79. HUNT COUNTRY

Leesburg, Virginia

3/6/2011

“Hunt Country” refers to a small region where Virginia’s elite used to partake in fox hunting. Although the sport has died out, the legacy remains and a few quaint towns owe their existence to this era. Patricia recommends a meal at the Green Tree in Leesburg, which serves authentic eighteenth century cuisine. We arrived at 4 o’clock – a little early for most people’s dinner – and had the place to ourselves. Our waiter was intensely serious, but not in a dour way. He fit the mood of the restaurant perfectly. He reminded us of those butlers in old movies.

At this point in our journey we were in the midst of a terrible storm. Apparently the lower level of the restaurant had already flooded. While we were there the roof started leaking. The butler dealt with these problems with quiet dignity. Strangely, this all still seemed very classy.

The food was outstanding. Laura had a curried chicken and I had rabbit. That was one yummy bunny. The menu claimed the recipes were created by extensive research of 18th-century documents and I don’t doubt it. Free of charge, the butler brought out a piece of their bread pudding for Daniel.

We were still the only people in the restaurant when we left, so I hope that isn’t typical. There was a bad storm out, so I hope that was the only thing keeping people away. It would be a crime if this place shut down. There can’t be anywhere else like it in the world, I’m sure.

From Laura: Why the heck did I order the curried chicken??? [It was good.]  And I am glad that there are restaurant proprieters in this world who actually like children.  Thank you Mr. Man. 

78. THE STEVEN F. UDVAR-HAZY CENTER

Chantilly, Virginia

3/6/2011

Even before the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum opened it was apparent that it wouldn’t be large enough for some of the gigantic aircraft in the collection, so the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center was built. This huge hanger is filled with all things extra-large. In reality, the museum doesn’t have that many artifacts (we easily saw everything in an hour) so it’s the hugeness of the aircraft that is the appeal. Frankly, your enjoyment may vary by the number of X-chromosomes you have. For most guys the words “giant bomber plane” don’t need any justification.

Naturally, I had my picture taken with “Enola Gay” – arguably the most famous aircraft in the museum. Although all the other aircraft are hanging exposed, “Enola Gay” has a telling glass shield in front of it.

Long before I even knew about Patricia Schultz I had a dream to get up close to a Space Shuttle. The shuttle prototype “Enterprise” rests here. I got my wish. Daddy happy. Mommy asleep.

One complaint about this place: parking. Like all the Smithsonian museums, admission is free. However, parking is $15. I wasn’t born yesterday.

From Laura: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

77. MOUNT VERNON

Mount Vernon, Virginia


3/6/2011

Ah, Mount Vernon! The once and future homestead of Daniel’s best friend and hero – George Washington. The sprawling estate has been preserved to look as it did at the time of Washington’s death, complete with a working farm.

Although in terms of acreage Mount Vernon is clearly immense, what struck Laura and I was the humbleness of the actual mansion. All the talk of Washington’s virtue and incorruptibility in the face of wealth and power never seemed quite believable. His home was obviously an extension of the reality of this virtue. My favorite item in the house was Washington’s presidential chair – the charm was that it looked like any guy’s favorite chair. I’m surprised Martha never put it out on the curb for the garbage men when he wasn’t home. The seat of the chair bares an impression of Washington’s once-constant use. That’s not the kind of thing you read about in textbooks, but I cannot tell a lie.

Besides the estate itself, the somewhat pricey ticket price ($15!) provides admission to a fairly ample museum of all things Washington. All the famous paintings from those “A Kid’s Guide to the Presidents” books are there, personal effects, and even a set of his false teeth. Despite all the worshipfulness, the museum doesn’t shy away from the old paradox of Washington’s slave-holding.

Both Laura and I gave Mount Vernon full marks as a historical site – it truly piqued our interests beyond the moment. The emphasis in the mansion, the estate and the museum was on Washington’s character and how he chose to give up power to return to his home at Mount Vernon and his old life – when the likes of Julius Caesar, Oliver Cromwell and Napoleon made themselves dictators at the expense of their “democratic” revolutions. The whole experience made us both more interested in learning more about Washington the real man, whose exceptional qualities set a precedent for peaceful handing over of power in a republic. This is now taken for granted all over the world and we can forget how significant his contributions to liberty were. A trip to Mount Vernon can rectify that.

From Laura: If I had a bunch of money, this is where I would live. Well, not in George Washington's house per say, but in Mount Vernon.  It was gorgeous!

76. OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA

Alexandria, Virginia

3/6/2011

Alexandria looked to us like the city where all the rich people in DC live so they don’t have to get murdered in DC. A historic town that doesn’t look like it’s on life support – that’s rare for us to find.

