Travel

Day 4: Mt. Vernon + Some Very Special Shopping

April 6, 2023

We rented a car.

We used Turo, which I had used in NC. It’s basically an airbnb of car rentals — and they have an option where the owner will deliver the car to you! We got an 8-seat Chevrolet Traverse which was great for our group size.

Our missions for the day: Mount Vernon + the Erin Condren store!!!! We headed out and stopped for brunch at the Silver Diner.

Mount Vernon

This visit exceeded expectations! Gorgeous grounds, interesting exhibits, and just an all around fun experience. We were there nearly 4 hrs!

me + the birthday girl!!!
this is 11
mansion tour
checking out the various buildings + rooms. so much is different and so much is the same! Would totally sit at that desk . . .
they did not get the cabinet joke
beautiful gardens + grounds
the famous view! Possible future holiday card pic šŸ™‚
cute kid play area!
they kept finding “relaxing spots”

EC STORE!!!

I’ve wanted to visit the brick & mortar EC for sooooo long! I think I included it in an itinerary that never happened in 2020. But we finally made it!

the glee haha
so pretty
we shipped together + A got a lovely bday present from my parents!

Then we wrapped it up with Four Sisters for dinner (again – rec from you all, thank you!!!). Awesome dinner.S

what a spread

Had to document this moment when we found A’s lost bag at Jaleo!! This was particularly exciting because I called and was told “I don’t see it” but we went in person because the person on the phone didn’t sound like she actually stopped to look . . . (not sure why, but I guess intuition is powerful). We decided to go by, and they had it right at the front!!!

A was overjoyed. Obviously I was too.

YESSSSSS

We celebrated with Sprinkles cupcakes. (Also all 3 kids had a bathroom emergency in Georgetown where there are basically no public bathrooms, but we survived!).

happy birthday A!

(Nope, not Passover-friendly but we do not follow the rules anyway! We were sad to miss the seder @ Josh’s parents’ house this year but at least we were having fun with family.)

14 Comments

  • Reply Irene April 6, 2023 at 8:25 am

    So fun to see you nearby! Despite living outside DC I have never been to Mount Vernon so you are ahead of me! Iā€™m glad it was fun.

    My kids live Silver Diner so much. Lots of kid favoritesā€¦

  • Reply Elisabeth April 6, 2023 at 9:06 am

    Love the family pic! This all looks so fun and love that you found A’s bag.

    Our roadtrip last summer was basically dominated by bathroom emergencies. After we got home, someone alerted me to the fact there is an app (for NYC at least; one of our stops on the roadtrip) that shows all the public washrooms. How did I not think of that? Which is to say – I FEEL YOUR PAIN. Finding bathrooms while out and about in a city is not for the faint of heart!

  • Reply Grateful Kae April 6, 2023 at 9:56 am

    My son loved Mount Vernon when his 8th grade class went last October! He texted me some cool photos. šŸ™‚ Next Asher will go in the fall! I love places like that too. We are looking at going to Colonial Williamsburg next year as a family which is up the same alley with all the historical stuff, etc. So fun and I find it all fascinating!

    And I am constantly looking at our family pics when we travel and thinking, “Possible Christmas card??” hahaha.

  • Reply J. April 6, 2023 at 10:10 am

    Great vacation pics! Personally would not want to sit at the overseererā€™s desk though at Mt. Vernon.

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger April 6, 2023 at 12:12 pm

      Goooooood point. I meant the style of furniture, not the position!!!

      • Reply C. April 7, 2023 at 6:50 pm

        I enjoy your blog and maybe it was an oversight, but I canā€™t help but be disappointed by the way you describe Mt. Vernon with no mention of the fact that it is a plantation that was home to hundreds of slaves who were owned by George Washington. It is impossible to ignore this fact when touring the place.

        • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger April 7, 2023 at 7:33 pm

          I would say it just wasnā€™t a very ā€œdeepā€ post, more of a photo dump with captions! I actually think they did a decent job acknowledging the history and the fact that enslaved people performed much of the labor on the estate. There was an additional memorial dedicated to that specifically. I agree itā€™s an important aspect of the experience and important to think about. Just did not get so deep or thoughtful in my recap!

  • Reply Coco April 6, 2023 at 6:58 pm

    You made good restaurant choices, jaleo and four sisters are my favorites!!! I miss Georgetown!!! I canā€™t wait to explore the stores in May when I go there.

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger April 7, 2023 at 12:47 pm

      We liked jaleo even more than zaytinya! And we loved four sisters. So good!

  • Reply Sara April 6, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    So glad you had a fun day! I recognize that Erin Condron store, haha.

    I took my boys to see Super Mario Bros right across the street at Angelika so *just* missed you! Hopefully I wouldnā€™t have been too awkward if I stopped you to say hi šŸ˜‰

  • Reply EG April 7, 2023 at 8:40 am

    I live very close to Mosaic, and I just got an email this AM saying theyā€™re closing that EC store at the end of the month! You made it just in time. šŸ™‚ Love Four Sisters and have really loved watching your family explore DC. Have a great rest of the trip!

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger April 7, 2023 at 12:47 pm

      Omgggg in the nick of time! That does not surprise me though – they still had lots of stuff but the vibe seemed a bit subdued and a lot was 50% off. We took advantage!

  • Reply Marcia Francois April 7, 2023 at 10:03 am

    When you’re back, we would love to see what you bought at Erin Condren šŸ™‚

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger April 7, 2023 at 12:48 pm

      I have enough notebooks to last a lifetime !! Will definitely share what I took home šŸ™‚

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