After a two-day, snack-filled drive down to Maryland, the car needed detailing to remove crumbs and Katy's chickens willingly obliged
Charlie and Erin spent hours playing with the chickens
Not content to leave the National Park sites in the DC area unexplored, Dave took his girls, plus Lyla and Charlie on a busy day trip. First stop, Fort Washington, first established for the War of 1812 and expanded for the Civil War.
The kids dutifully worked on Junior Ranger booklets under Bobblehead George's watchful eye
The requisite cannons in the deserted fort didn't have signs prohibiting climbing...
Erin and Lyla made the hike down to the Potomac River for the view across of Mount Vernon and upriver towards DC
At the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Anacostia DC, Erin didn't have the stomach for the movie portraying slave life
Oxon Hill Farm was oddly situated inside a cloverleaf of the DC beltway, and proved to be a dense, if not mildly informative view of farming life
The resident goat Aaron was a feisty kid and tolerated this extra attention
Have Charlie and Lyla been successfully infected with the Junior Ranger bug?
Not a bad day's haul: 7 badges and 1 patch for each
Back at Boxwood Farm, the kids swam and played
In addition to entertaining guests, Aunt Katy's dental skills were also put to use
On the way to Virginia we stopped at the Clara Barton NHS in Glen Echo, MD. The founder of the American Red Cross and a tireless leader of relief efforts nationwide, we believe that she is a strong candidate for the upcoming addition to the $10 bill.
Her house was set up like a Red Cross shelter with many storage rooms and even a cotton muslin ceiling.
At Aunt Claire's the cousins had fun swimming and kayaking around Lake Barcroft
Brooke and Erin are losing their gap-toothed smiles
Tessie had fun romping around with the big kids
The eldest children
Back in Maryland, we prepped for Katy's square dance, which was a huge success, so much so that we didn't stop to take any photos
One more NP site day trip. The Fredericksburg battlefield preserved a bullet-ridden house
Aunt Katy leads the Junior Ranger charge
Outside Fredericksburg was Ferry Farm, the link between GW's birthplace and Mount Vernon
Caroline Ehmann, est. 2007
George Washington's birthplace can be found in George Washington's Birthplace, Virginia, on the neck of land between the Potomac and Rappahannock estuaries. It is a beautiful location with a re-creation of the original house and plantation.
Katy was envious of the boxwood on the grounds
There it is, Virginia's cash crop: tobacco
Every year we get a little closer to a great lineup photo of the cousins
Patriotic mustaches!
This may be the last year the porch swing can support all 8 kids
We had a great time with our visit
Fort Washington fun
Glen Echo carousel
Before the square dance
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