Outdoor Wednesday - Our Trip to Mt. Vernon

Welcome to the first day of our vacation and a wonderful tour through Mount Vernon, Virginia, the home place of George Washington...
(Click on pictures to see them enlarged!)
We arrived at Mt. Vernon late morning on Wednesday, June 10th. We were famished and so our first stop was the Mount Vernon Inn...

The Mt. Vernon Inn Restaurant was built in modern times to match the architecture of the main house. The food consists of regional and colonial cuisine and is quite good. The waiters are dressed in period clothing and the ambiance is warm, friendly and enjoyable.

Our next stop, was the Visitors Center, where we watched a wonderful 40 minute film on the life and times of our first President.
Main House.. Following the Visitors Center, we continued on to the main house...

The land that comprises Mt. Vernon was in the Washington family from the 1670's. It was handed down to George Washington's grandfather, Lawrence Washington, where upon his death, it was bequeathed to his daughter, Mildred (George's aunt). Washington then bought the land from Mildred and lived on it from 1754 until his death in 1799. The house was rebuilt several times always on the original foundations and once George Washington owned it, he built additions to it until it looked as it does today.

After Washington's death in 1799, the plantation passed to several different relatives, but none could afford it's upkeep, so it fell into disrepair. Then in 1853 Mt. Vernon was saved from neglect by a group of women who organized the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association and bought the property. This same association, which cares for the land today, has never accepted government aid, but restored and maintained the house and grounds entirely with private donations. Ticket prices to tour the house and gardens (coming up!) also go to the upkeep of this national treasure.
Here is a winder view of the house and lawn (also known as the Bowling Green)...

No photography is allowed inside of the main house, so I am only able to show you the exteriors. Interior furnishings include some original furniture, artwork, and artifacts owned by the George Washington, as well as other period pieces.

Following our tour of the house we visited the exterior buildings:
The Carriage House ...
..including a carriage owned by George Washington...
..and a "Riding Chair" (similar to one owned by the Washingtons), for use on back roads and areas difficult to negotiate with a bulkier carriage...
The "Necessary" ... ...an outdoor privy used to centralize the collection of waste (rather than just using lots of "out houses"). Human waste was collected in large, removable wooden drawers below the seats. Waste was recycled as fertilizer.
The Threshing Barns ...
...kitchen vegetable garden and tobacco patch(originally plantation's main crop)...
...a group of wild turkeys...
...a kind reinactor ... ...who patiently explained the art of tobacco farming to us.

He showed us that they only keep the first 8 leaves on the plant, allowing them to grow, while pinching off any additional leaves on the plant. These 8 leaves are all the each tobacco plant grows. That way, the leaves grow strong and healthy.

This is a frisky, black sheep (literally and figurately), who continually jumps over the wood railings of his pen to feast on tender grass elsewhere.
These two are behaving themselves (for sheep).
My two, tired out young 'uns, plum tuckered out by the humidity.
The Tomb ...
...which holds the remains of both George Washington and his wife, Martha (the columns in front memorialize their nephew who owned the property later).
The Slave Burial Ground ...
The site of the slave burial ground was located using visitor accounts, oral tradition and a circa 1860 map. Both free blacks and slaves worked this plantation from the 1750's through the 1800's. Among the ones buried here is William Lee, George Washington's personal valet, who was with him during the Revolutionary War. He was granted his freedom and an annuity in George Washington's will. A view of the "back porch" of the main house...
...and the glorious view seen from there.
Sarah, Aunt Jeanie and Robert.
Robert's picture of the main house's cellar door.
Around the side of the main house, towards slave quarters and the greenhouse.
Side view of the greenhouse.
The Greenhouse...
The Gardens...gloriously based on English gardens popular at the time.






...the lovely magnolia...

This ends your tour of Mt. Vernon and our wonderful afternoon spent there. I highly recommend this wonderful experience for the whole family. It has something for everyone and the view and grounds, from what you have seen, are spectacular.

Visit Mt. Vernon any day of the year, it is never closed. Grounds are open at 8 a.m. (9 a.m. September through March, including Christmas). The entrance closes at 5 p.m. (4 p.m. November through February).

Admission rates are as follows:

Adults $15 ; Seniors, ages 62+ $14 ; Children, ages 6-11 $7 ; Children . under 6 FREE!
For additional information, please call (703) 780-2000 and/or visit http://www.mountvernon.org/

Don't forget to stop by A Southern Daydreamer for more Outdoor Wednesday posts!
Have a great day!
Elizabeth