DC - Day Two

Good morning!  The wake up call rings at 6 a.m. and we have a half an hour to be down for breakfast.  Quick showers, dressing, and gathering our "must have" items takes all of that time but we are in the line for breakfast and oh my it does look good.  I am not usually a breakfast person, but I know that lunch is hard to get sometimes so I am making a point of eating.  I even grab a couple of oranges to put into my pocket "just in case."



This morning's destination is Mount Vernon in Virginia and we are on our way by 8 a.m.  I try and peek out the windows to take a few pictures along the way.  This one has a ton of waterfowl BUT across the water:  that is Maryland.  Oh so close and yet so far away.

We arrive at the plantation and as we wait for our tour, we discover that half of the group will tour the mansion now and half will tour in an hour and a half.  We are in the second group so get to wander the grounds first.  We are greeted by the Washington family just inside the visitor center doors.  After watching a really good film about George Washington, it is time to see all that we can in our allotted time.  Walk fast now.

Down the lane, away from the house we come to the family tomb where George and Martha lay.  Their sarcophagi can be easily viewed while the other family members are in a back area.  This is a newer viewing area and not the original tomb.  Poor people can't just be left to rest -- ugh.  Oh, in all fairness, while George was alive he directed the construction of this place as the older family tomb was deteriorating.  We continue our loop around and find the wharf where I believe one can still arrive via the water.

As we round the corner back towards the house, we find the original tomb.  I do like it's location and looks much better than the new one.  To me, this feels like a tomb but according to the sign, this one was very hard to maintain and that is why the new one was built.

The next section on the mansion is the working area.  I am only posting a few pictures but we enjoy all the various rooms and buildings.  Here is the laundry room.

And the Smokehouse

As we cross in front of the mansion, this is the best picture available due to the mud and reconstruction of the cupola.  This is the entrance and faces the courtyard.  For some reason, I want to call the other side of the house the front but this was it.  A small door is what we get.

Down the second lane, we come to more working areas - the spinning room with its looms and wheels.

The blacksmith at work, using the bellows to stoke the fire.

The stove room which I found most interesting as it was used to direct heat into the greenhouses.  It's really quite ingenious.

As we come to the slave quarters, we have a chance to talk with Jon about their lives and although slavery is wrong no matter what, the people who worked here did appear to have it better than many.  Again, I'm not saying it is good, just that it "seems" as though Washington encouraged endeavors for themselves in addition to what they were required to do for him.

The women's slave quarters -- again spinning wheels

The Necessary.  I love the name for it.  Ah the properness of it all.

It's time for us to return to the mansion and line up for our tour time.  Unfortunately, we are not allowed to take pictures inside the mansion, but it is indeed beautiful.  As we wind our way in and out, we cross the back and overlook the beautiful Potomac.

When we exit the mansion, it is through the Colonnade that leads to the kitchen.  The kitchen was not attached to the house due to fears of fire. It's actually larger than I thought it would be but when I think of the effort back then to produce a large meal, I stand in awe.

We are finished with our tour and I spot Jon once again in the snow.  I honestly believe he needs to move north again.

Here is the back of the house and you can see why I believe it should be the front.  So much grander.  We have just a bit of time left for lunch and the museum.  We are told to see a movie in the museum and it runs over time so we are then running to get the bus.  No lunch for us.  Good thing I have the oranges.

Our next stop is tough for me.  We are going to the National Holocaust Museum and although I take many pictures, I am not posting them here.  I took them for me to remember and to share with Mister but man's inhumanity to man is not something I want to glorify by posting it here.  I will share a few pictures and just let the images speak for themselves.

Outside the building, while waiting for the bus, it seems as though an impromptu group picture is needed.  The kids are so cooperative, I am impressed.  They jostle into place, allow several shots and once again disperse into their social groups.  I ask for a picture of Jon and Jen and after a silly moment, Jon complies.  Bad light though.

We are heading back into DC for a quick stop at the White House.  I love the sights and sounds of the city.

And there it is.  I can now say that I have photographed the White House.  Yep -- that's true.  No one gets to tour it anymore and I am oh so hopeful that one day we will once again have a President that is not afraid of the the people he represents.  THIS reminds me of Peru -- outside the President's Palace there.  Complete with snipers, etc.  It does not feel like the America I used to know.

Due to a creep with a megaphone outside the White House, several of us leave early and return to the bus to wait for the group.  I have to laugh as I look outside the window of our bus and spot this sign.  Too funny.

The next stop is the Kennedy Center and the Hall of Nations.  We are here for a play tonight and are having dinner in the cafe up on the roof.  Dinner is handled very well by the cafe and within mere moments everyone is enjoying dinner, especially those of us who missed lunch.

We have a bit of time before the play so I go out onto the roof and walk around the entire perimeter taking in the views from each direction.  From the frozen Potomac to the Watergate Hotel.

It is indeed lovely and I even get a chance to work on a reflection shot in the areas that have open water.  I think it turns out pretty dang good.

It's time for the "Shear Madness," the play we have tickets to tonight.  I sneak a quick picture before it actually starts and then sit back and enjoy every single moment of this whodunit.  It is excellent and I would recommend it to anyone.  It is an improv type of play, though, and thus it changes each and every night.  The teachers seemed to be uncomfortable with some language and innuendos, but overall the kids loved it and many say afterwards that it is the best part of their trip so far.

It's late but as we return to the hotel Jen and I decide to go to the top to see if I can spot the Pentagon.  Well, it's hard at night and these areas are not open during the day so this is what I am going to get.  We return to our room, get Jon and go back up for some dessert and drinks in the rotating restaurant.  Nice.

It's been a sensory day for sure --- and this beautiful view is ending it for us.  Good night.  (In theory -- that is the Pentagon.)