Hello Mr. Washington

If you ask me why I like this place so much, I honestly won't have an answer for that question. But one of my favorite places to visit is Mount Vernon, the home of George & Martha Washington in Virginia.

I remember when I first visited there back in high school. You know when you're in school you really don't have an appreciation for places you visit -- it's just a day off school and who really cares, right? Well that was true on our trip to Washington, D.C., but when we stopped over at Mount Vernon, something just struck me about the place. Maybe it was its location near D.C. or maybe because it was a beautiful estate situated exclusively along the banks of the Potomac River. Either way, I have no idea why but I just liked it there.

In 2008, when my family took our trek northward for my cousin's wedding, I kept telling my parents on the way home we HAD to stop at Mount Vernon. Neither of my parents had been there and they probably thought I was a bit crazy for really wanting to go to this place.

We made our stop and rather than just buying the passes to tour the estate, I scaled up and also bought the boat tour on the Potomac River. I initially thought we'd be boarding this small rowboat or something that would just take us out and show us the estate from the river, but no ... Rather,you board this huge yacht (The Spirit of Mount Vernon) and it will take you almost into D.C. and gives you a tour of Mount Vernon from the riverside.

If you've never been to Mount Vernon, I highly encourage you to go. You can go inside the home of our FIRST President,you can visit his tomb, the gardens of the estate and so many other sites or you can just kick back, take it easy and sit on the massive porch in a rocking chair and watch the boats sail by. It is well worth the visit; I knew that even back in high school.