Day 4 - Celebrating the 4th of July at George's

Stopping to chat with George on the 4th of July at Mount Vernon

The month of July just happened to be the portion of the summer that worked best for me to schedule my time as a Mount Vernon Life Guard Teacher Fellow and thus I find myself this year celebrating the 239th birthday of our great nation here at George Washington's house.  I do miss my family back in Liberty, Missouri but if I'm away from them I can't think of many more appropriate places to celebrate.

Mount Vernon had a variety of events and special activities for visitors today and tried to see as many as I could during the day.  On the grounds of the estate today there were a variety of reenactors in Revolutionary War military dress. It really is quite cool to walk around the corner and see a Continental soldier or a group of colonial women there in front of the mansion.  I took a selfie with a soldier and then a little later ran into General Washington himself who was more than happy to take a photo with me next to the mansion.  

Continental artillery overlooking the Potomac

Colonial women at Mount Vernon on the 4th of July

Continental soldiers at Mount Vernon

Before lunch a group of people took their oath to became official citizens of the United States.  It was great to see such a crowd and see the excitement in becoming an American citizen, something I take for granted way too often.

New citizens being sworn in by John O. Brennan, Director of the CIA

In the afternoon Mount Vernon had a daytime fireworks display.  A large group of people sat on the lawn between the Potomac and the mansion and after General Washington and Martha Washington spoke to the crowd the fireworks were shot from a barge on the Potomac.  I captured it on my phone and added the video below.

There were groups of Continental soldiers playing music on the grounds throughout the day.  This particular fifer was playing near the mansion after the fireworks and gathered quite a crowd.

After celebrating with a piece of cake in front of the mansion I went inside the museum to visit some exhibits and catch a late lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn. Seeing all of the people in colonial clothes, listening the sound of fifes fill the air and sitting on the lawn of our nation's first president to watch fireworks made it a 4th of July that I will remember.

"Happy Birthday America" cake on the bowling green in front of the Mansion