Photo Snippets

200-plus year old garden pavers

I don't want too much time to pass before I post something about the trip to Mount Vernon/Alexandria, VA, so here are some snippets. Again, the overcast skies were not ideal, but the sincerity and warmth of the people I was with acted like umbrellas that kept the damp from ruining a weekend of fun and exploration.

There was much to be in awe of at Mount Vernon, from the views of the Potomac from the big front porch and elaborate (yet practical) gardens to the amazing library and giant cooking hearth inside the house. But oddly enough, my favorite thing was walking up and touching trees that were planted under Washington's direction and continue to thrive on the grounds today (see photos below). I also thought it was cool to walk along pavers in the vegetable garden that were laid during Washington's time. According to Dean Horton, our tour guide the Director of Horticulture at Mount Vernon, most of the trees on the estate were no more than 15 feet tall when Washington died. Today, there are trees that tower at least 140 feet!

I could get used to that view!

After the gardens and the house tours, we had free time to roam the grounds. So, a group of us marched down to see the Washingtons' burial tombs and some of the less structured areas of the estate.

I find it amazing that the house and estate are owned and maintained by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. I guess I'd always assumed it was all owned and managed by the feds. Glad to know I was wrong. Thank you, Ann Pamela Cunningham, founder of the association in 1853.