Mount Vernon

Not sure why we chose the end of July to visit Mount Vernon...but it was still a fun trip. We didn't even see half of the estate so we'll go back again (in the Fall when the weather is cooler).

George Washington is exactly right - "No estate in United America is more pleasantly situated than this..." 8000 acres of fields of grass, woodland, pastures, livestock, gardens...all overlooking the Potomac River. It was absolutely beautiful.

The trees were no mighty redwoods of California, but they were massive for the east coast. These trees lined the several paths that led to Washington's estate. He was all about formality...and you can see that in the landscape, architecture, and gardens.

Here's a closeup of the house. I always thought it was stone. It's actually pinewood that has been grooved to look like stone. When the paint was wet, they threw fine sand on it to give the appearance of stone. Rustification is what the practice was called. And it looks really cool!

Just behind the house, the backyard gradually descends and then drops off to the Potomac. Not a bad view. We couldn't take pictures inside the mansion but we could take pictures in the two seperate wings attached to the mansion. The one in the picture below was their kitchen.

Here's the back of Washington's mansion.

And this is what the Washington's saw as they sat on their back porch:

There are even better views than this, but I already have a lot of pictures in this post. You'll just have to visit the estate yourself to see it all. :)

As was common for the time, the Washington's were self-sufficient. They had sheep and hogs and horses and chickens...maybe someday we'll have our own little estate. Luke enjoyed exploring it all.

What is it about piglets that are so cute? There were about a dozen of them and for some reason everybody was attracted to the hog pen.

While we were waiting in line to walk through the mansion, we came across the "necessary." I won't go into the details...but it's the most sophisticated kind of outhouse around.

After touring the mansion, we strolled down to the Potomac.

And secluded in a wooded area between the mansion and the Potomac lies General George Washington with his wife, Martha. During the 100 year anniversary of the Boy Scouts, these young men have an opportunity to participate in the official wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb. And they earn a special patch. Wouldn't it be cool to be a boy scout this year?!?

Washington's hand is at the perfect level for little boys. :) Peter and Luke were anxious to go on a walk with Washington and his family.

In one hallway of the museum, there were photographs of all the U.S. Presidents who have visited Mount Vernon. I especially liked this particular photograph of Ronald Reagan with his wife, Nancy. I miss the leadership of Ronald Reagan.

And I long for another leader like George Washington. This is the original painting of "The Prayer at Valley Forge" by Arnold Friberg. He recently passed away on July 1, 2010. Since his passing, this original work of art has been valued at $12,000,000. So here's a picture of $12 million dollars. :)

Although George Washington considered himself a farmer above everything else, he was so much more. He was a humble and inspired servant of the Almighty God. What a treat to be able to walk in his yard and in his home. We look forward to meeting him one day.