D.C. and Homebound! (Day 12)

This was the last day of our vacation and we were going to make the most of it! We got up very early, jumped on the subway to Union Station, to catch the bus tour to Mt. Vernon. I wasn't sure we were going to have time for this, but Grandma insisted that we get there, so she purchased the tickets for us!
The kids learned so much about George Washington by being at his home. The estate is huge, it was like his own private city.

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the actual mansion, but it was neat to see how they lived, and to see the actual bed where Washington died.
The mansion overlooked the beautiful Potomac River and Maryland.

It was amazing to see all of the small structures built around the mansion, including the slave quarters, the washing room, the painting room, the caretakers room, the blacksmith room, the carriage house, and the barns.
The estate still has a small working farm, and many sheep, including these adorable babies.

The tomb of Washington, his wife, and other family members is huge!

We enjoyed walking through the woods and paths throughout the estate. It really is awesome land, and we were so happy we were able to make it out here!

The bus tour drove through Old Town Alexandria, and stopped at the famous Christ Church. This is a small, beautiful church!

This was George Washington's (and family) pew!

One last picture in front of one of the many gorgeous trees...

We took our last subway ride back to the hotel to check out. The kids wish we had a subway in Temecula!

We checked out of our hotel, and waited for our shuttle to the airport. Unfortunately, the shuttle was extremely late, and after a lengthy phone battle with the company, I had to cancel and request a refund. An hour late is just too late in my book! One of the hotel workers offered us a ride in the hotel limo to the airport, and we couldn't pass it up. It cost me less than a taxi, so we jumped in. The kids couldn't believe they were actually riding in a limo!

It was a great way to end the trip! We had a bit of a flight delay at the airport, but finally made it on the plane and headed home. Joe came to pick us up and we were all glad to see him. We had such a wonderful vacation full of great memories and lots of family time. I think we were all ready to be home and back in our own beds after almost 2 weeks!