This afternoon I drove down to Mount Vernon with three friends who are also over from England. It's the home of George Washington. I went there about 15 years ago and it seems to have changed almost out of all recognition. There is now a visitor centre, a museum and education centre, as well as the mansion to visit. The National Trust could learn a lot from how the Americans run tourist attractions. I am sure they do a fine job in some places, but I have to say the last time I visited Chartwell (home of Winston Churchill, near Sevenoaks), I was appalled at what it had been turned into. I vowed never to go back as they had totally ruined the ambiance of the place.The views from Mount Vernon over the river are spectacular and it's really possible to imagine what it would have been like two hundred years ago. We also visited George Washington's mausoleum, which was very understated. It's a few hundred yards from the main house, housed in a brick building.
11 comments:
It may be dedicated to George Washington, but we all know it's really named after the hospital near Watford.
"George Washington's amusoleum"
That's actually rather funny! Amazing what a simple typo/transposition can do...
'amusoleum'? Is that where they keep his old jokes?
Sorry... someone had to...
Interesting, I never got a chance to visit that last time I was in the area... duly noted for the next visit...
Have you had a chance to look around Alexandria itself? Really lovely little town...
It used to be the end of one of my running routes out in the US.
You should go and see Jamestown and Williamsburg if you get the chance. Important places in England as well as America's history.
This is a genuine story.
When in the USA some years ago. I met a high ranking lady whose father had been a travelling salesman.
She told me that his obsession, wherever he went within the USofA, was to find a White Washington family!
He had never succeeded and neither had she!
I asked friends of mine, then with the FBI, if they could find any and they struck a blank.
I asked friends within the Black Police Chief's Association and they could not help!
So, the question is, did George Washington have a black wife or mistress?
Iain, perhaps you could continue the search.
This is a genuine story.
When in the USA some years ago. I met a high ranking lady whose father had been a travelling salesman.
She told me that his obsession, wherever he went within the USofA, was to find a White Washington family!
He had never succeeded and neither had she!
I asked friends of mine, then with the FBI, if they could find any and they struck a blank.
I asked friends within the Black Police Chief's Association and they could not help!
So, the question is, did George Washington have a black wife or mistress?
Iain, perhaps you could continue the search.
How much do they charge for admission?
Iain,
I'd agree that Chartwell has been grossly and unsympathetically commercialised. But the game is making money - no more and no less. While the tourists continue to flock to this fine house with its superb outlook nothing will change.
But we are not alone. I can remember how disappointed I was by visits to other buildings in Europe and America - The Alhambra being particularly loathsome.
One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. I hope you told them that.
Did you see the Frank Lloyd-Wright house which is also nearby. An extraordinary testament to later modern architecural styles. By which I mean it's not a big "signature" house but has all the elements that later made him famous in much more public buildings.
Amazingly when I was there the American's visiting comments were along the lines of "but arent the bedrooms a little small?". But then again when I visited "Falling Water" a couple of year's later the same comment was made.
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