Washington DC (Mount Vernon/Warrenton) Day 2

We woke early and had breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, we took our time getting out the door. We decided we’re not going to be in a rush. There is so much to do and see, but if we don’t get to them all, it just means we get to come back. Good thing we’re taking the laid back approach too because the girls discovered they forgot to pack a flat iron, which is evidently a necessity, and it was up to me to drive to the closest Walmart and pick up a new one. After checking out of the hotel, we set off to visit Mount Vernon and take a tour of George and Martha Washington’s home. It was very cold and blustery, but the grounds did not disappoint. The museums were all very fascinating, and we learned so much about George Washington that we didn’t know. He accomplished so much in his 67 years. Midway through the day, we had lunch at the Mount Vernon restaurant. The crispy Brussel Sprout salad was delicious. The famous Peanut-Chestnut soup was filling and rich and had a similar taste to the peanut sauce. The Cornbread with Vanilla Honey Butter was divine, and the creamy Flourless Chocolate Cake was melt in your mouth delicious. After lunch, we toured Washington’s home. Fascinating, historical, and the views were breathtaking. One of the most enjoyable moments was visiting the upper garden sunroom and listening to a female actress portray slave Caroline Branham who told the story of Oney Judge, a slave who escaped and the complications that ensued for Oney, for the Washington’s, and what her thoughts were on escape. One of the many interesting questions she posed was, “Could you imagine what it must have been like to be a slave in a home where freedom was a consistent topic of conversation?” It really blows the mind to consider how freedom was so one-sided. While Washington lent his support in many ways to slavery we didn’t know he was actually quite conflicted about it in his later years. So much so that he willed the slaves in his ownership be set free after his death. Should he proceed his wife, in death she was to be allowed to make use of them, but while she did not seem to share in his conflict she freed his slaves a year after his death. Washington had also set aside funds to aid the newly freed slaves in making a new life for themselves. Needless to say, this visit has sparked a wide array of conversation that we’ll be talking about for a long time.

From there, we drove to Alecia’s Uncle Jim and Aunt Grace's home in Warrenton, VA. We made a few quick drive-by stops at a couple of other historical sights on the way. We arrived at Jim and Grace’s home around 7pm and spent the next few hours just talking, listening, and sharing. What a sweet couple, we feel so blessed.