Parents Visit

My parents were in town last week and we saw some cool things in Virginia. It was the first time I've done any real sightseeing since we moved here, so it was nice to get out and explore our new state. One of the perks of being unemployed is that I don't have to use any vacation days so I was able to spend more time with my parents. We went to George Mason's house (Gunston Hall), Great Falls Park (not to be confused with Great Falls, MT), DC, Gettysburg and worked on some home improvement projects.

Mom and I in front of Gunston Hall. George Mason IV lived in this plantation house on the Potomac River in the mid-1700's. Mason is known as the "father of the Bill of Rights", although James Madison usually gets all the credit.

Dad and I with the Potomac behind us.


Gunston Hall

Great Falls Park (on theVirginia side of the Potomac)

The U.S. Capitol Building

Charles Lindbergh's plane at the Air and Space Museum

Lincoln Memorial

FDR Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial


Gettysburg National Park in Pennslvania - you can drive through the battlefields. The Park Service did an amazing job with the visitor center, which has a film, cyclorama (360 degree oil painting depicting the Civil War battle) and an extensive museum.

Confederate soldiers

Union soldiers

Gettysburg National Cemetery, unknown soldiers

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

-A. Lincoln

Monument marking the site of the Gettysburg address.

I like these fences.

View from Little Round Top

I put my parents to work during their visit. :) They are full of handy tips about how to fix things (like one of our toilets) and how to take care of our yard. Our front garden had a raised bed, which was filled with 4 layers of white "decorative" rock and mulch/bark. This needed to be removed, along with 5 overgrown bushes and 2 sickly crepe myrtles. We worked for two days and now the front yard looks great! Thanks for all your hard work, Mom and Dad!

Before

After

We had a wonderful visit with my parents and we can't wait for Christmas in Seattle! We've been away too long!