Mount Vernon

One of my many adventures this summer was a trip to Virginia. I'm finally at an age where I can appreciate the historical value of places like Mount Vernon, so even though this was technically my second trip to George Washington's home, it's the first one I remember well.

Unfortunately the house was under construction at the time of my trip so I couldn't take any good pictures of the house. The good news was that we learned an interesting little tidbit because of it. They were adding a paint/sand mixture to the outside of the building, just as Washington (rather, his slaves) did when he lived there. The walls are made of wood, but the sand mixed with the paint gives the impression of cement walls. I'm always amazed at how ingenuitive some people are.

As we waited in line to take the tour we admired the volunteers in their costumes from the 18th century. A women who looked like she could have been Martha Washington herself brought us though the house and gave us the history of the rooms. It was quite amazing to think that I was standing in the house where George Washington lived. We saw his bedroom, his study, his kids' rooms and the dining room. In separate buildings were the cooking areas, the storage rooms, and areas where the servants worked to keep the estate running.

Taking the tour really helped put things in perspective and added a lot of value to the things we saw. The many other buildings on the estate, such as the slaves' quarters, had information posted to explain how the rooms and their contents were used and what a typical day would be like for the residents. If you're ever in the DC/Virginia area, Mount Vernon is a definitely a must-see destination. If you have some extra time, check out the museum which is also on the estate. It has great information about not only George Washington, but also about the other Founding Fathers, the Revolution, the Freemasons, and many other worthwhile topics.