DC Trip Highlights – Mount Vernon
On our first day of being tourists, we visited one of the B Squad’s favorite places – George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon.
The Webmaster had never been to Mount Vernon, but I had (it was one of the stops on the school trip I took in *cough* 1992). The visitor’s center at the entrance had been greatly expanded, though. Or, at least, I don’t remember it being this big and interesting.
We got our maps…
… and with Q-Bee as our tour guide, we were off! Our good friend Juliet and her two kids joined us as well, which was so much fun! Our first stop was some of the formal gardens.
As you can see, the day was nice, but breezy. It had been 88 degrees the day before, and while it wasn’t that warm this day, it was plenty comfortable to be in shorts. There was a lot of dust kicked up by the wind, though.
The blacksmith’s shop was on the way to the mansion, and was very popular with the kids.
When we got to the mansion, Q-Bee took all the kids except Ane, and the Webmaster, Ane and I got in line to walk through the mansion.
There is no photography allowed in the house, unfortunately, but you can take pictures outside as much as you want. Here is the view from the front of the house, looking across the Potomac River.
And here is the front of the house.
We walked around the estate, and found the animals. It’s spring, so there were lots of lambs among the sheep.
This was Rerun’s favorite part, seeing the animals.
We had lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn not long after this (which was fun, and a very nice place to eat!), and then Q-Bee took the younger kids while the Webmaster, Ane, Tad and I went to see Washington’s Tomb.
George Washington is on the right, and Martha Washington is on the left. We also visited the slave burial grounds and the memorials there.
We went back toward the mansion, where the kids ran into a re-enactor playing a fife! It was so neat to see the kids so entranced, and then fall into line behind him.
Then we tried to take some family pictures on the big field in front of the house. It was pretty windy and the sun was in our eyes, but we tried!
That was the end of our day there – the kids were pretty beat!
Next up – we actually go into the District!
April 24th, 2014 07:07
Thanks for taking us along on your tour! Especially loved the group pictures and the kids following the fifer –
April 24th, 2014 11:40
I loved touring Mt. Vernon. I think I went in the ’80’s. Much smaller visitor’s center. In face, I don’ think there was one.
December 2nd, 2014 21:03
[…] … and Ane, who had picked out her ornament months ago and forgotten all about it, finally got to hang up the teacup ornament that she chose at Mount Vernon last April. […]