Upon arrival we purchased our tickets and after a few snapshots of a bronzed Martha and George Washington, we perused a small museum and some stain glass windows depicting pivotal moments in G.W.'s life, I was astounded by a replica of Mount Vernon Manor. The tiny house was a scale model, in every aspect. However, the most exciting part about the model were a feature built into the walls on every side, electronic cutaways slid down to reveal the interior of the mansion, featuring tiny candles, chairs, desks, and other furniture. We followed a path outside and saw some adorable sheep and rams, that were woolly and precious.
The path led to the upper gardens that were full of herbs, flowers, and the dwarf fruit trees. The historical society that currently owns and operates the manor and grounds are excavating the garden to better understand the original planting layout to accurately recreate it.
Up a small hill and we were met with the beautiful manor, which in real life looks much smaller. Clearly the most picturesque area of the manor grounds would have to be the view from the back porch of the home itself. The Potomac and fall foliage was breathtaking. We took some photos and decided that the hour plus wait in line to go into miny house land was much too long, so we went right over to the lower gardens, which contained many species of edibles that Washington found native or planted to study the hardiness of tropical to the region. The stables and mule yard which are located directly south from the lower gardens held a stage coach that once belonged to the Washington's. Heading further down the path we happened upon the growing orchards with cabbage, pumpkins, and squash. Our final stop was the shoppes...let's just say that although Washington is dead, his estate is still bringing home the bacon!
So, back to the city and on to my first trip on the Metro! : D Lots of sleeping people, very strange, anyway, its like when you're in a club or hearing through any type of loud speaker situation...really hard to understand that you really don't care what he's saying. A trip into the heart of D.C. and straight to the Freer Art Museum with exhibits on; Islamic, Egyptian, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese art and artifacts. Highly ethnic. Lots of jars and wine jugs...oh, and bowls. The whole day we had dreary weather and a slight fog in the air that made taking pictures very difficult. We walked past the Smithsonian Castle, the Art & Industry Building, the Capitol Building, IRS, EPA, and many, many, more anagrams for crooked organizations that are doing something to screw you over. EPA, environmentally conscious? I think not.
Speaking of crooks...two words, Modern Artists. So, we went through the National Sculpture Garden and viewed the many impressive designs ranging from a bunch of stacked up chairs, a spider made of scrap bronze, and a ginormous, "thinking rabbit." Yeah, here is some stuff I welded together from things I found on the side of the road for two years when I was on that anti-depressant bender.
Summing up today, fun and educational. More to come as tomorrow there is a 97% chance of precipitation and we were planning on spending the whole day outside. Well, hopefully Great Falls Park, corn maze, and pumpkin patch, here we come!Love and Kisses,
am
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