EXPERIENCE E xplore the house and grounds of our nation’s first president, a phenomenal aviation museum and countless other attractions steeped in local – and national – history. A study in contrasts, GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MOUNT VERNON is at once a glorious riverfront estate and a humble homeplace for our nation’s first president. The grounds are lush and you’ll get a sense of grandness as you walk about its beautiful, green, landscaped lawns. But once inside the house, you’ll also find cracks in the walls, uneven floors, creaky stairs, rocking chairs on the porch. It’s a fitting tribute to a simple man who went on to achieve great things. The story of Washington’s life is dynamically told through a series of nearly two dozen galleries here, some of them offering interactive exhibits and state-of-the-art technology. Explore them all before wandering back outside to reflect on his legacy. On your way from Mount Vernon, stop by GEORGE WASHINGTON’S DISTILLERY & GRISTMILL , one of the largest distilleries and gristmills of the late 1700s, now reconstructed and still producing Washington’s famous rye whiskey. For history of a different kind, take off for the SMITHSONIAN’S NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM STEVEN F. UDVAR-HAZY CENTER near Dulles Airport. The impressive collection here boasts the SR-71 Blackbird, which flew at three times the speed of sound, along with the Space Shuttle Discovery, all pockmarked yet victorious after its 39 missions to space. Other highlights include the Enola Gay , a Concorde and the Gemini VII Space Capsule. The new NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY is a technological marvel telling the story of more than 30 million men and women who have worn the Army uniform since 1775. A Monumental PHOTO: GEORGE WASHINGTON'S DISTILLERY & GRISTMILL (CAMERON DAVIDSON) 30 • FAIRFAX COUNTY VISITORS GUIDE
Fairfax County Official Visitors Guide Fairfax County Official Visitors Guide 2021: Page 30
