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Sunday, December 4, 2016

Our Trip to Mount Vernon

Greetings from the foothills! 

The highlight of our trip to Virginia in October was touring Mount Vernon, the home of President George Washington, our first President.  We were in line, facing the morning sun and awaiting our turn to enter the mansion when this picture was taken.  (All photos are courtesy of our youngest daughter.) 

Likenesses of the presidential family greeted everyone in the screening area.

These stained glass windows were amazing to see in person.  They are huge and depict the Declaration of Independence being read to General Washington so beautifully.

We were, understandably, not allowed to take pictures inside the mansion itself, but I will say the tour of our first president's home was wonderful.  On the veranda we got a fleeting glimpse of Mrs. Washington. ;)

A peek of through an arch on the portico overlooking the Potomac River. 

 The Tombs where Mr. Washington's remains still rest today.

His personal flag is at the front of the resting place.  It's a copy the one that was always born for him in battle and has thirteen stars.

The General's marble coffin with elaborate sculpting on the lid. 

Mrs. Washington's remains rest in marble a bit less decorative in the same tomb.

I think the family carriage is still quite handsome.

After seeing the mansion and stables there were other buildings to tour that contained wonderfully preserved items of historical note.  President Washington's teeth are still looking pretty good!   They are a mixture of human and cow teeth and elephant ivory.  The story that he had wooden teeth is just a myth, of course. 

Life-like figures showing the Presidential Oath of Office and other scenes were beautifully displayed.

I hope you enjoyed the photos.  We loved this trip!
Have a great week, Y'all!


23 comments:

  1. Did he actually have dentures made from horse teeth?

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    1. Katie his teeth were a mixture of human and cow teeth.
      Thanks for stopping by. :)

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  2. Interesting! Did you get to see Martha's china? I think vacations to historical sights are the best vacations. Have a wonderful week!

    Hugs
    Jane

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    1. I think they're the best, too, Jane. I read somewhere that Martha's actual china was dispersed to family members after her death. I'm sure there was some there, but if I don't like something, I have a tendency to put it out of my mind. Yeah, I'm bad that way. I'll ask my daughter if she remembers seeing any china.

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  3. Hello, wonderful tour and photos. I love the stained glass windows. I have never been there and I enjoyed your visit. HAPPY Monday, enjoy your new week ahead!

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    1. Thank you, Eileen. We LOVED those windows.
      Happy Monday to you, too!

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  4. What a great place to visit, so full of history.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Hi Amalia! Yes, we got our quota of history there. ;)

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  5. Good morning, I really enjoyed the tour.

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  6. What a fun and interesting trip! My degree is in social studies, so anything having to do with history FASCINATES me! Thank you for sharing.

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  7. This is very interesting, Toni. Were the stained glass windows actual windows, or were they artwork, displayed as in a gallery? They would have definitely been a highlight of this visit.

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    1. Linda, they are actual windows, but they are in the reception/education center, not the mansion.

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  8. Hi there, new-found friend! Thank you so much for coming by and visiting my blog, and for the wonderful photos of Mount Vernon! It has been a dream to go there for us for a while now, so it's nice to get a preview for when we actually make it.

    Love,

    Marqueta

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  9. Wow! What an awesome trip. I sure did enjoy the photos of Mt. Vernon! It's been a dream to go there for a long time, but this was a great tour. Thanks for sharing the posting. I enjoyed it very much.

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  10. This was something we wanted to do but didn't have the time when we were in Virginia. Definitely will have to make it to Mt. Vernon if we ever get back there. Thanks for posting such great pictures!

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  11. Loved seeing your pics, Toni! Wish you could have stopped by our place in the Valley. Mount Vernon is always a fun place to visit.

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  12. Hello, I just wanted to stop back and wish you and your family a blessed and Merry Christmas!

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  13. I don't like crowds, but I do enjoy places like this that have historical value. It's a fun way to learn a bit of history.

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Thank you for your comments!