Mount Vernon

Saturday we headed up to Mount Vernon, the estate of George Washington. The weather was fabulous and we couldn't have gone on a more beautiful day.

It also happened to be the same day of the BIG GAME! Iowa vs. Iowa State... so we wore our appropriate attire.

Nick had a quick huddle with the little ones before entering the mansion on our tour to go over the 'game plan'.

Being built over 250 years ago, it was amazing to see how well they have maintained the home.

No photo taking is allowed inside the mansion, but we were able to go through and see almost every room to include the bedroom where George Washington passed away. The place was HUGE!
And the view from the backside was A-MAZING! Looking out over the Potomac River. I could sit and sip a cold drink all day long in those rocking chairs and watch the kids run in the yard.

The grounds had dozens of buildings where the servants did laundry, cooked, and slept. There was a smoke house, cellar, and many more buildings. The stables housed horses and all the 'carriages' and other means of transportation...
As we walked further down, we saw the original resting place of Washington and his family

that was changed 30 years after he died to a larger tomb:
Then we walked along a beautiful trail (which I can't wait to go back again once the leaves change in the fall) toward the farm grounds.

My boys

And my girls + Savannah (McKenzie's pal)

Here we are outside the 16 sided barn that was designed by Washington himself!

His horses walked around the circle, smashing the wheat, causing the grain to fall between the cracks of the floor into the basement....

Here is the basement where the grain was collected and taken up to the kitchen where the servants would grind it into flour for cooking.
Trevor asked what happened when the horses pooped or peed down onto the wheat. Yuck. I hope they washed it REALLY good!!!

Then we walked the trail back to the main road.

We finished our tour that day by visiting some of the farm animals.
The museum we went through also would not allow photos. It was so much fun, and there was so much we didn't see. We were there for about 3 1/2 hours and by the end the kids were ready to leave. We got annual passes so that we could go back again whenever we can! I can't wait!

We made it back just in time for kickoff!

HOW 'BOUT THEM HAWKEYES!