Princeton Cemetery was once called the “Westminster Abbey of the United States” due to the number of prominent persons buried there. From an American president to a participant in one of the world’s most famous duels, see what we discovered on these hallowed grounds.

How do trips to places associated with “presidents, poets & other historic persons” turn into blog posts? We are thrilled to give you a behind-the-scenes look as Nerd Trips joins the Writer’s Blog Tour.

From Shakespeare and Dickens to presidents ranging from Madison to Theodore Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter, it’s been quite a summer of Nerd Trips. Here’s a sneak peak of where we’ve been.

“Can you tell me where Dolley Madison’s dogs are buried?” asked the very direct woman at the Montpelier visitors’ desk. This is one of the strangest questions I have ever heard on a Nerd Trip, and it is part of why I enjoy them – you meet some kooky characters along the way. Who would know that Dolley Madison’s dogs are buried at Montpelier?

We concluded the Ultimate Nerd Trip at Montpelier, home of our fourth president James Madison. Montpelier is located in Orange, Virginia, about 30 minutes from Charlottesville. Compared to the flowery gardens of Monticello, Montpelier did look a little plain, but we enjoyed the visit and learned a lot!

Happy Birthday to James Madison, born March 16, 1751 in Port Conway, Virginia. Here are some not-so-random facts about our fourth president.

I had never heard of Paul Jennings until we encountered him on a Nerd Trip to Montpelier, home to our fourth president James Madison. Jennings was a slave who served as Madison’s personal assistant during the White House years and afterward. Jennings is a fascinating witness to history, writing the first White House memoir, called “A Colored Man’s Reminiscence of James Madison,” published in 1865. I bought a copy at the Montpelier gift shop.