Mt. Vernon

Washington, DC:  We have spent the past few days with our daughter in Washington, DC. She is a student at The George Washington University - a school chosen (we are sure) because it is as far as possible from Oregon! The weather has not been good and the DC Snipers are attacking nearly daily!

Today we woke to bright sun! How nice - plus we didn't have to be anywhere, so were able to laze around a bit this morning, enjoying our coffee. DT went for a long run on the soft bark dust trails here at the campground, then we packed-up our cameras and drove down to Virginia to see Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington.

We just loved Mount Vernon! What a beautiful home and what a perfect setting. First we walked up to the mansion and waited thirty minutes to enter for a tour of the home. Washington inherited the house in 1754 from his half-brother, and "over the next 45 years greatly expanded his home to reflect his status as a Virginia gentleman". When he acquired Mount Vernon, it was a five-room, one-story home. When Washington died, the home was 14 rooms and three stories - one room completely covered the entire north wing of the home.  Now, nearly all of the furniture in the home belonged to George Washington. He even chose the china and the paint colors for the walls. We saw his study and the bed where he died.

Mt. Vernon - west (front) view


Mt. Vernon east (back) view

Martha and George Washington were famous for their hospitality. They were never without house guests. Every night was like a huge holiday dinner with ham, poultry, beef and wild game. Washington served two desserts after each dinner. One year, the household log claimed 677 over-night guests - in just that year! The covered walkway to the right of the main house leads to a separate kitchen building. The porch to the left leads to a building to house the servants of their traveling guests.

After touring the home, we visited the stables, smokehouse, storehouse, wash house (laundry) and a large lawn for drying clothes, the coach house, where they "ripened" the manure for fertilizer, the salt house, the ice house, the "necessary" (out house), a fabulous museum, greenhouse (heated with stoves) and slave quarters. We visited the Washington family tomb and the graveyard for his slaves. Then, we walked down to the wharf - recently reconstructed - and on to the barns and areas where the cattle were kept and where food for the daily table was grown.

The farm is 8,000 acres and was mostly in forest. Wheat was the main crop. Washington grew most of their food and raised beef, pigs, sheep and chickens. He had beautiful horses - and stables - and the entire family rode. Washington devised a 16-sided barn (basically, a round barn) for wheat thrashing. The floor was made of wooden slats, 1 1/2-inches apart. Straw was placed on the ground and he drove a pair of horses over the straw, around and around in a circle, to break up the wheat from the straw, when it would fall between the slats to a room below, and gathered. Washington also owned a nearby grist mill, a distillery and a profitable fishing business. Did you know George Washington was key in importing mules for use in farming in America?  He could replace two horses with one mule.

Washington did not have wooden teeth, though he did have false teeth. He did not cut down a cherry tree and he did not throw a silver dollar across the Potomac. We sincerely doubt he and Martha watched hippos frolic in the river below their home, but wonder if possibly they could have seen manatees???

I don't know if George and Martha had a gift shop next to the slave quarters or sold nachos and fries near the front gate - but they do now! Mount Vernon is not a National Park, Monument OR Shrine. Since 1858, the estate has been operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. There is a $9 charge to enter the property. The gift shops are fabulous! Even the 8-mile drive along the parkway is beautiful. If you are ever in the area, 14 miles south of DC, please take time to visit Mount Vernon. Look at the blue sky in the photos above - it was a lovely day.

We drove back to Goldie to change for dinner. Lisa had made reservations at Ten Pehn for dinner for just the three of us to celebrate my birthday. This cleverly-named restaurant, at 10th & Pennsylvania is one of the top restaurants in Washington. The chefs, Jeff Tunks and Cliff Wharton have created an eclectic Asian menu. You can't say it is a Chinese restaurant, or a Thai restaurant or even a Japanese restaurant... it is just an "Asian" restaurant - plus they serve a mean rib eye steak. The three of us tried:

HOUSE SMOKED SALMON & CRISP WONTON NAPOLEAN
with Kaiware Sprouts and Chinese Mustard Honey Aioli

PEKING STYLE DUCK ROLL
with Moo Shu Pancakes, Hoisin Sauce and Sweet Chili Sauce

TEMPURA TUNA SASHIMI & ASPARAGUS ROLL
with Asian Greens and Wasabi Cream

WOK SEARED SPICY CALAMARI SALAD
with tatsoi, Sriracha, Lime and Toasted Cashews

HAMACHI & AHI TARTARE
with Grated Daikon, Young Ginger, Fresh Wasabi and Herb Bagel Crisps

THAI STYLE COCONUT & CHICKEN SOUP
with Portobello Mushrooms (served in a coconut!)

MISO-SAKE MARINATED SEARED SEA BASS
Kimchee, Dashi Beurre Blanc

GRILLED CEERTIFIED BLACK ANGUS RIBEYE "MALAYSIAN STYLE"
Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, Coconut Creamed Spinach

(Wow, my spell-checker did not like this list!) Can you even comprehend how someone could come up with this stuff? (Can you even comprehend how even three people could eat all this stuff?) Everything, except the last two, were appetizers. I took home my sea bass and Lisa took home her steak. DT just had appetizers. Birthday or not - no dessert. (As I type this, I am on my second cup of soothing chamomile tea.) Goodness, what a wonderful meal - what a beautiful restaurant and what wonderful company! We took Lisa back to her apartment and said our goodbyes. We won't see her for 9 weeks!

RV Park: Cherry Hill Park in College Park, Maryland