We visited Mount Vernon (G. Washington's family home) on Wednesday, since the kids' school this week was cancelled due to our big snow storm we got a week ago today...we were snowed in and after taking turns shoveling for 6 hrs, and only getting half the driveway done...I called someone to plow the rest out...we survived our first snowstorm and am looking into getting a snowblower...our 200 yards of driveway is just too much if it decides to snow 24 inches again!
The water is a view of the Potomac River from the back of Washington's house...they used to catch alot of fish to eat/sell from the river...George entertained alot at his house...weary travelers used to stop and stay the night on their travels through the area...that's Virginia hospitality!
They also had a gingerbread replica of WAshington's house on display by a former white house Chef...I forget his name, but he's got a book out, yada yada....it was very cool!
The tour was very interactive, the house was interesting...the kids loved it. There were quite a few out-buildings that were closed due to snow/ice removal...so we plan to go back and really enjoy the view of the Potomac when the trees are all leafy and everything is green and lush! Washington's house grew as his status grew, he did not live there while he was the president, matter of fact, he only came home twice during his presidency, both I believe were during the Revolutionary war on his way through, mission planning with his lead generals.....anyway, to walk through the original house that he once lived in was amazing...his wife was also actively involved in Washington's presidency, she came during the long, cold winter months to the war site to help nurse those that had fallen ill and feed/cook for the soldiers....what a great woman, at 4'11 she was almost half the size of George, who stood at 6' 4"......I'll have to read up on her....anyway, George had no kids of his own, but he was stepfather to Martha's (who was widowed)...he provided for her children as they were his own...also interesting, Georgie never finished school....he only completed like up to 4th or 6th grade; that's around the time his father passed away and he had to help provide for his family...he is largely self taught, his own personal library contained somewhere around 900 books....he studied everything and education was so important to him that he provided for the education of his step children and even some nephews.......whew.....great place to visit.....we're looking forward to a weekend touring Monticello and Montpelier homes to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison about an hour and a half from here.....this spring or summer!
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