Fall decided to come back to DC on Friday and this New Englander couldn’t be happier. I love summer but I’m ready for the consistent crisp days that come with fall, so last weeks indian summer was rough for me. Since this weekend was absolutely perfect weather I wanted to get outside as much as possible and do something a little different. Unfortunately, most of the orchards around here have no more apples to pick so a few friends and I decided to head outside the city to explore of Mt Vernon and Alexandria instead.
For those of you who don’t know, Mt Vernon is George Washington’s estate, and it is completely amazing. While seeing the mansion that the Washington’s lived in is cool, the main draw for me is the amazing grounds and the views of the Potomac River.
There are guided tours of the mansion but the rest of it is self guided with plenty signs and historical re-enactors throughout the property to give you an understanding of how the estate was run in the 1700’s. We spent a couple hours wandering around, chatting and stopping periodically to hear people speak about different things, for example did you know that the song “Yankee Doodle” was originally written to mock us?
Planning your visit to Mt Vernon
It was such a great way to spend the afternoon, and something a little bit different for all of us. If you’re planning a trip to DC I highly recommend making Mt Vernon a stop on your trip!
My favorite parts of the estate are the view from the front of the mansion, the tomb, the wharf and the gardens. But I definitely recommend walking around the entire property to see as much as possible, there really is so much to see and so much incredible history!
Tickets
You can get your tickets at the entrance but I highly recommend purchasing them ahead of time online, they are discounted and you can avoid waiting in line which is always a plus!
Check the website when you’re planning your visit because there are always different events going on and you might be able to see a different side of the estate than just the normal ticket holders do!
How to get there?
You have a few options to get to Mt Vernon depending on where you’re coming from.
1. Car // Mt. Vernon is only about 20 miles south of DC, it’s super easy to drive to and there is loads of free parking!
2. Bike // If you’re feeling a little more active, there’s an amazing bike path that will take you out to the estate. It’s an incredibly scenic ride and you would see so much of DC’s surrounding area if you opted for this one!
3. Metro/Bus // You can take the metro to Huntington and then hop on the Fairfax Connector bus #101 that will take you right to the entrance! You could also take a tourbus to get there!
4. Boat // Next time I go out there, I’ll definitely be opting for this mode of transportation. There are two different boats that will take you to the estate, one leaves from DC and the other is from either Alexandria or the National Harbor. Such a great way to see even more of the city and surrounding areas!
