Fourth day … we finally got wheels. We rented a car from Hertz which will allow us to travel outside of Washington DC. Besides we also needed a car to get to Philadelphia and New York City later on.

Just a bit about car rental according to my experience. You know, I think that the business model of car rental companies is not really renting you a car … it is selling you the insanely exorbitant insurance. That is where they make money. They don’t make money renting you a car for $20 a day for sure. If they stop pushing you to get their insurance, they will close down in a heart beat. Do you agree?

We never buy their insurance because we have quite comprehensive coverage anyway from one of our “driver” credit cards. In the event of an unfortunate accident (touch wood), our exposure will only be compensating the car rental company for “loss of use” but other than that they (should be) sufficiently covered by the credit card company.

Oh … one more thing. We rented a compact car. When we went to pick up the car, they tried to push me to get an upgrade for something like “$5 per day only”. I declined and guess what … they gave me the upgrade all the same. I bet they already know they don’t have a compact car on their lot and why not see if I would pay extra for nothing.

OK, I digressed … back to the actual topic of this blog … Mount Vernon … Home of George and Martha Washington.

Mount Vernon is the estate where George and Martha Washington lived from the time they got married until the day that George Washington passed away. It is in this house above that is the center of Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon is a huge estate and it is not easy covering the entire grounds. You will need to spend almost the entire day here. So, don’t expect to just see it all in 2 hours.

Mount Vernon is located about 30-40 minutes from Washington DC. Adult entrance is $13. There are extra tours like a Winery and Cruise which costs a few buck on top of the entrance fee.

The tour of Mount Vernon started at the Ford Orientation Center where they showed a film of young George Washington.

There is also a rather interesting doll house of Mt Vernon which shows how the house was laid out.

After spending some time at the Ford Orientation Center, we picked up our audio guide and off we went exploring the estate.

Mount Vernon overlooks the Potomac River which flows all the way to (from?) Washington DC. I can see why this particular spot is one of the best place to build a mansion. Although the design of the house is not overly grand but considering that this house is over 200 years old, well, it is the best as it could get then.

The Mount Vernon house is the most popular place … long line which snakes all the way through three buildings. Sigh … no photography allowed inside. We got a glimpse of how life was during his time and particularly his favourite rooms.

They have everything here in Mount Vernon. Back in those days, almost everything is home made. In Mount Vernon, they have a building specifically for washing, for repairing shoes, for making ropes, making paints, making linens, etc. This estate is actually a little town.

I just gotta share with you a cutting edge facility that is available in Mount Vernon back 200 years ago. it is what is called a necessary. You know what a “necessary” is?

A necessary is a necessary thing. Back then there are no flushing system but at least they locate this a bit of a distance from the house. I just wonder why there are three seats … and for that matter, why they are arranged sort of facing one another.

If George Washington had not been a soldier and a president, he would have been a farmer. His estate is one large experimental farm where here they devised very creative farming techniques of its time.

George Washington died in Mount Vernon and is buried here too. The above is the original burial chambers. His body was kept here until the structure began to crumble and they made a bigger, better one.

The father of the nation is now buried in a more respectable tomb.

Next to George Washington is Martha, his wife.

We took the ($9) cruise down the Potomac River from the Mount Vernon Estate. The cruise is fully narrated. I recommend opting for this cruise as it’s actually a good chance to rest yout tired feet from all the walking around the estate.

Actually Washington DC is not that far from Mount Vernon. We could actually see the Washington Monument and the US Capitol from the ship.

After spending something like 4-5 hours around the estate, we ended up at the Education Center and Museum. It was perhaps the best place in the entire estate because (1) they have chairs, (2) they have drinks, (3) the “necessary” flushes and and most important of all (4) they have air conditioning.

For a history buff like me, I enjoyed this part a lot.

More pictures after this jump … click “Read More” below to, well, read more …

(more…)

At the top of my list of places to visit when we were in Washington DC was, believe it or not, the Arlington National Cemetery.

I was not expecting a lot of visitors here in this sprawling military cemetery, not expecting many people would care enough anymore these days about people who died in wars long past. I guess I was wrong.

The Arlington National Cemetery is located on a hilly area across the Potomac River. It has a direct line of sight from the Arlington House and President John F Kennedy’s grave to the Lincoln Memorial. We got there using the MetroRail.

Although you could walk through the grounds, it would not be easy. For one, the entire area is huge and also it is very hilly. Many people get around on open air trolleys.

We got the tickets to the trolleys at the Visitor Center. So they are not free. Time yourself well as I recall the trolley buses stop running quite early, like 5PM or something.

I wished I had more time at Arlington. This place is so provoking especially when you take the time learning of the many sections of the cemetery. (more…)

Just next to the Supreme Court of the United States is the famous Library of Congress buildings. The Library of Congress is actually the world’s largest library in the world, bar none. It is so big that it is twice the size in terms of number of books compared to the next biggest library, the British Library.

The Library of Congress is established in the year 1900 to serve the research needs of Congress, hence the name.

The Library of Congress is actually located in three separate buildings but the most beautiful and prestigious of them is known as the Thomas Jefferson Building. That is the building that the tourist congregates to.

The entire building is elaborately decorated. As much as it is beautiful on the outside with water fountains, what we saw when we went into the building was simply jaw-dropping.

Frankly, I must say I have never seen a more beautiful building. (more…)

On the third day in Washington DC, we woke up later than usual. We only had a few places to cover for the day which is good since we had walked so much the day prior covering the monuments and museums the past two days.

Also, we were beginning to get over the 3 hour difference jetlag. So when I said we woke up later as usual at 8 AM … he he he … it is 5 AM in the west coast.

The Supreme Court of the United States is the least visible of the three branches of the US government but is as equally as important to uphold the justice system. It is the highest judicial body of the US and performs as a check and balance against the legislative and executive branches.

The Supreme Court building is located “behind” the US Capitol. It is symbolic in that it overlooks the interpretation of the law. There were not many tourists here. We were initially unsure if it was opened to the public but it was.

Slightly off topic … when I first had to decide on a career way back when I was in school, I was told that if I chose accountancy and finance, I would have the best chance to raise to the top of the corporate ladder.

So, after a few days here in Washington DC, I am beginning to think that if one aspires to be a country’s leader, the course to take is law. After all, everything about the administrative of the country revolves around law.

So then … here is my simpleton theory … if you want to serve on the private sector, study finance … if you want to serve in the public sector, study law. Silly me … I choose IT.

Both the exterior and interior is lined with fine marble. (more…)