, I met and posed alongside President Jimmy Carter after the worship service at the Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. While Tom and his wife, Vicki, posed with the 94-year-old President, I had to pinch myself to be assured I wasn’t dreaming. I’ve seen Bill Clinton and Donald Trump in person, but they didn’t know I existed. On that Sunday in Jimmy Carter’s hometown, Jimmy not only knew I was there, but the President also looked at me and flashed his famous toothy smile.
NUMBER 1 – THE OVAL OFFICE
Along with Bob Moldenhauer and my photographer, I stood in awe at the doorway of the Oval Office inside the White House. On May 17, 2019, the three of us were VIP guests of President Donald Trump’s attorney Scott Gast, who led us on a night tour of the West Wing. For roughly five minutes, I gazed at the Resolute Desk and the other historic furnishings inside the most famous room in America. While photography was prohibited inside the West Wing, including the Oval Office, my photographer recreated the moment exactly how I remembered it.
I hope you have enjoyed my celebration, as well as my TOP TEN list. Again, please leave me a comment. Your email will NEVER be published in this blog, nor will it be shared with anyone else. Thank you for your support and I’ll see you in February.
My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!
4 thoughts on “276: JUBILATION AND MOXIE AT THE MOMENT MY BLOG HIT A THOUSAND GRAND”
Congratulations on reaching the 100,000 milestone….amazing! Your top ten experiences are all truly remarkable, some that can be repeated and others are truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. What an incredible journey these past 10 years have been. On to the next adventure!
Thank you, Bob, for your continued support over the years. Let me know when and where you want to visit next, and we can make that happen. TJ’s goal is to visit all 50 states and travel 100,000 miles before my long-distance travelling days come to an end.
Very nice, Tom. Thanks for the recognition. Your blog has been very entertaining and interesting. I hope you continue to share your travels with us for a very long time. Congratulations again on hitting 100,000 views!
Thank you for leaving a comment Ricky and for being the inspiration behind this blog. Perhaps someday you’d like to take a Presidential trip with me and the bobble head? Maybe to the set of Good Morning America in NYC – or to the Today Show, where we could meet Jenna Bush Hager.
Congratulations on reaching the 100,000 milestone….amazing! Your top ten experiences are all truly remarkable, some that can be repeated and others are truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. What an incredible journey these past 10 years have been. On to the next adventure!
Thank you, Bob, for your continued support over the years. Let me know when and where you want to visit next, and we can make that happen. TJ’s goal is to visit all 50 states and travel 100,000 miles before my long-distance travelling days come to an end.
Very nice, Tom. Thanks for the recognition. Your blog has been very entertaining and interesting. I hope you continue to share your travels with us for a very long time. Congratulations again on hitting 100,000 views!
Thank you for leaving a comment Ricky and for being the inspiration behind this blog. Perhaps someday you’d like to take a Presidential trip with me and the bobble head? Maybe to the set of Good Morning America in NYC – or to the Today Show, where we could meet Jenna Bush Hager.