This article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, by Bill Lohmann:
Five things you should know about Mount Vernon
1. George Washington first came to Mount Vernon as a boy, after his father died, to visit his half-brother Lawrence.
2. Washington built Mount Vernon into an 8,000-acre estate. Today, it encompasses 500 acres, with about 45 acres open to the public. The other 455 acres consists of woods, livestock pens and behind-the-scenes service areas.
3. Washington did not have wooden teeth. However, he did have false teeth made of such things as human teeth and hippopotamus ivory set in a lead base with springs. A set of his dentures is under glass in the education center.
4. Washington died of a throat inflammation on Dec. 14, 1799, in his second-floor bedroom. His last words, reportedly, were, "'Tis well!"
5. Mount Vernon has surpassed the 1 million mark in attendance this year, its highest mark since 2001.
If you go
Mount Vernon is open every day of the year, including holidays and Christmas. Admission $6 to $13. Visit www.mountvernon.org for details.
Holiday events: Special tours of the rarely open third floor of the house, as well as cookies and hot cider, through Jan. 6.
Dining: On site, there is a food court, as well as the Mount Vernon Inn, which offers a wide menu including duck and sausage cassoulet to "Martha's Remedy," a drink of hot cocoa and butterscotch schnapps. There's also, of course, cherry pie.
Directions: Mount Vernon is less than two hours from Richmond. Take Interstate 95 north to Exit 161, marked "Ft. Belvoir/Mt. Vernon." Continue north on U.S. 1 for 6 miles, through Fort Belvoir. Just after Fort Belvoir, turn right on state Route 235 north. Mount Vernon is 3 miles straight ahead, at a large traffic circle.
Hidden gems
Virginia is known as "the mother of presidents," eight having been born in the Commonwealth. Besides Mount Vernon, here are other presidential homes that can be visited. The only Virginia-born president not represented with a home on the list is Zachary Taylor, who was born in Orange County, although the precise location is uncertain. His family moved to Kentucky soon after his birth.
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