May 12 - 14
After our whirlwind Washington visit, Day Dreams set out on Monday on their summer adventure north to Quebec and New England. Our paths diverge here as Garry and I will spend the month of June visiting family in Michigan, Illinois and Seattle, WA and then the rest of the summer exploring the Chesapeake (all those places we missed on the way south last fall). We stayed an extra day in DC doing chores like laundry, cleaning and provisioning for a couple of weeks of anchoring before we leave the boat for a month.
So on Tuesday we left the helicopters and tour boats of DC behind and headed down the Potomac.
So on Tuesday we left the helicopters and tour boats of DC behind and headed down the Potomac.
First stop was just a short hop (just 13 miles) back down the Potomac at Mount Vernon. Anchored across the river from the dock to avoid the tour boat traffic, we had a beautiful view of the historic mansion. We finished lunch and deployed the dinghy for a little recon mission.
The dock attendant gave us the scoop on tying up and getting tickets to tour the mansion, museum, education center and the working colonial farm. Information in hand, we'll come back tomorrow and spend the whole day.
Wednesday the wind picked up and we weren't comfortable leaving the boat unattended, so took a down day just reading, etc. No schedule to follow..............
Thursday dawned sunny and calm - the perfect day to spend touring this lovely property.
Like the Capitol, the cupola atop the mansion was under renovation. Carriages would pull up to this front entrance bringing a constant stream of visitors.
There were numerous outbuildings on either side of the main house for all of the activities needed to maintain the home --- stables, smokehouse, storage, spinning/weaving, blacksmith, and quarters for the labor force, both slaves and free men.
The plantation was very self sufficient -- not only with crops like wheat and hemp and herds of both cattle and sheep, but also with 2 large gardens which produced the fruits and vegetables needed for the table.
After lunch with George in the Mt. Vernon Inn, we cruised through the extensive education center and exhibits. We stopped to visit the tomb where both George and Martha are buried on our way to the "colonial farm".
Though George was a soldier, statesman and ultimately the first president of United States, he considered himself first and foremost, a farmer. While still farming with oxen and mules, he utilized crop rotation and fertilization well ahead of his time.
After a very full day, it was time to head back to Waterford anchored across the way.
The dock attendant gave us the scoop on tying up and getting tickets to tour the mansion, museum, education center and the working colonial farm. Information in hand, we'll come back tomorrow and spend the whole day.
Wednesday the wind picked up and we weren't comfortable leaving the boat unattended, so took a down day just reading, etc. No schedule to follow..............
Thursday dawned sunny and calm - the perfect day to spend touring this lovely property.
Like the Capitol, the cupola atop the mansion was under renovation. Carriages would pull up to this front entrance bringing a constant stream of visitors.
There were numerous outbuildings on either side of the main house for all of the activities needed to maintain the home --- stables, smokehouse, storage, spinning/weaving, blacksmith, and quarters for the labor force, both slaves and free men.
The plantation was very self sufficient -- not only with crops like wheat and hemp and herds of both cattle and sheep, but also with 2 large gardens which produced the fruits and vegetables needed for the table.
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| Perusing one of the vegetable gardens. I think my silver pony tail would have fit right in the hairstyles of the time! |
After lunch with George in the Mt. Vernon Inn, we cruised through the extensive education center and exhibits. We stopped to visit the tomb where both George and Martha are buried on our way to the "colonial farm".
Though George was a soldier, statesman and ultimately the first president of United States, he considered himself first and foremost, a farmer. While still farming with oxen and mules, he utilized crop rotation and fertilization well ahead of his time.
After a very full day, it was time to head back to Waterford anchored across the way.
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