Tuesday's adventure was to Mount Vernon. Hats off to the WMATA for having a free shuttle service to Alexandria and helpful staff to help navigate your travels while they undertake platform work on the Metro. Today I traveled to Mount Vernon via the river on a Potomac River cruise. This was a fun way to travel, however, the cabin was so cold due to AC that I even moved to the outside deck in the drizzle just to stay warm! Still, the narration supplied lots of interesting tidbits and I enjoyed the views of the shoreline and the sightings of several ospreys.
The day was spent touring the mansion and walking the grounds, which were beautiful. Sweeping river views from the hillside, a lovely bowling green at the front of the house (kept kempt by scythe and a large stone rolled over the grass!), and walled kitchen gardens that I went gaga over. I felt this day gave me a better insight to George Washington and made me appreciate him more as a person and not just an iconic figure. Mount Vernon itself was also a surprise. It was not constructed of stone as I had thought, but rather of pine. The wood was carved and painted with a technique using sand that gave the appearance of stone. Stone homes relayed the message of wealth. As you can see, it is undergoing restoration. The boards are actually original to the house.
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