Wanderlust Traveler: Washington DC (Day-Trips)

We spent seven days visiting Washington DC during the first week of September 2012. In addition to all of the sights we saw within the city, we also completed the following day-trips in nearby Virginia:

Mount Vernon
Alexandria, Virginia
Arlington Cemetery

Mount Vernon:
As someone whom is obsessed with historical buildings, especially those of the colonial era, I had dreamt of visiting the beautiful estate of Mount Vernon for as long as I can remember and vowed that whenever I finally had the opportunity to visit Washington DC I would make the trip out.

Mount Vernon is located upon the Potomac River and is the former home of George Washington and his family as well as hundreds of slaves. The 500 acre estate is on the National Register of Historic Places and includes the three story mansion, multiple gardens and outdoor buildings, servants halls, George Washington's tomb, a wharf, and a pioneer farmer site. The home was originally built in 1741 and George Washington later acquired the estate in 1754 making many improvements and expansions to the house and property over the next 50 years until his death.

All visitors should began their visit with by watching the film We Fight to Be Free, at the Ford Orientation Theater. Next up should be a tour of the mansion. During the busy spring and summer months, visitors will be assigned a specific time to complete the guided tour of the mansion. If you've got some time to kill before your tour, don't worry, as there are plenty of things to occupy your time with, including the impressive visitor center with lots of interactive exhibits and artifacts to see. Luckily for us we were able to tour the house immediately after the film. The guided tour lasted about 20 minutes and took us through every room on the main floor and several rooms on the second floor. The entire house has been beautifully restored to how it would have appeared in 1799, the year George Washington died. My favorite room of the entire house was the Large Dining Room, which is the largest room in the house. In addition to touring the inside of the house, we were also brought to the back porch, where we were provided with an amazing view across the Potomac River. We later came back to the porch and sat on one of the many chairs to enjoy the beautiful views again because we just couldn't get enough.

After touring the house, we made our way around the large estate which took several hours. I most enjoyed seeing the Upper Gardens and the Slave Quarters, which have recently been meticulously restored to their original appearance. Most people would probably be happy spending a half-day at the estate. However, history buffs like myself will probably prefer to spend nearly the entire day in order to see everything on the estate and to also spend a fair amount of time at the visitor center. For those coming from Washington DC, the estate can be easily reached via public transportation in about an hour.

The mansion at Mount Vernon Estate.

Posing in front of the mansion at Mount Vernon Estate.

The mansion at Mount Vernon Estate.

The kitchen at Mount Vernon.

The covered walkway connecting the mansion to the kitchen at Mount Vernon Estate.

View from the back porch of the Potomac River at Mount Vernon Estate.

Shyawn enjoying the view of the Potomac River from the back porch of the mansion.

The back porch at the mansion at Mount Vernon Estate.

The Greenhouse at Mount Vernon Estate.

The Greenhouse and Upper Garden at Mount Vernon Estate.

The Upper Garden at Mount Vernon Estate.

Buildings at Mount Vernon Estate.

The Kitchen at Mount Vernon Estate.

Food storage area at Mount Vernon Estate.

The Smokehouse at Mount Vernon Estate.

The Wash House at Mount Vernon Estate.

The Stable at Mount Vernon Estate.

Washington's Tomb at Mount Vernon Estate.

The Wharf at Mount Vernon Estate.

Pioneer Farmer Site at Mount Vernon Estate.

The 16-Sided Barn at the Pioneer Farmer Site at Mount Vernon Estate.

Vegetable garden at Mount Vernon Estate.

Lower Garden at Mount Vernon Estate.

Interpretative Center at Mount Vernon Estate, where Lady Washington entertains visitors.

Mount Vernon Estate.

Slave Quarters at Mount Vernon Estate.

Old Town Alexandria (Virginia):
Located approximately six miles south of Washington DC, the historic center of Alexandria is a popular place for tourists to visit as a day-trip from the city. Old Town Alexandria is known for its many shops, restaurants, taverns, and beautiful brick-lined streets and buildings. The city has a lengthy history, having first been established back in 1695 with Old Town Alexandria laid out in 1749. I was extremely excited to visit Alexandria as it is well-known for its Colonial architecture, one of my favorites. Fortunately, the charming and photogenic city lived up to the high expectations I had and I would return in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity. It actually reminded me very much of the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington DC, which I also loved.

The city is easily accessible from Washington DC, located directly along the subway line, with the free King Street Trolley bus running frequently from the metro station into the center of town. Alexandria is quaint and very pleasant, making it a great reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Washington DC.

We only had about two hours to explore Alexandria, but I would recommend a minimum of a half-day which would allow more time to fully see Old Town and many of its famous sights including Christ Church, Gadsby's Tavern, and Captain's Row.

Old Town Alexandria, Virginia

Market Square in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

Old Town Alexandria, Virginia

Arlington National Cemetery:
Located in Virginia just a quick metro ride away from downtown Washington DC, this famous military cemetery contains hundreds of thousands graves spread over 624 acres. The cemetery was established during the American Civil War with the first soldier being buried in 1865. We had about one hour to spend at the cemetery, which was enough time to visit the two sights we most wanted to see: the Tomb of the Unknowns and the grave site of President John F Kennedy. We were slightly rushed, however, and having even an extra 30 minutes or an hour would have been helpful. There is a shuttle bus that visitors can hop aboard to help lessen the amount of walking involved (which is a lot: the size of the cemetery is staggering) but we opted out of it as it was $8.75 per person which we didn't think would be worth it for our hour-long stay. Seeing the Tomb of the Unknowns was definitely the highlight of our visit and no visitor to the cemetery should miss out on it.