DC

I was feeling a little brave this morning, so we decided to take the car to church and Mt. Vernon. Driving into town was not a problem... Parking was the challenge! We circled and circled the blocks surrounding the church, and then we found a small parking lot right behind the church! Thankfully, Josh Bullock had saved us some seats, because we ended up walking in just as the service was starting.

The service at Capitol Hill Baptist was an absolute blessing. Pastor Dever preached on Psalm 80, and he really preached it! The music was great as well, and I was very thankful for the service.

After church, we walked over to Union Station so the kids could see the beautiful building. Last time we were at the Union Station metro, sewers in a hurry and didn't have time to go upstairs and appreciate the architecture. We walked back to the car (it was a beautiful day!) and left for Mt. Vernon.

Our time at Mt. Vernon began with our National Treasure tour! Unfortunately, there are no tunnels and secret passages at Mt. Vernon. However, we got to see George Washington's basement and ice house! These were the two parts of Mt. Vernon that Hollywood melded together to make the tunnel. Also, the GW stone is based off a cornerstone that has LW for Lawrence, George's older half brother.



The home and extensive grounds were gorgeous. I am adding George Washington and family to my list of people I want to learn about this summer... It always interests me to learn about generations of families. In the mid 1800's, the family home had fallen into complete disrepair and was sold to a ladies group for historic preservation. Over the years, the ladies group has worked hard to recreate the home just as it was in the late 1700's.

We approached the house from the carriage entrance. The original house included only the center section. Through the years, the roof was raised, and wings were added to both sides. I didn't get them in the picture, but the main house has flanker buildings connected with covered arched walkways.

We entered the home through the door on the left side and came into the formal dining room. The two windows above the door are faux windows, and there for the sake of symmetry only. Inside, the room was two stories tall and beautiful.


The home was designed like many plantation homes of this time period, and had the entry way in the center with staircase, and rooms off to the side top and bottom. Interestingly, mounted on the wall in his entry way is the key to the Bastille, given to Washington as a gift from a French friend. Upstairs, George Washington's bedchamber was just as it was when he passed away.


The most spectacular part was the view of the river from the porch! After "settin' a spell," we toured the outbuildings and spent an hour or two in the museum. This was definitely worth the drive, and we were glad we took the time to include it in our plan!

Tomorrow is our last day! A person could spend weeks here and still not take it all in!