Located on the banks of the Potomac River, the property encompassed some 8,000 acres in George Washington’s days, but the current grounds are a mere 500 acres. Washington himself was the primary landscape designer of the vast property. A large bowling green in front of the house is the central element of the design, and the 4 gardens on the grounds both showcased Washington’s flowers and plants and provided fresh fruits and vegetables for the family. We walked through the Upper Garden, a formal garden with a greenhouse and 6 planting beds. The current plantings replicate Washington’s own garden, according …
Category: Trip Reports
Mount Vernon Mansion
The mansion is the centerpiece of Mount Vernon. It was originally built as a smaller 1.5 story home by George Washington’s father, Augustine Washington, in 1734. Twenty years later, George Washington took it over and embarked on a series of additions and renovations that resulted in the 11,000 square foot home you can visit today. The home was built in the Palladian style, which focuses on symmetry. Ironically, the numerous additions resulted in a slightly asymmetrical house. The dome and front door do not align perfectly and the windows are not symmetrical. The exterior of the home was built using …
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Because we live further from DC than my sister, we ended up staying an extra night to make the trip worth the drive and to avoid driving home in the middle of the night. I wanted to find one more activity that we could do that last morning but didn’t want to pay the high prices to stay in the city another night. I did some research on sites outside the city and decided that George Washington’s Mount Vernon would be the perfect add-on. Mount Vernon is the estate of George and Martha Washington. The grounds are massive and include …
National Air and Space Museum
The second stop on our Smithsonian museum day was the Air and Space Museum. When we visited DC 5 years ago, the kids spent hours here. On this trip they spent hours in the Natural History Museum and less time here. Their lengthy visit at the Natural History Museum turned out to be fortuitous, as we found that much of the Air and Space Museum was closed for renovations on this trip. The division of time was perfect and an hour and a half was all we really needed here. The Air and Space Museum main atrium definitely has a …
National Museum of Natural History
In all, the Smithsonian has 19 museums, galleries and gardens, as well as a zoo. All of its museums and the zoo in Washington DC offer free admission. With 11 of its DC museums located on the National Mall, they are super convenient… and the price can’t be beat! On our first trip to DC, we spent a lot of time in the Air and Space Museum and then popped into the Natural History Museum for a bit. On this trip, we did the reverse – we spent hours in the Natural History Museum (much longer than we expected) and …
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
Located adjacent to the West Building of the National Gallery of Art, the Sculpture Garden features over 20 works of art on 6+ acres of the National Mall. With 6 public entrances at various points around the block, it makes for an easy diversion from wherever you are headed on the mall. We actually stumbled across it on our way back to the hotel from the monuments and some of us chose to explore the grounds. (Others of us chose to rest on the benches, while still others of us chose to climb trees, which they quickly found out was …
DC Monuments
Washington DC is famous for its monuments. They can be found everywhere from the National Mall to random street corners throughout the city. A celebration of those who shaped our nation, you can spend days wandering the city trying to see them all. With just an afternoon to dedicate to this pursuit, we focused on the monuments on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. With the boys tiring and the weather questionable, we fit in what we could. We started at the Washington Monument, perhaps the most iconic structure in DC. This obelisk is the …
White House Visitor Center
After Ford’s Theatre, we decided to head to the White House Visitor Center. We didn’t plan our trip to DC far enough in advance to schedule a tour of the actual White House through our Congressman but had heard that the visitor center was a neat experience. There was some confusion about where the visitor center was actually located and our GPS seemed to be as confused as we were. We figured it would be next to or near the White House so we headed that way. We checked out the front of the White House before asking a security …
Ford’s Theatre
Ford’s Theater is the site of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. It is a National Historic Site run by the National Park Service and is made up of four separate parts: the Theatre, the Museum, the Petersen House, and the Aftermath Exhibits. But part of what is unique about it is that it doesn’t just function as an historic site. It is also an active theatre. Amazingly, the same theater where Lincoln was shot is still used for live performances today. It must be a strange and unique experience to watch a show on the same stage that Lincoln was watching …
Stone Mountain GA
After two and a half full days exploring the city of Atlanta, it was time to head home. We wanted to fit in one last activity before hitting the road and decided some time outdoors would be a good idea before the drive home. About 25 miles north-east of Atlanta, Stone Mountain fit the bill. Georgia’s most visited attraction, Stone Mountain boasts 3,200 acres of natural beauty and a wide variety of attractions. Everything from mini-golf to a full-size locomotive to a laser light show can be enjoyed in the park. But our quick visit on the way out of …