We drove through the town and looked at some of the more famous buildings (like Gadsby’s Tavern, where George Washington used to have his birthday parties), but we spent most of our time at the Torpedo Factory. It started out like it sounds – an actual torpedo factory – but was later converted into a bunch of art studios. This place was a lot more interesting than we thought it would be. Basically, there are a series of rooms where different artists do their thing. It’s vaguely zoo-like. Finished works lay alongside works in progress. And if you have a spare $800 you can bring something home. We don’t, so we didn’t.

75. ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Arlington, Virginia

3/6/2011

Despite our detours we made it to the party on time for the big surprise. We spent the night in a Day’s Inn in Arlington – just a few minutes from the Pentagon. Apparently not something one must see before they die, but it was still neat to see. It looks just like it does in all those cheesy movies. I always thought it would be in some super-secret inaccessible place, but it was just off the side of the road like some office building.

We began our day with early Mass at St. Charles Borromeo – just a few minutes from Arlington National Cemetery. The solemnity of the cemetery is apparent to any visitor. The rows and rows of veterans’ graves are hard to ignore. Photographs don’t have the depth that’s needed to appreciate it.

We made sure to visit the Kennedy Tomb and eternal flame, as well as the Tomb of the Unknowns. It was a drizzly day, but the lone soldier protecting the monument was there as promised. Laura wanted to hang around here, for some reason.

I feel guilty criticizing a cemetery, but Laura and I had a hard time navigating. There isn’t a lot of signage and since most of the plots look so similar we wound up going in circles trying to find the exit. Also, we were surprised at the lack of handicap accessibility. We’ve become more conscious of this element of design having pushed our fair share of strollers up wheelchair ramps. It was possible to get everywhere by avoiding stairs, but the routes (not marked, as stated above) were very circuitous. I would hate to think a disabled veteran could face obstacles here of all places.

From Laura: Okay, I didn't know that it was possible to get lost in a cemetary, but we did.  Also, I was pregnant.

74. HARPERS FERRY

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

3/5/2011

Harpers Ferry is best-known as the site of John Brown’s ill-fated attempt to spark a slave revolt – and as any history teacher will tell you, the incident would be a defining step on the road to civil war. However, as every pamphlet produced at Harpers Ferry will try to beat over your head “the history of the town is more than one moment” and we found that to be true.

Harpers Ferry is preserved in a unique way. It is now a National Park that is only accessible by a free shuttle bus from the parking lot of the visitors’ center. What’s nice about this is that the bus leads people into the secluded town, so there are no highway ramps in the distance ruining the illusion of transporting back to the nineteenth century.

If you want a nice workout, try wearing Philip on your back while carrying Daniel in your arms up a steep hill. It’s worth it to see Jefferson Rock – named for Thomas Jefferson’s picturesque description of the view from this spot, as he put it “worth a trip across the Atlantic to see.” He was right.

73. BERKELEY SPRINGS

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

3/5/2011

Being invited to a surprise birthday party in the DC-area has two great benefits: 1) Hang out with a good friend and 2) You can probably guess. Our codename for this weekender was “Not DC.” There are a handful of “places to see” in the DC area, but not actually within the city limits – so the goal was to hit these places and save DC itself for a proper trip of its own.

We live about 8 hours from the birthday party, so luckily we reached Berkeley Springs right around that point when our lower bodies were starting to fuse to the car seats. The nation’s smallest state park (4 acres) was surveyed by George Washington when he was 16 and soon became America’s first spa resort and one of his more frequent haunts. A town now surrounds the park, which Patricia promised to be an egalitarian wellness hub. I’m sure it once was, but as we drove through it we saw a few abandoned buildings crumbling. More than likely another dying way of life – why go here now when there are spas in shopping malls?

As stated above, the park itself is so small it can be explored quite easily in a few minutes. Nonetheless, it’s a beautiful place and well worth a stroll. Plus, you can fill up a jug with the spring water that has attracted people for centuries. It’s yummy!

Daniel and Philip really enjoyed looking at the flowing water and I had fun pondering a replica of George Washington’s bathtub. TMI, George.

Speaking of George Washington, there was a guy there dressed as him. At first we thought he worked for the park, but we overheard him asking the (rather unknowledgeable) ranger a few questions that led us to believe he was just a visitor like us. Well, like us, except dressed like George Washington. When Daniel saw him in the distance he ran away from us, and before we could stop him, he grabbed the father of his country and hugged him with patriotic vigor. George Washington then gave him a quarter. Yes. This really happened. You can't make this sort of stuff up.