A view of Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate manor where he resided after his presidency.
In the foreground rests an ice cream maker!
In this room was stored the game that was caught on the 800-acre estate
I had recently purchased a dutch oven and liked comparing it to that which was popular 200+ years prior. It looks similar!
An extension of the main kitchen - honestly, I forgot what happened here exactly. Maybe it was the slaves' kitchen because it connected to the area where slaves slept above.
ADA nightmare - no railing! These stairs led to the slaves' sleeping quarters.
This row of houses kept the estate going! Laundry. Smokehouse. Administration. You name the task!
This bucket was filled and heated numerous times during the day to do the laundry of the Washingtons and their guests.
Not only must it have been torture to wait for clothing to dry, but it must not have been a picnic hanging out in this laundry room.
Max and Simone hold hands as they cautiously approach the stables.
This shed collected the horse poop and consequently created fertilizer for the crops of the estate.
Not only is Mount Vernon vast in area, but it changes elevation quite a bit. These stairs lead to a boat dock and to the farm on the southeast side .
To the left are one of the fields for crops.
These two horses are about to demonstrate a technique George Washington invented to improve harvest efficiency.
Treading Barn
The Treading Barn was a 16-sided structure in which horses trotted onto grain stalks, pushing the seeds onto the basement below. It seemed like such a good idea that I don't know why it didn't catch on through the rest of America. Maybe because there wasn't Twitter or Facebook back then.
What a pigsty!
We came at the right time and were able to see the piglets before they were weened off their mother. This meant that they could still be seen at the pigpen during the day. The beast on the right is, I think, the father. Since the pigs were trying to stop suckling, the source of breastmilk couldn't have been in the same sty without the pigs clamoring over the mother for a turn at the teet.
Wildlife
We saw other wildlife at Mount Vernon - a tortoise! At least that's what I think this guy is. His shell is dry so it means he doesn't have to run back to the water ASAP.
The kids were so curious but were respectfully cautious in approaching the reptile, but the little bugger thought they were too big for his comfort zone and made a dash for it in the opposite direction.
Authentic Virginian Cuisine!
I thought Filipinos and Africans were the only ones who make a peanut soup! Our waiter said that their version was a local favorite so we had to try it!
Michael had to photobomb the soup
It tasted just like Kare-Kare! But without all the vegetables and ox-tails. Now that I enjoyed the soup by itself, I got why my mom told me Kare-Kare is pretty fattening. This is a rich soup!
I really loved our visit to Mount Vernon and have considered getting an annual pass because we only saw about 40% of the estate. The tour guides were all knowledgeable and some were also theatrical! The kids learned from it, too! When Simone sees George Washington's portrait, she remembers that we visited Mount Vernon. I don't know how much history Max soaked in because he sometimes refers to our first president as, "that dead guy whose house we visited."
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