D.C. Trip: Mt. Vernon

We spent our last day in D.C. at George Washington's estate Mt. Vernon, which is about 30 minutes outside D.C. We spent a good 6 hours at Mt. Vernon with the Fillmores and it was awesome. We love, love, loved it. It was the only attraction in D.C. that we actually had to pay for, but it was well worth it. I took about a million pictures, so I apologize for the photo overload...

You know Bryn loves playing the part of different characters every day, so of course Bryn was "Martha Washington" the whole time we were at Mt. Vernon.

The first thing we did at Mt. Vernon was do a house tour. Photography wasn't allowed inside, but it was so neat to see all the rooms where Washington lived. There was bright green and teal paint in certain rooms, which looked kind of funky and modern, but it was a sign of wealth back in the day to use those bright paint hues. It was cool to see the cute little crib the Washingtons used and to see the bed where George Washington passed away.

There were also tons of furnished rooms and houses around the property that belonged to servants and hired workers.

Cutie cute cute. (Josh needs a son, right?)

There were animals in different parts of the property and the kids loved it.

This cute girl was a fan of the animals, too.

After a few hours we had a nice lunch break on the far end of the property with the beautiful Potomac River behind us.

One of the coolest parts of Mt. Vernon was learning about George Washington's farming techniques and walking through the gardens that are still maintained.

 I thought that top quote was neat.

The gardeners and ground workers all wore cute, old-fashioned clothing and Bryn thought it was pretty cool.

Thank goodness we had two double strollers because there was a lot of walking. We played musical chairs with the strollers seats and the kids took turns walking and riding.

 I couldn't get enough of all the green. The covered trails were so, so pretty.

When Mya wasn't in the stroller she was usually getting silly with Bryn. 

 I loved all the beautiful, blooming magnolia trees all over the grounds. 

We ended with the George Washington museum which was really cool. There were lots of interactive exhibits, videos, and some neat artifacts. Bryn loved Martha Washington's dress and jewelry.

I'm so glad Jess and Sterling recommended Mt. Vernon because it was one of very favorite things in D.C. It was so cool to learn more about the first President of the United States and about the whole Washington family. The Mt. Vernon estate is simply beautiful and so well-maintained. Such a neat day!

D.C. Trip: Monuments at Night

Josh and I checked out the National Monuments at night so we could see them all lit up. We did saw most of them Monday night and then went back for the rest on Tuesday. My Brother-in-law Sterling was our knowledgeable tour guide and photographer. Some of my pictures are grainy and I don't have photos of everything, but here are some of the highlights....

The Lincoln Memorial was probably my very favorite. It was really powerful looking up at the Lincoln statue and reading the inscriptions of his Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address.

Looking out from the Lincoln Memorial there is a beautiful view of the Washington Monument

 World War II Memorial

Jefferson Memorial

Jefferson Memorial from across the river.

The White House wasn't as lit-up and impressive as the other places, but it was still cool to see the home of the president.

The Treasury Department

This wasn't really on our list of things to see, but we passed it on our way to the White House and I thought it was a beautiful building. I loved all the old buildings and architecture in D.C. 

 I absolutely loved seeing the monuments and memorials and it was especially nice to visit them without kids in the quiet of the night. I feel so grateful and indebted to the past and present leaders of our nation, and to those who have fought for our country in times of war and conflict. 

D.C. Trip: Air and Space Museum

We spent Monday afternoon at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and it turned out to be one of our very favorite things we did in D.C. There are two locations, one on the National Mall and the other in Chantilly, VA. We went to the one in Virginia and it was fantastic!

 Bryn loved checking out all the astronaut gear and "space food"

Josh and Jess

 One thing I loved about the Air and Space Museum is that it was so open and spread out. Mya could actually get out of her stroller and walk around - which was not the case in the other crowded museums we visited.

 Jess has four of the cutest boys around and is such a great mom!

This museum was pretty fascinating.

Three cheers for airplanes! And free airplane museums!

D.C. Trip: National Zoo

We spent Monday morning at the Smithsonian National Zoo, which was another awesome free attraction. We went with Jess and her boys and had such a fun time.

Looking at a Zebra skull

 Thanks for a fun morning, National Zoo!