A Day at Mount Vernon

Living near Baltimore, you never have to go very far to experience our nation's history. From nearby Fort McHenry to popular day-trip destinations like Gettysburg, Harper's Ferry or even downtown Washington DC, there is no shortage of historical sites.

Yesterday, Tina and I decided to take a ride to Mount Vernon, VA to visit George Washington's famous home. It was only about an hour drive and the weather was perfect. The road leading into Mount Vernon is quite relaxing as it runs alongside of the Potomac River. There was a lot of outdoor activity with bicyclists and joggers, so you have to keep alert.

We arrived at the site around lunchtime and we were ready to eat. We walked into the first place that we saw, appropriately named the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant. It was an old style restaurant that reminded us something you might see in historic Annapolis or Ellicott City. Deciding not to wait for a traditional table, we grabbed the last two vacant seats at the small bar. We both got a soup and sandwich combo. Surprising, even to myself, I ordered a root beer instead of my usual alcohol-laced variety. The sandwiches were very good, however the soup was a Virginia Peanut & Chestnut concoction. Apparently, it's a popular choice in these parts. But I have to tell you, I didn't like it at all. It had a very thick consistency and was very rich. It was loaded with peanuts and chestnuts which instantly put my tatstebuds into a state of utter confusion. Not wanting to insult the establishment, I finished the whole bowl. But I can promise you, that's the last time I'll ever eat Virginia (or any other state's) Peanut and Chestnut Soup.

Moving on to the main event...

I got in line to purchase tickets. Directly in front of me was a man and his hyperactive daughter. She kept jumping around and bumping into people as he uselessly kept repeating, "Stop! How many times to do I have to tell you?!"

We eventually made our way to the mansion which sat on a large hill overlooking the Potomac. Joining a growing line of people, we snaked our way through the building. Although the house itself was very large, the individual rooms were quite small. It was hard to imagine George Washington hosting foreign dignitaries in a living room that was smaller than most modern-day living rooms. As we made our way past the front foyer, I couldn't help but envision John Adams or Ben Franklin knocking at the front door 250 years ago.

As we made our way upstairs, we walked past the various bedrooms. George and Martha's bedroom was at the end of the house. Although Washington was a larger man for the time, standing at 6' 2", his bed was about the size of a modern day futon. I also found it interesting that the canopy-style bed was enclosed in mosquito netting.

In each section of the house, there was a tour guide who would give you information and tell interesting stories about the particular room and it's objects. I'm always amazed at the detail of some of the architecture. Although he framing could be rather rough, the carvings in some of the moldings are beyond impressive. Considering that everything was done by hand back then makes it even more mind-boggling.

We made our way out of the house and began to explore the rest of the plantation. The property is rather rocky and hilly, so expect to get a nice workout. I'd highly recommend that you wear a comfortable pair of walking shoes.

One of the more interesting structures was the slave quarters. During Washington's time at Mount Vernon, the majority of the work was done by a large number of slaves. We visited one of the living quarters which was about the size of a modern day kitchen. Although it was hard to believe, we were told that up to 12 servants would have lived in this small place.

To give our legs a rest from several hours of walking, we took a 45-minute boat cruise along the Potomac River. I thought it would have been a little more informative, but nonetheless, it was relaxing.

After making our final rounds of the plantation, we headed back to the entrance area where we toured the museum and education center. Here, we found various pieces of Washington;s time at Mount Vernon. One of the more interesting pieces was the original set of George Washington's false teeth, Contrary to popular belief, there were not made of wood. They were actually made of ivory and animal teeth. As you can see from the photo, they were were not very attractive. If this was what the father of our country's teeth looked like, can you imagine what the average person's looked like?

Browsing through the various exhibits, I became a bit annoyed at some of the kids who seemed to think that the museum was their personal playground. First off, let me just say that I think it's great to introduce your kids, especially at a young age, to our history. However, it's very inconsiderate to let your kids run wild and randomly scream when people are trying to absorb everything.

We finally finished up our visit and made our inevitable trip to the gift shop. Years ago, Tina and I started a tradition of picking up three specific things whenever we visit somewhere new: a coffee mug, a Christmas tree ornament and a refrigerator magnet. Once that mission was completed, so was our visit to Mount Vernon. A very enjoyable way to spend a day......

kw