Mount Vernon

One of my parents’ Christmas gifts to Heather and me was a one-day extravaganza at Mt. Vernon, George Washington’s home. We have wanted to go there anyone for quite some time; everyone we’ve talked to has raved about how interesting and fun it is. So, a few Saturdays back, we went.

We got there in the afternoon and, after watching an introductory movie on the life of George Washington, toured the house. In December, all three floors of the home is open during tours, versus only having the lower two floors open the rest of the year. After the house tour, we explored the Learning Museum, which is located right next to the house. The museum was awesome: it had a lot of interactive displays and mini-movies to engage the kids and lots of interesting things for adults, too. Heather and I watched one movie about the Revolutionary War in which during the winter scenes, snow falls from the theatre ceiling and during the battle scenes, the chairs all shake when the cannons are fired.

After the movies, Heather and I ate a late lunch at the Mt. Vernon Inn. By the time we were done, it was time to head back for the candlelight tour of the house. Though we’d already done the house tour during the day, the candlelight tour also has a lot of actors dressed up as characters from Washington’s time, like Martha Washington, the Washington’s niece, and a few of his friends. Each character had a different story to tell, and each story gave a unique insight into Washington’s life. After the tour, Heather and I looked around the grounds and then we went to the greenhouse for some 18th century dancing. The actors showed everyone how to do a few steps in a simple routine, and then they asked for volunteers to do the routine with them. Heather really wanted to, so we volunteered, and then we totally rocked the dance floor – 18th century style rocking, anyway.