What a House

We were ready to stretch our legs after our train 'adventure', so we headed into Virginia to Mt. Vernon, George Washington's home. This is a beautiful estate, right on the Potomac River looking down from a hill. George was a detail guy, and planned out the estate (which he got thru the family) in great detail. So much so that he was moving outbuildings and having gardens planted even during the 7 years he was fighting the British. He probably appreciated his slaves at least during this time. Did you know that George and Martha had no children of their own, but raised Martha's two children, then her son's children when he died. George was also raised in a family of stepchildren. So this seemed common at the time.

Good thing he found Martha because she was a 'sugar momma' and had enough wealth to run George's estate. George wasnt really much of a farmer. He was more interested in testing farming techniques and new seeds. We hiked through his orchard where they have just planted cherry trees for the first time. Currently there are peach and apple trees as well as berries and vegetables.

The museums and house were quite interesting, and the films were first rate. Through all of this, the history of our country was personalized, highlighting the people, their passion and their flaws. Mt Vernon is a recommendation for anyone traveling to the area.

FOOD
Our hotel is on Dupont Circle, a nice area. And to keep to the theme of the trip (irish reunion) we are staying at the Jury Hotel (Irish hotel company). The neighborhood is beautiful with Dupont park, the older homes, bookstores and restaurants, in addition to the Irish pub in the lobby. For dinner, we were tired, so decided to walk outside and see what looked good. Across the street we saw Kramerbooks. A genius idea - bookstore, bar and restaurant all in one. We were excited.
And not disappointed. Mark's dinner wins the prize. Mussels and real crab cake atop an amazing corn chowder that didnt seem to have any cream in it. My crab cake was what I remember from the area - chunks of real crab mixed with a little bit of seasoned breading and baked. Cant find that in Florida! Dad's dinner was a combination of Elvis Presley's favorite foods - country fried steak, greens, mac 'n cheese. Mom went for grilled shrimp and vegetables.
What did we do afterwards? We went to the bookstore!! A great assortment of books covering all topics were available, mostly in paperback. We found a small bar with entertainment in the back that added to the fun atmosphere.