The Newman Hum: Mt Vernon

Mount Vernon was the beloved home of George Washington and his wife Martha, from the time of their marriage in 1759 until George Washington's death in 1799 (served as US president from 1789 to 1797). He worked tirelessly to expand his plantation from 2,000 acres to 8,000 and the mansion house from six rooms to twenty-one. It is situated along the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, 16 miles south of Washington, D.C. Guests to Mount Vernon can visit the Mansion, more than a dozen original structures, Washington’s Tomb, and nearly 50 acres of his extensive plantation. The estate also includes a working blacksmith shop and the George Washington: Pioneer Farmer site, a 4-acre demonstration farm with a reconstructed slave cabin and 16-sided treading barn. www.mountvernon.org/

On presidents day admission to Mount Vernon is free (normally $15/adult), as such we decided to take advantage of low entry fee. Luckily the kids get up early (6am), because by the time we arrived at 9am, the parking lots were just filling up and lines were forming. When we left around 11am, the parking was at such a prime-rate, that a family waited for a good 10-minutes behind our vehicle in the parking lot, while we loaded the kids, their stroller, and other accouterments. The weather was a bit brisk, but the reasonably priced admission helped make the trip worth it.