Celebrating President's Day At Mount Vernon

Our long awaited trip to Mount Vernon finally happened! We met up with my cousin and her family for the day on President's day and toured the Washington home. I have to start out by saying that I didn't think that the weather was actually going to cooperate with us and our plans for the day spent mainly outside as it rained all night last night and early this morning before we left. But the skies cleared, the rain stopped, and it was humid, sunny and in the 60's the whole time we were there. Mount Vernon was an hours drive north from our home and we arrived around 9:45am - just in time for the morning festivities. Today was a celebration of George Washington's 276th Birthday. In the Bowling Green outfront of the Washington home was a Revolutionary marching band. Army personnel from Ft. Eustis are assigned to this marching band as a full time job and they dressed up in uniforms and costumes as they once did in the 1700's. During this program, there was a short line already formed at the President's home and we decided this would be the best time to take our tour and not wait a long time. It was amazing to see the inside of where George & Martha once lived and entertained. The line had to be moving at all times so it was a rather quick tour but the rooms and the things they used back then were just stunning -- the platewear, interior wall colors, style of furniture, and the art work -- just amazing! Every room had a specific reason to be used...entertaining, mail, guest chamber, dining, reading, playing the piano, and sleeping quarters. The home has no indoor plumbing and therefore, they'd have to travel across the frontyard to a corner 'privy' also known to us in these times as an outhouse. The exterior of the home looks to be made of white brick but we were informed earlier on in the tour that it was actually made and styled out of wood and when they had painted the home white and was still wet, they'd throw sand up on it to make it look like brick. It for sure fooled many eyes. It believeably looked like brick! As many of you most likely haven't been able to tour Mount Vernon, you can go HERE to learn more (click on the left side to see all the rooms and buildings), HERE to know more about George Washington, as well as HERE to take a virtual tour. It's pretty neat so take a look when you get the chance. After the tour of the home, it put us out in the back yard overlooking the Potomic River. What a sight that was!! Especially with the sun out and a light breeze. We couldn't have asked for better weather! We stayed until almost 2pm walking around seeing various sites along the grounds some including the new barriel tomb of where George and Martha a laid to rest (George wanted him and his loved ones encased in a brick enclosure but wasn't made available at his time of death. About 30 years later, it was built and they moved him and Martha over from the old tomb to the new one), the animal farm, loading dock, slave quarters, shoe mill, ice and salt houses, the servants' hall, the stables, laundry yard, upper and lower gardens, and the George Washington Museum. There was so much to see and even though we covered a lot of what was there, there was still more to be seen such as the 16-sided barn, the slave memorial, and the old tomb. These sights were set to being some of the fartherest perimeters of the Estate so if we do go back, we'll travel to these sights for sure. At the time of us leaving to go home, dark clouds rolled back in and the rain started up again. Was that perfect timing, or what!?! It was so great to have beautiful weather the whole time we were there and I'm so glad we had the chance to go and see this amazing historical site and to be able to catch a glimpse into the life of the Washington's. This was such a fun day to spend with family!! We wish you were all there to experience it with us. But because you weren't able to, I thought I'd put together a clip of pictures we took for you to enjoy. :)


Mount Vernon