When we visited Washington DC, our first visit was to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home. It was a gorgeous day, and Mount Vernon is always open, so the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, this was a good place to spend the day. The siding on the home looks like stone, but it’s actually beveled wood sprayed with sand in the wet paint.
George and Martha Washington’s tomb.
I came to appreciate George Washington a great deal, as we learned about him. He was an agricultural scientist and inventor - always finding new ways to generate better crop yields, grow his own seeds and invent new types of plants. This “tree fence” was his brain-child also. By growing trees and digging a ditch around paddocks, he was able to make a sustainable and strong living barrier to control livestock.
I always appreciate living history exhibits. These people were spinning yarn and teaching us about crop rotation.
We had arrived to the estate early, but we foolishly wandered around the grounds first, rather than getting right to the mansion tour. This resulted in an hour-long wait in line later.
Darla is teasing here, since we’d already stood in line for 45 minutes prior to reaching this sign.
The kids’ favorite part of the grounds was the “ha-ha” wall. Another of Washington’s inventions, the ha-ha wall separated the cattle from the mansion lawn. It was named for the way people would laugh at unsuspecting wanderers that fell over it.
Washington DC series:
View from Washington Monument
Mount Vernon
National Archives - Declaration of Independence
Sculpture Gardens
Arlington Cemetery - Unknown Soldier
Washington DC Subway - Metro
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11:42 am
This is one place I’ve never visited in all my trips to DC. I’ll have to make a point to go - looks interesting!
12:34 pm
Beautiful pictures!
12:38 pm
Kelly: Thanks for stopping by my blog! Glad you had a fantabulous time in Our Nation’s Capital.
The Scribe Family has lived in the DC Metro Area for more than 20 years, although we’re originally from Texas. As long as I’m here, let me encourage you to contribute a review to Take Another Look Thursday on my blog. http://scholastic-scribe.blogspot.com/2008/06/take-another-look-thursday.html If you have a favorite book, movie, restaurant, vacation, whatever, The Scholastic Scribe would LOVE to hear from you! Please encourage your Bloggy Friends, too. The More the Merrier!
7:38 pm
you need to read “Founding Mothers” … because Martha was really something !!
10:39 pm
More fun pictures
10:39 pm
More fun pictures!
11:36 pm
Too funny!!
7:37 am
Kelly,
I am so glad you’re in the AW Blog comment blitz! Your blog is such a gem! Love this post, and looking forward to reading more. I think the trip to Mt. Vernon was great and your chronicling of it and capturing the kids’ pure enjoyment a treat. Good stuff! I love Mt. Vernon too and similar attractions around the country like Old Sturbridge Village & Plymouth Plantation in Mass. and the Henry Ford Village in Mich.
-Erika